REAL-WORLD EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF RANIBIZUMAB TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT POLYPOIDAL CHOROIDAL VASCULOPATHY: Twelve-Month Results From the LUMINOUS Study

Aflibercept monotherapy or bevacizumab first for diabetic macular edema

PURPOSE

Clinical outcome and switch patterns with bevacizumab first treatment strategy for patients with newly diagnosed neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

METHODS

Retrospective observational study of the number of intravitreal injections of bevacizumab and treatment switch in patients who started intravitreal bevacizumab injections between January 1, 2016 and December 30, 2018.

RESULTS

From January 1 2016 to December 31 2018, 608 eyes of 565 patients started intravitreal injections of bevacizumab for a new diagnosis of nAMD. Average visual acuity (VA) at presentation was 0.60 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), which improved to 0.47 after six injections (P < 0.001) and decreased to 0.63 at the last follow-up (P = 0.543). Switch of treatment was recommended for 190 eyes (31.3%), and of them, 91 patients (15%) were switched during the first 6 months and defined as primary failure of bevacizumab. The switch of treatment resulted in a statistically significant improvement in VA in the first 6 months after the switch. The gain in VA was not sustainable over time.

CONCLUSION

Bevacizumab first treatment strategy produced results that were comparable to previous real-world outcomes publications of ranibizumab and aflibercept treatment with low rates of failure of bevacizumab treatment. Treatment switch to second-line treatment yielded a significant VA improvement, mainly in patients with primary bevacizumab failure.

Efficacy, durability, and safety of faricimab in patients from Asian countries with neovascular age-related macular degeneration: 1-Year subgroup analysis of the TENAYA and LUCERNE trials

PURPOSE

To evaluate 1-year efficacy, durability, and safety of faricimab among patients from Asian countries in the TENAYA/LUCERNE trials of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

METHODS

Treatment-naïve patients with nAMD were randomly assigned (1:1) to faricimab 6.0 mg up to every 16 weeks (Q16W), based on disease activity at weeks 20 and 24, or aflibercept 2.0 mg Q8W. The primary endpoint was change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline averaged over weeks 40, 44, and 48.

RESULTS

In the pooled TENAYA/LUCERNE trials, there were 120 (9.0%) and 1209 (91.0%) patients in the Asian (faricimab n = 61; aflibercept n = 59) and non-Asian country (faricimab n = 604; aflibercept n = 605) subgroups, respectively. In the Asian country subgroup, mean BCVA change from baseline at the primary endpoint visits was 7.1 (95% CI, 4.3-9.8) letters with faricimab and 7.2 (4.4-10.0) letters with aflibercept. In non-Asian country patients, mean vision gains were 6.1 (5.2-7.1) and 5.7 (4.8-6.7) letters with faricimab and aflibercept, respectively. At week 48, 59.6% of Asian country patients in the faricimab group achieved Q16W dosing (vs. 43.9% non-Asian) and 91.2% achieved ≥ Q12W dosing (vs. 77.5% non-Asian). Central subfield thickness reductions were similar between the subgroups, with meaningful and similar reductions from baseline observed at the primary endpoint visits and over time. Faricimab was well tolerated in both subgroups, with an acceptable safety profile.

CONCLUSION

Consistent with the global TENAYA/LUCERNE findings, faricimab up to Q16W showed sustained visual and anatomical benefits in patients with nAMD from Asian and non-Asian countries.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03823287 (TENAYA); NCT03823300 (LUCERNE). Date of registration: January 30, 2019.

Factors Influencing Visual Acuity in Patients with Active Subfoveal Circumscribed Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy and Changes in Imaging Parameters

We performed a retrospective, observational study of 51 eyes in 51 treatment-naïve patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), whose lesion ranged within the 6 × 6 mm scope of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). The patients were divided into an ill-defined group and a well-defined group based on the pattern of branching vascular network (BVN) on OCTA. BVN morphology was not related to baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). However, the BCVA in the ill-defined BVN group (-0.18 [interquartile range: -0.40 to 0.00]) was significantly improved after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections, compared with that (0.00 [interquartile range: -0.18 to 0.00]) in the well-defined group (z = 2.143, p = 0.032). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that male sex, fewer injections, and the presence of polypoidal lesions on OCTA images at baseline predicted a poor prognosis in patients with polypoidal lesions on OCTA images after anti-VEGF therapy (all p < 0.05). Finally, BCVA at baseline and the number of injections were protective factors for BCVA after anti-VEGF therapy (all p < 0.05). In contrast, a history of hypertension and macular edema at baseline were risk factors for BCVA after anti-VEGF injections (all p < 0.05). Our results revealed the visual and morphological prognosis of patients with active subfoveal circumscribed PCV after anti-VEGF therapy.

