Effect of a long-acting somatostatin analogue (BIM23014) on proliferative diabetic retinopathy: a pilot study

A pilot study on the use of a continuous infusion of somatostatin, by subcutaneous pumps in the management of proliferative diabetic retinopathy is reported. Two patients out of eight with proliferative retinopathy demonstrated improvement. One patient demonstrated regression of disc new vessels and the other a reduced area of retinal capillary non-perfusion, both demonstrated by fluorescein angiography. Control patients showed worsening of fluorescein leakage over the observation period of four to six weeks whereas the other six patients given the somatostatin infusion did not demonstrate any deterioration. The mechanism of action of somatostatin in this study is unknown but it is thought to have direct anti-angiogenic properties as well as inhibiting growth hormone secretion.