1
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Abu Dail Y, Seitz B, Sideroudi H, Abdin AD. Impact of Intra-Retinal Fluids on Changes in Retinal Ganglion Cell and Nerve Fiber Layers in Neovascular AMD under Anti-VEGF Therapy. J Clin Med 2024; 13:5318. [PMID: 39274532 PMCID: PMC11396386 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13175318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2024] [Revised: 09/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the influence of intraretinal fluid (IRF) on change in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and retinal ganglion cell layer (RGCL) and thickness in patients with naive neovascular AMD under anti-VEGF treatment. Design: post hoc analysis. Methods: 97 eyes of 83 patients on continuous therapy with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF) and a follow-up of 24 months were included. RGCL and RNFL thickness in the perifoveal (-O), parafoveal (PF), and nasal areas and number of injections (IVI) were recorded before the first IVI as well as 1 and 2 years after initiating treatment and compared longitudinally and between groups with and without IRF. Results: The group with IRF at baseline had a higher RNFL thickness at baseline and showed a significant reduction in RNFL-PF between baseline and first and second follow-ups (p < 0.001) but not between first and second follow-ups. The group without IRF showed no significant reduction in RNFL over time. The presence of IRF was not associated with a reduction in RNFL-O or RNFL-nasal. RGCL thickness decreased significantly in both groups with and without IRF after 2 years. Number of IVIs showed no significant correlation to RNFL or RGCL after stratification for the presence of IRF. Conclusions: The presence of IRF has a significant influence on RNFL thickness at baseline as well as on its changes over time during anti-VEGF therapy. The preoperative presence of IRF should be considered when comparing changes in RNFL thickness after IVI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaser Abu Dail
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Berthold Seitz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Haris Sideroudi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Alaa Din Abdin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, 66421 Homburg, Germany
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2
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Estarreja J, Mendes P, Silva C, Camacho P, Mateus V. Off-Label Use of Bevacizumab in Patients Diagnosed with Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:1000. [PMID: 39204105 PMCID: PMC11357420 DOI: 10.3390/ph17081000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in elderly people. Current pharmacological treatment in vascular AMD includes anti-VEGF agents, such as ranibizumab and aflibercept. Additionally, the off-label use of bevacizumab has been shown to be effective and has a lower cost, making it an interesting pharmacological approach; however, there is no consensus about its use. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and efficiency of bevacizumab in AMD patients. METHODS This review only focused on randomized controlled clinical trials published in 2010 in the MEDLINE database that compared the effect of bevacizumab with ranibizumab. The risk of bias in each included study was assessed using the CASP Randomised Clinical Trials checklist. RESULTS Twelve studies were included for qualitative synthesis, and nine of them were considered for meta-analysis. Bevacizumab-treated patients showed a significantly reduced neovascularization in a longer spectrum of time; however, they had a higher incidence of endophthalmitis than those treated with ranibizumab. Regarding efficiency, the mean number of administrations was reduced in the treatment with bevacizumab in comparison to ranibizumab. CONCLUSIONS Clinical evidence demonstrates that bevacizumab has efficacy and safety profiles comparable with ranibizumab; however, it is relatively more efficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Estarreja
- H&TRC—Health and Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.E.); (P.M.); (C.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Priscila Mendes
- H&TRC—Health and Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.E.); (P.M.); (C.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Carina Silva
- H&TRC—Health and Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.E.); (P.M.); (C.S.); (P.C.)
- Centro de Estatística e Aplicações, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Pedro Camacho
- H&TRC—Health and Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.E.); (P.M.); (C.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Vanessa Mateus
- H&TRC—Health and Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.E.); (P.M.); (C.S.); (P.C.)
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
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3
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Singh RP, Avery RL, Barakat MR, Kim JE, Kiss S. Evidence-Based Use of Bevacizumab in the Management of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2024; 55:156-162. [PMID: 38466965 DOI: 10.3928/23258160-20240108-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Indicated for colorectal cancer for decades, bevacizumab has been widely used off label to treat retinal diseases, and the benefits of its use, specifically in neovascular age-related macular degeneration, have been demonstrated in multiple clinical trials. The intravitreal delivery of bevacizumab requires it to be aseptically repackaged into individual syringes by compounding pharmacies for use in the eye. Although the repackaging process is permitted by the US Food and Drug Administration, the resultant product does not meet the specific standards of products approved for use as ophthalmic injectables nor is the parenteral innovator solution compliant with ophthalmic standards. Studies have also demonstrated variability in the quality and quantity of repackaged bevacizumab. This narrative review summarizes the evidence and discusses the role of off-label bevacizumab in the treatment and management of retinal diseases, its mechanism of action, current challenges and provides a critical appraisal of current evidence, clinical implications, and future directions. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2024;55:155-162.].
