The authors felt that these results were consistent with established and known effects of selective blockade of VEGF(165) bioactivity- decreased leakage from blood vessel walls-and postulated that they suggest an anti-permeability effect at the macula. Most adverse events were transient, mild to moderate in severity, and attributed to the injection and the preparation procedure itself, rather than to the study drug. Macugen [TM] was equally well tolerated systemically, with no apparent increased risk of cardiac, ischaemic or haemorrhagic adverse events. [11] Rates of serious injection-related complications, most notably infection inside the eye (endophthalmitis), were within the range of historical benchmarks of injections into the eye and not associated with severe visual loss. These preliminary findings provide evidence that selective inhibition of VEGF(165) may produce a clinically meaningful and statistically significant benefit in the treatment of DME. Confirmation of these preliminary observations of Macugen [TM] safety, patient tolerance, and significant efficacy across a broad spectrum of patients with DME is required. [10]