Randomized, placebo controlled, patient and observer masked study to evaluate the efficacy of treatment with Sandostatin LAR 20 mg i.m. or placebo every 4 weeks during 6 months in 120 patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration.

1. Recent history of visual acuity decrease (< 6 weeks prior to study start) related to exudative ARMD;

2. Clinical signs of ARMD (i.e. drusen and/or RPE changes);

3. Age > 60 years;

4. FAG (taken within 96 hrs after randomization) documenting fluorescin leakage from a well-demarcated classic or mixed CNV within 200 ¦Ìm of the center of the FAZ (size < 3.5 disc areas);

5. Best corrected visual acuity for distance in study eye ¡Ý 0.125 (Snellen chart) determined within 96 hrs after randomization.

1. Diabetes mellitus;

2. Symptomatic cholelithiasis;

3. Use of anticoagulants;

4. Malignancy;

5. Active hepatitis or clinically significant liver disease or dysfunction;

6. Platelets < 1011/L;

7. Hb < 5.5 mmol/L;

8. Concomittant surgical intervention, laser coagulation, acetazolamide, systemic steroids or immunorepressive therapy,
tear of the RPE;

9. Vitelliform-like lesion of the outer retina or central serous retinopathy;

10. Additional ocular disease which has irreversibly compromised, or is likely to compromise during follow-up, visual acuity of the study eye;

11. Inabillity to obtain photographs to document choroidal neovascularization,
history of CNV treatment in study eye;

12. Participation in another ophthalmic clinical trial;

13. Intraocular surgery within previous 2 months;

14. Nd:YAG capsulometry within last month.