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4
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Israilevich RN, Sharma K, Starr MR. Biosimilars for Retinal Diseases: A Review of the Literature. Int Ophthalmol Clin 2024; 64:129-139. [PMID: 38146886 DOI: 10.1097/iio.0000000000000509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
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5
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Choi K, Park SJ, Han S, Mun Y, Lee DY, Chang DJ, Kim S, Yoo S, Woo SJ, Park KH, Suh HS. Patient-Centered Economic Burden of Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Retrospective Cohort Study. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2023; 9:e49852. [PMID: 38064251 PMCID: PMC10746973 DOI: 10.2196/49852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of blindness, requires expensive drugs such as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents. The long-term regular use of effective but expensive drugs causes an economic burden for patients with exudative AMD. However, there are no studies on the long-term patient-centered economic burden of exudative AMD after reimbursement of anti-VEGFs. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the patient-centered economic burden of exudative AMD for 2 years, including nonreimbursement and out-of-pocket costs, compared with nonexudative AMD using the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM). METHODS This retrospective cohort study was conducted using the OMOP CDM, which included 2,006,478 patients who visited Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from June 2003 to July 2019. We defined the exudative AMD group as patients aged >50 years with a diagnosis of exudative AMD and a prescription for anti-VEGFs or verteporfin. The control group was defined as patients aged >50 years without a diagnosis of exudative AMD or a prescription for anti-VEGFs or verteporfin. To adjust for selection bias, controls were matched by propensity scores using regularized logistic regression with a Laplace prior. We measured any medical cost occurring in the hospital as the economic burden of exudative AMD during a 2-year follow-up period using 4 categories: total medical cost, reimbursement cost, nonreimbursement cost, and out-of-pocket cost. To estimate the average cost by adjusting the confounding variable and overcoming the positive skewness of costs, we used an exponential conditional model with a generalized linear model. RESULTS We identified 931 patients with exudative AMD and matched 783 (84.1%) with 2918 patients with nonexudative AMD. In the exponential conditional model, the total medical, reimbursement, nonreimbursement, and out-of-pocket incremental costs were estimated at US $3426, US $3130, US $366, and US $561, respectively, in the first year and US $1829, US $1461, US $373, and US $507, respectively, in the second year. All incremental costs in the exudative AMD group were 1.89 to 4.25 and 3.50 to 5.09 times higher in the first and second year, respectively, than those in the control group (P<.001 in all cases). CONCLUSIONS Exudative AMD had a significantly greater economic impact (P<.001) for 2 years on reimbursement, nonreimbursement, and out-of-pocket costs than nonexudative AMD after adjusting for baseline demographic and clinical characteristics using the OMOP CDM. Although economic policies could relieve the economic burden of patients with exudative AMD over time, the out-of-pocket cost of exudative AMD was still higher than that of nonexudative AMD for 2 years. Our findings support the need for expanding reimbursement strategies for patients with exudative AMD given the significant economic burden faced by patients with incurable and fatal diseases both in South Korea and worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyungseon Choi
- Department of Regulatory Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Regulatory Innovation Through Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Jun Park
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Sola Han
- Health Outcomes Division, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Yongseok Mun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Da Yun Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Jin Chang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yeouido St Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok Kim
- Healthcare ICT Research Center, Office of eHealth Research and Businesses, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Sooyoung Yoo
- Healthcare ICT Research Center, Office of eHealth Research and Businesses, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Se Joon Woo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu Hyung Park
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Sun Suh
- Department of Regulatory Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Regulatory Innovation Through Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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6
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Weng CY, Singh RP, Gillies MC, Regillo CD. Optimizing Visual Outcomes in Patients With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: the Potential Value of Sustained Anti-VEGF Therapy. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2023; 54:654-659. [PMID: 37956321 DOI: 10.3928/23258160-20231016-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) leads to irreversible central vision loss if untreated. Frequent administration of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections inhibits disease activity with excellent functional and morphological benefits. However, these injections pose a heavy therapeutic burden, and treatment discontinuation is common. Although current anti-VEGF treatment paradigms, such as treat-and-extend, mitigate treatment burden while still leading to acceptable vision outcomes, they fail to sustain initial vision gains for many. Novel longer-acting anti-VEGF therapies may reduce the overall burden on nAMD patients. Gene therapy might offer a paradigm shift by providing continuous expression of anti-VEGF, potentially decreasing treatment requirements and improving long-term vision outcomes. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2023;54:654-659.].
