Use of green porphyrins to treat neovasculature in the eye

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy of conditions of the eye characterized by unwanted neovasculature, such as age-related macular degeneration, is effective using green porphyrins as photoactive agents, preferably as liposomal compositions.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
     
     
         21 . A method of treating unwanted choroidal neovasculature in a shortened treatment time, the method comprising the steps of: 
 administering to a primate subject in need of such treatment an amount of a porphyrin dye sufficient to permit an effective amount to localize in the neovasculature; and    irradiating the neovasculature with light having an irradiance in the range from at least about 300 mW/cm 2  to about 900 mW/cm 2 , the light being absorbed by the porphyrin dye so as to occlude the neovasculature.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the porphyrin is green porphyrin.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the light has a fluence of 50 Joules/cm 2 .  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the primate subject has age-related macular degeneration and occlusion of the neovasculature ameliorates symptoms of the age-related macular degeneration.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the primate subject has a disorder selected from the group consisting of age related macular degeneration, ocular histoplasmosis syndrome and myopia, wherein occlusion of the neovasculature ameliorates the disorder.  
     
     
         26 . A method of treating age-related macular degeneration in a primate subject having unwanted choroidal neovasculature in a shortened treatment time, the method comprising the steps of: 
 administering to the primate subject an amount of a green porphyrin dye sufficient to permit an effective amount to localize in the neovasculature; and    irradiating the neovasculature with light having an irradiance in the range from at least about 300 mW/cm 2  to about 900 mW/cm 2 , the light being absorbed by the porphyrin dye so as to occlude the neovasculature.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the light has a fluence of 50 Joules/cm 2 .