Anti-VEGF Therapy Effective for Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Real-World Setting

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy was effective for improving visual acuity and reducing central macular thickness in real-world patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration, according to study findings published in the Archives of the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology.

“However, the number of injections performed [in the single-site study] has generally been higher than in other real-life studies,” researchers wrote.

The retrospective, observational study looked at the effects of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections in 143 eyes of 122 patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration at Cruces University Hospital in Spain. According to researchers, previous real-world studies have identified a markedly worse visual prognosis, as well as a lower number of injections, than reported in pivotal clinical trials.

After 2 years of treatment, 45% of patients showed improvement in visual acuity, according to the study. Central macular thickness decreased a mean 85 μm, and the number of injections averaged 13. The rate of retinal pigment epithelium rupture was 3.5%.

The drug most often used first was ranibizumab. A change in treatment was necessary for more than half of patients, though, with most switching to aflibercept.

More visits and fewer injections, researchers noted, were predictors of worse structural outcome.

“The treatment has demonstrated its efficacy by improving visual acuity and central macular thickness,” they concluded.

Reference:
Giralt-Peret L, Rodríguez-Urzay A, Pérez-Fernández S, Martínez-Alday N, Fonollosa-Calduch A. Real-life results in treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration with anti-VEGF therapy. Analysis of 122 patients from a single center. Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol. Published online December 27, 2021. doi:10.1016/j.oftale.2021.02.007