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Cao J, Zhang F, Xiong W. Discovery of Aptamers and the Acceleration of the Development of Targeting Research in Ophthalmology. Int J Nanomedicine 2023; 18:4421-4430. [PMID: 37551274 PMCID: PMC10404440 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s418115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Aptamers are widely applied to diagnosis and therapy because of their targeting. However, the current progress of research into aptamers for the treatment of eye disorders has not been well-documented. The current literature on aptamers was reviewed in this study. Aptamer-related drugs and biochemical sensors have been evaluated for several eye disorders within the past decade; S58 targeting TGF-β receptor II and pegaptanib targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are used to prevent fibrosis after glaucoma filtration surgery. Anti-brain-derived neurotrophic factor aptamer has been used to diagnose glaucoma. The first approved aptamer drug (pegaptanib) has been used to inhibit angiogenesis in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR), and its efficacy and safety have been demonstrated in clinical trials. Aptamers, including E10030, RBM-007, AS1411, and avacincaptad pegol, targeting other angiogenesis-related biomarkers have also been discovered and subjected to clinical trials. Aptamers, such as C promoter binding factor 1, CD44, and advanced end products in AMD and DR, targeting other signal pathway proteins have also been discovered for therapy, and biochemical sensors for early diagnosis have been developed based on aptamers targeting VEGF, connective tissue growth factor, and lipocalin 1. Aptamers used for early detection and treatment of ocular tumors were derived from other disease biomarkers, such as CD71, nucleolin, and high mobility group A. In this review, the development and application of aptamers in eye disorders in recent years are systematically discussed, which may inspire a new link between aptamers and eye disorders. The aptamer development trajectory also facilitates the discovery of the pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies for various eye disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiamin Cao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
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8
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Murenu E, Gerhardt MJ, Biel M, Michalakis S. More than meets the eye: The role of microglia in healthy and diseased retina. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1006897. [PMID: 36524119 PMCID: PMC9745050 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1006897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia are the main resident immune cells of the nervous system and as such they are involved in multiple roles ranging from tissue homeostasis to response to insults and circuit refinement. While most knowledge about microglia comes from brain studies, some mechanisms have been confirmed for microglia cells in the retina, the light-sensing compartment of the eye responsible for initial processing of visual information. However, several key pieces of this puzzle are still unaccounted for, as the characterization of retinal microglia has long been hindered by the reduced population size within the retina as well as the previous lack of technologies enabling single-cell analyses. Accumulating evidence indicates that the same cell type may harbor a high degree of transcriptional, morphological and functional differences depending on its location within the central nervous system. Thus, studying the roles and signatures adopted specifically by microglia in the retina has become increasingly important. Here, we review the current understanding of retinal microglia cells in physiology and in disease, with particular emphasis on newly discovered mechanisms and future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Murenu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany,*Correspondence: Elisa Murenu, ; ; Stylianos Michalakis,
| | | | - Martin Biel
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Stylianos Michalakis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany,*Correspondence: Elisa Murenu, ; ; Stylianos Michalakis,
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9
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Abu Dail Y, Seitz B, Sideroudi H, Abdin AD. Impact of intravitreal ranibizumab, aflibercept and bevacizumab on retinal ganglion cell and nerve fibre layer thickness in Neovascular age‐related macular degeneration. Acta Ophthalmol 2022; 101:330-341. [PMID: 36345883 DOI: 10.1111/aos.15283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare the effects of monotherapy with intravitreal ranibizumab, aflibercept and bevacizumab on retinal ganglion cell layer (RGCL) and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) in patients with naïve neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study with three-groups comparison. 83 patients and 97 eyes on continuous monotherapy with an intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) were followed for 24 months and divided into three groups according to anti-VEGF (aflibercept: 25 eyes, ranibizumab: 34 eyes, bevacizumab: 38 eyes). Main outcome measures included: RGCL and RNFL thickness, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), macular volume (MV) and the presence of intraretinal fluids (IRF), subretinal fluids (SRF) and retinal pigment epithelial atrophy (RPE-atrophy). All outcome measures were recorded at the time of the first injection, 1 and 2 years after treatment and compared longitudinally and between groups. RESULTS The mean age was 79 ± 7 years. The RGCL thickness, MV, CMT and the presence of IRF and SRF decreased significantly within all three medication groups (p < 0.05 for all) with no significant difference between groups over the 2-year follow-up period (p > 0.10 for all). The decrease in RNFL thickness was not significant within or between the groups after a 2-year follow-up (p > 0.055 for all). RPE-atrophy increased significantly after 2 years in all three groups (p < 0.028 for all) with no significant difference between groups at all three time points (p > 0.307 for all). BCVA was comparable between the three groups over the 2-year follow-up period (p > 0.22 for all). CONCLUSIONS Monotherapy with intravitreal aflibercept, bevacizumab and ranibizumab was associated with comparable significant decreases in RGCL thickness, CMT, MV, IRF and SRF in naïve nAMD patients during the first 2 years of treatment. Furthermore, no significant differences either in BCVA or RNFL thickness were observed between the three intravitreal anti-VEFGs during the first 2 years of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaser Abu Dail
- Department of Ophthalmology Saarland University Medical Center Homburg/Saar Germany
| | - Berthold Seitz
- Department of Ophthalmology Saarland University Medical Center Homburg/Saar Germany
| | - Haris Sideroudi
- Department of Ophthalmology Saarland University Medical Center Homburg/Saar Germany
| | - Alaa D. Abdin
- Department of Ophthalmology Saarland University Medical Center Homburg/Saar Germany
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10
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Patil NS, Dhoot AS, Popovic MM, Kertes PJ, Muni RH. RISK OF INTRAOCULAR INFLAMMATION AFTER INJECTION OF ANTIVASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR AGENTS: A Meta-analysis. Retina 2022; 42:2134-2142. [PMID: 36269802 DOI: 10.1097/iae.0000000000003582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This meta-analysis investigates the incidence of intraocular inflammation (IOI) after intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor injections in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. METHODS A systematic search was performed on Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central from January 2005 to April 2021. Randomized controlled trials comparing IOI after intravitreal bevacizumab, ranibizumab, brolucizumab, or aflibercept in neovascular age-related macular degeneration were included. Primary outcomes were sight-threatening IOI, final best-corrected visual acuity, and change in best-corrected visual acuity from baseline. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of other IOI events. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. RESULTS Overall, 11,460 unique studies were screened, of which 14 randomized controlled trials and 6,759 eyes at baseline were included. There was no difference between agents for the risk of endophthalmitis and retinal vascular occlusion. Compared with aflibercept, brolucizumab had a higher incidence of generalized IOI (risk ratio = 6.24, 95% confidence interval = [1.40-27.90]) and vitreous haze/floaters (risk ratio = 1.64, 95% confidence interval = [1.00-2.67]). There were no significant differences between comparators for other secondary end points. CONCLUSION There was no difference in the risk of severe sight-threatening IOI outcomes between intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor agents. There was a significantly higher risk of generalized IOI after brolucizumab relative to aflibercept. Our results alongside other recent safety findings suggest the need for further investigation in the risk-benefit profile of brolucizumab for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil S Patil
- Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arjan S Dhoot
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marko M Popovic
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter J Kertes
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- John and Liz Tory Eye Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ; and
| | - Rajeev H Muni
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology, St. Michael's Hospital/Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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11
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Nguyen VP, Henry J, Zhe J, Kieu Q, Qian W, Fu Y, Wang X, Paulus YM. Age differential response to bevacizumab therapy in choroidal neovascularization in rabbits. Exp Eye Res 2022; 223:109215. [PMID: 35973441 PMCID: PMC9728477 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.109215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in young rabbits has been shown to have a rapid, robust response after treatment with bevacizumab, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) medication. This investigation evaluates an age differential response to bevacizumab in older populations of rabbits using multimodal high resolution molecular imaging. Young (4 months old) and life span (14 months old) rabbits were given subretinal injections of Matrigel and VEGF to produce CNV. All CNV rabbit models were then treated with a bevacizumab intravitreal injection. Rabbits were then monitored longitudinally using photoacoustic microscopy (PAM), optical coherence tomography (OCT), color photography, and fluorescence imaging. Chain-like gold nanoparticle clusters (CGNP) conjugated with tripeptide arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD) was injected intravenously for molecular imaging. Robust CNV developed in both young and old rabbits. After intravitreal bevacizumab injection, fluorescence signals were markedly decreased 90.13% in the young group. In contrast, old rabbit CNV area decreased by only 10.56% post-bevacizumab treatment. OCT images confirmed a rapid decrease of CNV in the young group. CGNPs demonstrated high PAM signal in old rabbits and minimal PAM signal in young rabbits after bevacizumab, indicating CNV regression. There is a significant difference in response to intravitreal bevacizumab treatment between young and old rabbits with CNV which can be monitored with multimodal molecular imaging. Old rabbits demonstrate significant persistent disease activity. This represents the first large eye model of persistent disease activity of CNV and could serve as the foundation for future investigations into the mechanism of persistent disease activity and the development of novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Van Phuc Nguyen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA.
| | - Jessica Henry
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA.
| | - Josh Zhe
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA.
| | - Quynh Kieu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA.
| | - Wei Qian
- IMRA America Inc., 1044 Woodridge Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA.
| | - Yingbin Fu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 76706, USA.
| | - Xueding Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA.
| | - Yannis M Paulus
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA.
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12
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Efficacy and Safety of Antivascular Endothelial Growth Factor (Anti-VEGF) in Treating Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Immunol Res 2022; 2022:6004047. [PMID: 35465351 PMCID: PMC9033403 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6004047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
This study is aimed at assessing the efficacy and safety of antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) inhibitors in treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD). PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library were searched. Weighted mean difference (WMD) and relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were applied to assess outcomes. Eighteen randomized controlled trials involved 8,847 neovascular AMD patients were selected for the meta-analysis. Pegaptanib (WMD: 6.70;
) and ranibizumab (WMD: 17.80;
) were associated with greater BCVA changes than control after 1 year. Bevacizumab was linked with less changes in central macular thickness after 1 year compared to control (WMD: -38.50;
), but more changes compared to ranibizumab (WMD: 10.69;
). The incidence of gain of 15 or more letter visual acuity after 1 year was increased when compared with bevacizumab versus control (RR: 7.80;
), pegaptanib versus control (RR: 2.83;
), and ranibizumab versus control (RR: 3.92;
). Moreover, ranibizumab was associated with more BCVA changes and an increased incidence of gain of 15 or more letter visual acuity after 2 years compared with control (RR: 5.77;
). This study found that most anti-VEGF inhibitors provided better efficacy than non-anti-VEGF intervention, and the treatment effectiveness among various anti-VEGF agents was equally effective.
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Ebrahimi M, Balibegloo M, Rezaei N. Monoclonal antibodies in diabetic retinopathy. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2022; 18:163-178. [PMID: 35105268 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2022.2037420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Diabetic retinopathy (DR), as one of the main complications of diabetes, is among the leading causes of blindness and visual impairment worldwide. AREAS COVERED Current clinical therapies include photocoagulation, vitrectomy, and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies. Bevacizumab and ranibizumab are two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) inhibiting angiogenesis. Intravitreal ranibizumab and bevacizumab can decrease the rate of blindness and retinal thickness, and improve visual acuity whether as monotherapy or combined with other treatments. They can increase the efficacy of other treatments and decrease their adverse events. Although administered intravitreally, they also might enter the circulation and cause systemic effects. This study is aimed to review our current knowledge about mAbs, bevacizumab and ranibizumab, in DR including superiorities, challenges, and limitations. Meanwhile, we tried to shed light on new ideas to overcome these limitations. Our latest search was done in April 2021 mainly through PubMed and Google Scholar. Relevant clinical studies were imported. EXPERT OPINION Future direction includes detection of more therapeutic targets considering other components of DR pathophysiology and shared pathogenesis of DR and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, the treat-and-extend regimen, and new ways of drug delivery and other routes of ocular drug administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moein Ebrahimi
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA),Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Balibegloo
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA),Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA),Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Predictive Biomarkers of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Response to Anti-VEGF Treatment. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11121329. [PMID: 34945801 PMCID: PMC8706948 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11121329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an incurable disease associated with aging that destroys sharp and central vision. Increasing evidence implicates both systemic and local inflammation in the pathogenesis of AMD. Intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents is currently the first-line therapy for choroidal neovascularization in AMD patients. However, a high number of patients do not show satisfactory responses to anti-VEGF treatment after three injections. Predictive treatment response models are one of the most powerful tools for personalized medicine. Therefore, the application of these models is very helpful to predict the optimal treatment for an early application on each patient. We analyzed the transcriptome of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from AMD patients before treatment to identify biomarkers of response to ranibizumab. A classification model comprised of four mRNAs and one miRNA isolated from PBMCs was able to predict the response to ranibizumab with high accuracy (Area Under the Curve of the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve = 0.968), before treatment. We consider that our classification model, based on mRNA and miRNA from PBMCs allows a robust prediction of patients with insufficient response to anti-VEGF treatment. In addition, it could be used in combination with other methods, such as specific baseline characteristics, to identify patients with poor response to anti-VEGF treatment to establish patient-specific treatment plans at the first visit.