Real-world cost-effectiveness of anti-VEGF monotherapy and combination therapy for the treatment of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

OBJECTIVES

For patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) combination therapy has been shown to be cost-saving relative to monotherapy in a clinical trial setting. However, whether this also applies to real-world settings is unclear. We aim to compare the real-world functional outcomes and cost-effectiveness of intravitreal anti-VEGF combination therapy relative to monotherapy, to investigate whether combination therapy is truly cost-saving.

METHODS

We used a Markov model to simulate a hypothetical cohort of PCV patients treated at Singapore National Eye Centre. Model parameters were informed by coarsened exact matched estimates of a two-year retrospective study of patients who initiated treatment in 2015. Treatment options included intravitreal aflibercept, bevacizumab, or ranibizumab, as monotherapy or in combination with full-fluence verteporfin photodynamic therapy.

RESULTS

The two-year logMAR letters gains were significant for combination therapy ( + 10.6, P = 0.006) but not monotherapy (-2.2, P = 0.459). Over 20 years, a PCV patient would cost the health system SGD 48,790 under monotherapy and SGD 61,020 under combination therapy. Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated to be 7.41 for monotherapy and 7.80 for combination therapy. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of combination therapy was SGD 31,460/QALY, which is less than the common willingness-to-pay threshold of per capita gross domestic product of Singapore (SGD 88,990/QALY). Sensitivity analysis showed that combination therapy remained incrementally cost-effective, but not cost-saving.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows that combination therapy is good value for money but is likely to increase costs when applied in real-world settings.

The comparison of two different strategies of intravitreal conbercept for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in Chinese patients results from a 48-week randomized phase 4 study: STAR study

PURPOSE

To compare a treat-and-extend (TAE) strategy with a fixed dosing regimen of intravitreal conbercept (IVC) for the management of treatment-naïve polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) patients.

METHODS

249 patients with treatment-naïve PCV were randomized 1:1 to fixed dosing regimen with injections every 12 weeks (3 + Q12W) group or treat-and-extend regimen(3 + TAE) group. Patients received 3 monthly intravitreal injections of 0.5 mg conbercept as loading dose in both groups. The 3 + Q12W patients were monitored monthly and received mandated injections every 12 weeks; the 3 + TAE patients were monitored and treated monthly until the resolution of exudative disease activity; the interval between visits was then individualized according to study protocol. Visual and anatomical outcomes were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

At 48 weeks, there was no significant difference between the 3 + Q12W group and 3 + TAE group in mean BCVA improvement (p = 0.421), mean changes in central retinal thickness (CRT) (p = 0.818), maximum retinal thickness (MRT) (p = 0.448), pigment epithelial detachment (PED) height (p = 0.221), PED volume (p = 0.076), branching vascular network (BVN) area (p = 0.615), polypoidal lesion number (p = 0.701), polypoidal lesion area (p = 0.424), rates of patients who avoided vision loss of ≥15 ETDRS letters (p = 0.397) or complete polypoidal lesion regression rate (43.8% vs. 41.8%, p = 0.814). The 3 + Q12W group had more decreased retinal haemorrhage area (p = 0.014) and fewer mean numbers of injections comparing with 3 + TAE group (6.6 vs. 9.4, p < 0.001). Mean maximum extension interval between injections after loading injections was 9.6 ± 2.0 weeks for 3 + TAE group, with 27.8% of patients achieving an extension interval of 12 weeks and 61.1% patients 8 weeks or more.

CONCLUSIONS

Both 3 + Q12W and 3 + TAE regimens of IVC could result in improvement in visual and anatomical outcomes in PCV patients.

Comparison of visual outcomes of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and typical neovascular age-related macular degeneration-up to 10 years of follow-up

PURPOSE

To investigate long-term visual outcomes of patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and typical neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in the real-world setting.

METHODS

Retrospective, multicenter, noninterventional consecutive cohort study. Two hundred eighty-five eyes of 261 patients with PCV and 902 eyes of 877 patients with typical nAMD, who could be followed up 1 year or longer from 2005 to 2018, were included. Mean changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline in the PCV and the typical nAMD groups were compared.

RESULTS

Mean follow-up period of total patients was 4.3 ± 2.8 (1-10) years. Baseline BCVA was better in the PCV group than that in the typical nAMD group (0.59 ± 0.52 versus 0.79 ± 0.63 logMAR, p < 0.001). The mean changes in BCVA from baseline in the PCV and nAMD group were +2.1 and -0.1 letters at 1 year, -0.2 and -3.7 letters at 3 years, -3.9 and -10.5 letters at 5 years and - 8.7 and - 12.1 letters at 7 years, respectively. Before 2006, the initial BCVA was sustained for approximately 1 year in eyes with PCV and for less than half year in eyes with typical nAMD. However, after 2007, when anti-VEGF agents were available, the initial BCVA was sustained for 4 years in eyes with PCV, while it was sustained for 1 year in eyes with typical nAMD.