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Loukovaara S, Haukka J. Intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy is not associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality in patients with macular oedema caused by posterior segment vascular diseases. Acta Ophthalmol 2021; 99:e893-e898. [PMID: 33389820 DOI: 10.1111/aos.14717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To examine whether real-world clinical patients with macular oedema (MO) receiving intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy have a higher mortality compared with a matched reference population. METHODS A population-based, retrospective cohort study of 26 386 patients from Finland, from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2017. Index patients were identified through the Caring Epidemiology Project database, receiving at least one intravitreal anti-VEGF injection for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD, n = 2243, 48.61%), diabetic MO (n = 744, 16.12%), MO due to retinal vascular occlusion (n = 589, 12.77%), or other MO (n = 1038, 22.5%). For each individual treated with intravitreal injection (n = 4614), five age- , sex- , calendar year- and hospital district- matched control individuals (n = 21 772) were chosen. Baseline data of chronic conditions were available. All-cause and cause-specific mortality was analysed using Cox´s proportional hazards model. RESULTS In general, the anti-VEGF treated patients had a higher prevalence of systemic conditions, including diabetes (60.1% vs. 46.8%, p < 0.001), chronic hypertension (38.4% vs. 34.6%, p < 0.001), in hospital-treated ischaemic heart disease (23.1% vs. 21.5%, p = 0.014), and glaucoma (11.1% vs. 6.3%, p < 0.001) than controls. There was no difference in all-cause mortality between the anti-VEGF treated patients and matched controls (p = 0.62). In unadjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis of wet AMD subgroup, all-cause mortality was lower in anti-VEGF treated patients than matched controls (p = 0.015), but adjusted Cox´s proportional hazards model showed no difference in the risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.66-1.09). CONCLUSIONS Intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy was not associated with an increase in the risk of mortality in patients with MO compared with age- and sex-matched controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirpa Loukovaara
- Unit of Vitreoretinal Surgery Department of Ophthalmology Helsinki University Hospital, and Individualized Drug Therapy Research Program University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Jari Haukka
- Department of Public Health University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology Tampere University Finland
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16
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Motschi AR, Roberts PK, Desissaire S, Schranz M, Schwarzhans F, Bogunović H, Pircher M, Hitzenberger CK. Identification and quantification of fibrotic areas in the human retina using polarization-sensitive OCT. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 12:4380-4400. [PMID: 34457420 PMCID: PMC8367236 DOI: 10.1364/boe.426650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Subretinal fibrosis is one of the most prevalent causes of blindness in the elderly population, but a true gold standard to objectively diagnose fibrosis is still lacking. Since fibrotic tissue is birefringent, it can be detected by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT). We present a new algorithm to automatically detect, segment, and quantify fibrotic lesions within 3D data sets recorded by PS-OCT. The algorithm first compensates for the birefringence of anterior ocular tissues and then uses the uniformity of the birefringent optic axis as an indicator to identify fibrotic tissue, which is then segmented and quantified. The algorithm was applied to 3D volumes recorded in 57 eyes of 57 patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration using a spectral domain PS-OCT system. The results of fibrosis detection were compared to the clinical diagnosis based on color fundus photography (CFP), and the precision of fibrotic area measurement was assessed by three repeated measurements in a sub-set of 15 eyes. The average standard deviation of the fibrotic area obtained in eyes with a lesion area > 0.7 mm2 was 15%. Fibrosis detection by CFP and PS-OCT agreed in 48 cases, discrepancies were only observed in cases of lesion area < 0.7 mm2. These remaining discrepancies are discussed, and a new method to treat ambiguous cases is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice R. Motschi
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp K. Roberts
- Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sylvia Desissaire
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Schranz
- Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Schwarzhans
- Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hrvoje Bogunović
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Ophthalmic Image Analysis, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Pircher
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph K. Hitzenberger
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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17
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Wenkstern AR, Valmaggia C. Visual Outcomes after Anti-VEGF Therapy for Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a Real-Life Setting. Klin Monbl Augenheilkd 2021; 238:396-402. [PMID: 33930919 DOI: 10.1055/a-1403-3224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To report visual outcomes of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a real-life setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS Retrospective case series of consecutive patients treated with either ranibizumab and/or aflibercept for monolateral or bilateral exudative AMD. A physician established the indication for treatment and administered the injections. An independent physician confirmed the indication for primary treatment. A Pro Re Nata and a Treat and Extend regimen were used. Assessment of subretinal and/or intraretinal fluid, retinal hemorrhage and increase in pigment epithelial detachment served as criteria for further treatment decisions. Visual acuity (VA) was measured in ETDRS letters at each examination and then analyzed using a specialized software. Evolution of mean VA was considered for all study eyes and subgroups of eyes with an initial VA ≥ 70 ETDRS letters (subgroup 1) and ≤ 69 ETDRS letters (subgroup 2). RESULTS A total of 102 eyes of 76 patients (30 men, mean age 75.9 years; 46 women, mean age 81.5 years) were included. Subgroup 1 consisted of 47 eyes, and subgroup 2 of 55 eyes. Mean follow-up was 55 months (range 6 to 150 months). For the entire collective as for subgroups 1 and 2, the mean VA was 64, 77, or 51 ETDRS letters at baseline. Mean VA improved at month 12 (68, 80, or 58 ETDRES letters) and then slowly decreased over time until month 150 (62, 72, or 54 ETDRS letters). Maximum improvement of + 5, + 3, or, + 9 ETDRS letters occurred after 9, 8, or 10 months of follow-up. Atrophy and fibrosis were mainly responsible for VA decrease. Ten serious adverse events were reported to Swissmedic: two cases of cardiovascular events and eight cases of intraocular inflammation. CONCLUSIONS Anti-VEGF therapy carried out in a real-life setting shows good VA outcomes with a favorable safety profile.
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Brown GC, Brown MM, Rapuano SB, Boyer D. A Cost-Benefit Analysis of VEGF-Inhibitor Therapy for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the United States. Am J Ophthalmol 2021; 223:405-429. [PMID: 32681907 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2020.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To perform a societal cost-benefit analysis comparing intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin), ranibizumab (Lucentis), and aflibercept (Eylea) monotherapies for treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD). DESIGN Cost-benefit analysis. METHODS Center for Value-Based Medicine using published clinical trial and Medicare data. PATIENT POPULATION 168,400 estimated 2018 U.S. patients with new-onset NVAMD. Procedure(s): cost-benefit analysis using 2018 U.S. real dollars. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS 11-year direct ophthalmic medical costs expended for bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and aflibercept monotherapies were compared with ophthalmic and nonophthalmic direct medical, direct nonmedical, and indirect medical (productivity) costs saved by the therapies. RESULTS Bevacizumab monotherapy had an individual, 11-year $14,772 treatment cost and net $357,680 societal return (11-year 2,421% return on investment [ROI]). Ranibizumab therapy cost $106,582 and returned $265,870 to society (249% ROI), whereas aflibercept treatment cost $61,811 and returned $310,611 to society (503% ROI). The 2018 NVAMD overall treatment cohort, 11-year net societal gain was $28.5 billion to patients and insurers, with $24.2 billion (84.9%) coming from bevacizumab therapy, $0.7 billion (2.5%) from ranibizumab therapy, and $3.6 billion (12.6%) from aflibercept therapy. Substituting bevacizumab for ranibizumab and aflibercept in the 2018 new-onset NVAMD patients would save an estimated $1.343 billion over 11 years. Vascular endothelial growth factor-inhibitor (VEGF-I) therapy in 2018 should contribute $12.2 billion to the Gross Domestic Product over 11 years. Late treatment would decrease this by 78% to $2.7 billion. CONCLUSIONS Intravitreal NVAMD bevacizumab, ranibizumab and aflibercept monotherapies accrue considerable financial, ROIs to patients and insurers as they increase national wealth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary C Brown
- Center for Value-Based Medicine, Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Wills Eye Hospital, Jefferson Medical University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
| | - Melissa M Brown
- Center for Value-Based Medicine, Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Wills Eye Hospital, Jefferson Medical University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sara B Rapuano
- Center for Value-Based Medicine, Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Wills Eye Hospital, Jefferson Medical University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David Boyer
- Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Zhao X, Meng L, Chen Y. Comparative efficacy and safety of different regimens of ranibizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e040906. [PMID: 33550238 PMCID: PMC7925869 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To give a comprehensive efficacy and safety ranking of different therapeutic regimens of ranibizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). DESIGN A systematic review and network meta-analysis. METHODS The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and other clinical trial registries were searched up to 1 October 2019 to identify related randomised controlled trials (RCT) of different regimens of ranibizumab for nAMD. The primary efficacy outcome was the changes of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 1 year, the primary safety outcome was the incidence of severe