CONCLUSION

In the real-world, long-term BCVA deteriorated in both PCV and typical nAMD groups, but the PCV group showed better visual outcomes than the typical nAMD group.

Evolution of treatment paradigms in neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a review of real-world evidence

The aim of this work was to evaluate the contribution of real-world evidence (RWE) in changing anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy treatment practices and improving real-world treatment strategies for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).A PubMed literature search was performed to review the large number of English-language studies conducted to investigate the real-world effectiveness of anti-VEGF (aflibercept and ranibizumab) treatment paradigms available for nAMD.The evidence for pro re nata (PRN), treat-and-extend (T&E) and fixed bimonthly dosing regimens for anti-VEGF treatment of nAMD were reviewed and findings are summarised. RWE demonstrated that T&E regimens optimise visual outcomes while reducing burden on patients, clinics and physicians, compared with both fixed-dose and PRN regimens.RWE has helped to develop and improve real-world treatment strategies in nAMD, with the aim of optimising visual outcomes and reducing treatment burden in clinical practice. Of the various regimens, a T&E regimen is most likely to adequately balance clinical outcomes and treatment burden for patients with nAMD.

Effectiveness and safety of ranibizumab in patients with central retinal vein occlusion: results from the real-world, global, LUMINOUS study

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness, treatment patterns and long-term safety of ranibizumab 0.5 mg in treatment-naïve patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in a real-world setting.

Methods

LUMINOUS, a 5-year, global, prospective, multicentre, multi-indication, observational, open-label study, recruited treatment naïve or prior treated patients who were treated as per the local ranibizumab label. Here, we report the mean change in visual acuity (VA; Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study [ETDRS] letters), treatment exposure over year (Y) 1 and 5-year safety in treatment-naïve CRVO patients.

Results

At baseline, the mean age of treatment-naïve CRVO patients (n = 327) was 68.9 years, with a mean (Standard deviation [SD]) VA of 40.6 (23.9) letters. At Y1, patients (n = 144) had a mean (SD) VA gain from baseline of 10.8 (19.66) letters, with a mean (SD) of 5.4 (2.65) ranibizumab injections. Patients demonstrated mean (SD) VA gains of 2.7 (19.35), 11.6 (20.56), 13.9 (18.08), 11.1 (18.46) and 8.2 (24.86) letters with 1, 2–3, 4–5, 6–8 and >8 ranibizumab injections, respectively. Mean (SD) VA gains at Y1 in patients receiving loading (67.4%) and no loading dose (32.6%) was 11.9 (20.42) and 8.4 (17.99) letters, respectively. Over five years, the incidence of ocular/non-ocular adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs was 11.3%/8.6% and 1.2%/6.7%, respectively.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate the effectiveness of ranibizumab in treatment-naïve CRVO patients at Y1 with clinically meaningful VA gains and no new safety findings over five years. These findings may help inform routine practice and enable better clinical management to achieve optimal visual outcomes.

Real-World Effectiveness, Treatment Pattern, and Safety of Ranibizumab in Korean Patients with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Subgroup Analyses from the LUMINOUS Study

PURPOSE

To evaluate the real-world effectiveness, treatment patterns, and safety of ranibizumab in Korean patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

METHODS

LUMINOUS™ is a 5-year, global, prospective, observational, open-label study. Adults aged ≥18 years who were either treatment-naïve or prior-treated were enrolled and treated with ranibizumab 0.5 mg as per the local label. Outcome measures included mean (± standard deviation [SD]) changes from baseline in visual acuity (VA) and central retinal thickness (CRT), and rate of ocular and non-ocular adverse events (AEs).

RESULTS

Overall, 367 Korean patients with nAMD (152 treatment-naïve and 215 prior-treated) were enrolled. The mean (SD) VA changes from baseline at 1-year were +10.1 (±21.77; P=0.0005) and +1.4 (±15.17; P=0.2142) Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters, with mean numbers of injections of 5.2 and 3.4 in the treatment-naïve and prior-treated groups, respectively. VA gains were greater in patients with lower baseline VA, who received a loading dose, and with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). Multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated younger age, worse baseline VA, and those who received loading dose being associated with higher odds of any gain in VA at 1 year (P<0.05). Mean (SD) CRT changes from baseline were -126.7 (±174.90) µm (P<0.0001) and +10.8 (±89.62) µm (P=0.5833) in the treatment-naïve and prior-treated groups, respectively, with greater reductions observed in patients with PCV. Ocular and non-ocular AEs were reported in 8.4% (n=31) and 10.1% (n=37) of patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The LUMINOUS study confirms real-world effectiveness and safety of ranibizumab in Korean patients with nAMD; factors including age, baseline VA, and loading-dose were associated with VA gain at one-year post-treatment.