ocular adverse events. Secondary outcomes such as changes of central retinal thickness (CRT) were evaluated. We estimated the standardised mean difference (SMD), ORs, 95% CIs, the surface under the cumulative ranking curves and the mean ranks for each outcome using network meta-analyses with random effects by Stata 14.0. RESULTS We identified 26 RCTs involving 10 821 patients with nAMD randomly assigned to 21 different therapeutic regimens of ranibizumab or sham treatment. Ranibizumab 0.5 mg (treat and extend, T&E) is most effective in terms of changes of BCVA (letters, SMD=21.41, 95% CI 19.86 to 22.95) and three or more lines of BCVA improvement (OR=2.83, 95% CI 1.27 to 4.38). However, it could not significantly reduce retreatment times compared with monthly injection (SMD=-0.94, 95% CI -2.26 to 0.39). Ranibizumab 0.5 mg (3+pro re nata)+non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is most effective in reducing CRT and port delivery system of ranibizumab (100 mg/mL) could reduce the number of retreatment most significantly. All regimes have no more risk of severe ocular complications (including vitreous haemorrhage, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, endophthalmitis, retinal tear and retinal pigment epithelium tear) or cardiocerebral vascular complications. CONCLUSIONS Ranibizumab 0.5 mg (T&E) is most effective in improving the visual outcome. The administration of topical NSAIDs could achieve additional efficacy in CRT reduction and visual improvement. Both interventions had acceptable risks of adverse events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lihui Meng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Youxin Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the dose-response characteristics of the antivascular endothelial growth factor agents ranibizumab and aflibercept in neovascular age-related macular degeneration using published randomized trials and observational series. METHODS Literature review of published series from 2006 to 2018 as determined from electronic searches of PubMed and the Cochrane Library. Data extracted included treatment strategy, frequency, and first year visual acuity response. Monthly or bimonthly treatment schedules were classified as Fixed, pro re nata studies as PRN, treat and extend as TE, and when no strategy was listed, as Variable. RESULTS Of 2062 citations retrieved, 96 were deemed eligible; these 96 citations provided 120 data points of dose frequency versus visual acuity change in Year 1 of treatment. The dose-response curve was nonlinear, but a log transform of the number of injections per year yielded a linear relationship defined by the expression, Letters of Improvement = -6.66 + 15.7*log (number of injections Year 1). After accounting for the number of injections neither the drug used (ranibizumab or aflibercept) nor the strategy used (Fixed, pro re nata, treat and extend, or Variable) were significant predictors of acuity change. As a group, studies using the pro re nata approach had the lowest number of injections and the worst acuity improvements as a treatment strategy. CONCLUSION There seems to be a predictable, mathematically defined relationship between dose frequency and visual acuity change at 1 year in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The performance of current treatment efforts, as suggested by reported series and Medicare claims data, seems to be substandard.
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Randomized Controlled Trial of a Spectacle Lens for Macular Degeneration. Optom Vis Sci 2020; 97:889-897. [PMID: 33055515 DOI: 10.1097/opx.0000000000001588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE E-Scoop, a spectacle lens, provides no clinically relevant improvements on quality of life, visual acuity, and contrast sensitivity for patients with AMD. Because patients' burden is high and therapeutic options are scarce, the incentive to develop effective vision rehabilitation interventions remains. PURPOSE Patients with AMD experience low quality of life due to vision loss, despite angiogenesis inhibitor interventions that slow down progression for some patients. E-Scoop, which includes low-power prisms, 6% magnification, yellow tint, and antireflection coating, might aid in daily activities by improving distance viewing. Separately, these features have little proven effectiveness. E-Scoop has not been formally tested. This study aimed to determine the impact of E-Scoop on quality of life and the effect on visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. METHODS In this randomized controlled, open-label trial, 190 of 226 eligible patients were included. The primary outcome was quality of life measured with the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. The follow-up for quality of life was after 6 weeks for controls and after 3 weeks of use for E-Scoop wearers. The visual measures were repeated after 6 weeks, with optimal refractive correction, with and without E-Scoop. RESULTS Randomization resulted in 99 E-Scoop and 86 control group patients for intention-to-treat analysis. No differential change was found between the E-Scoop and control groups on the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire using Rasch analysis (Cohen d = -0.07, P = .53). Statistically significant but small effects were found in favor of E-Scoop on binocular visual acuity (mean difference, 0.05 logMAR [2.5 letters, P < .001]) and contrast sensitivity (mean difference, 0.10 logCS [2 letters, P < .001]). CONCLUSIONS No effect of E-Scoop on quality of life was found. E-Scoop showed effects that were statistically significant, although not clinically meaningful and within typical variability, on visual measures.
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Pellegrini M, Bernabei F, Mercanti A, Sebastiani S, Peiretti E, Iovino C, Casini G, Loiudice P, Scorcia V, Giannaccare G. Short-term choroidal vascular changes after aflibercept therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2020; 259:911-918. [PMID: 33048236 PMCID: PMC8016768 DOI: 10.1007/s00417-020-04957-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The purpose of this study was to evaluate choroidal vascular changes in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treated with aflibercept injection over a 3-month period. Methods Enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography scans of 60 eyes with treatment-naïve nAMD and 60 unaffected fellow eyes were retrospectively analyzed. Data was collected at baseline and after 3 monthly intravitreal injections of aflibercept. The ImageJ software was used to binarize OCT scans and measure total choroid area (TCA), luminal area (LA), and stromal area (SA). Choroidal vascularity index (CVI) was defined as the ratio of LA to TCA. Results After treatment, subfoveal choroidal thickness (CT) in nAMD eyes significantly decreased from 210. 6 ± 61.6 to 194.6 ± 58.7 μm (P < 0.001), TCA from 1.620 ± 0.502 to 1.500 ± 0.451 mm2 (P < 0.001), LA from 1.075 ± 0.335 to 0.985 ± 0.307 mm2 (P < 0.001), SA from 0.545 ± 0.176 to 0.516 ± 0.153 mm2 (P = 0.005), and CVI from 66.36 ± 2.89 to 65.46 ± 2.87% (P = 0.009). The decrease of CVI after treatment was significantly correlated with baseline CVI (Rs = 0.466, P < 0.001), but not with the change in BCVA and presence of dry macula after treatment (always P > 0.05). Conclusion Choroidal thickness and vascularity significantly decreased after treatment with aflibercept in nAMD eyes. Besides the pharmacologic effect on the neovascular lesion, aflibercept may induce vascular changes also on the underlying choroid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Pellegrini
- Ophthalmology Unit, S.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, University of Bologna, Via Palagi 9, 40138, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Federico Bernabei
- Ophthalmology Unit, S.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, University of Bologna, Via Palagi 9, 40138, Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Mercanti
- Ophthalmology Unit, Head and Neck Department of Ophthalmology, Infermi Hospital, Rimini, Italy
| | - Stefano Sebastiani
- Ophthalmology Unit, Head and Neck Department of Ophthalmology, Infermi Hospital, Rimini, Italy
| | - Enrico Peiretti
- Department of Surgical Science, Eye Clinic, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Claudio Iovino
- Eye Clinic, Multidisciplinary Department of Medical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi della Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Naples, Italy
| | - Giamberto Casini
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pasquale Loiudice
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Scorcia
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Giannaccare
- Ophthalmology Unit, S.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, University of Bologna, Via Palagi 9, 40138, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy
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Brown GC, Brown MM, Rapuano S, Boyer D. Cost-Utility Analysis of VEGF Inhibitors for Treating Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Am J Ophthalmol 2020; 218:225-241. [PMID: 32565050 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2020.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To perform 11- and 2-year health care sector (ophthalmic) and societal cost perspective reference case, cost-utility analyses comparing bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and aflibercept monotherapies for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD). DESIGN Cost-utility analysis. METHODS The authors performed 11-year and 2-year ophthalmic and societal cost perspective, cost-utility analyses comparing bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and aflibercept monotherapies for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD). We employed patient utilities, bilateral outcomes, 2018 U.S. dollars, vision-related mortality, a Medicare fee schedule, and CATT (Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments) study and VIEW (VEGF Trap-Eye: Investigation of Efficacy and Safety in Wet AMD) trial. Cochrane data were also used. SETTING Center for Value-Based Medicine. Patient/study population: patients with NVAMD. INTERVENTION Cost-utility analyses using published data. Data-modeled 10-year vision outcomes were modeled forward to year 11. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT These included cost-utility ratios (CURs), costs, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained. $100,00/QALY was considered the US cost-effectiveness upper limit. RESULTS Bevacizumab and ranibizumab each conferred an 11-year, 1.339 QALY gain versus observation. Aflibercept conferred a 1.380 QALY gain. Aflibercept conferred greater QALY gain for less cost than ranibizumab but was not cost-effective compared to bevacizumab ($1,151,451/QALY incremental CUR). The average ophthalmic cost perspective CUR for bevacizumab was $11,033/QALY, $79,600/QALY for ranibizumab, and $44,801/QALY for aflibercept. Eleven-year therapies saved a 1.0 year-of-life loss without treatment from the 11.0-year life expectancy. Early treatment was 138%-149% more cost-effective than late treatment. Two-year therapy prevented a 1-month-of-life loss, and revealed bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and aflibercept conferred 0.141, 0.141, and 0.164 QALY gains, respectively, with corresponding average CURs of $40,371/QALY, $335,726/QALY, and $168,006/QALY, respectively. CONCLUSIONS From an ophthalmic (medical) cost perspective, bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and aflibercept NVAMD monotherapies were all cost-effective over 11 years, with bevacizumab 6.21× more cost-effective than ranibizumab and 3.06× more cost-effective than aflibercept. Two-year modeling revealed bevacizumab was cost-effective, whereas ranibizumab and aflibercept were not. Early treatment was critical for obtaining optimal vision and cost-effectiveness, as is long-term follow-up and adherence to treatment.
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Levine ES, Custo Greig E, Mendonça LSM, Gulati S, Despotovic IN, Alibhai AY, Moult E, Muakkassa N, Quaranta-El Maftouhi M, El Maftouhi A, Chakravarthy U, Fujimoto JG, Baumal CR, Witkin AJ, Duker JS, Hartnett ME, Waheed NK. The long-term effects of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy on the optical coherence tomography angiographic appearance of neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration. Int J Retina Vitreous 2020; 6:39. [PMID: 32844038 PMCID: PMC7441632 DOI: 10.1186/s40942-020-00242-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The short-term effects of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment on macular neovascularization (MNV) morphology is well described, but long-term studies on morphologic changes and correlation of such changes to the type of MNV have not been conducted. This study aims to determine if different types of MNVs in neovascular AMD (nAMD) behave differently with anti-VEGF treatment as visualized on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods Treatment-naïve nAMD patients were retrospectively screened for baseline and follow-up OCTA imaging 10 or more months after initial treatment. Images were graded for MNV type, area, activity, mature versus immature vessels, vessel density, presence of atrophy, atrophy location and area. Growth rate was calculated as the percent change in lesion area from baseline over the years of follow-up. In addition, the occurrence of complete regression and the percent of lesions that grew, remained stable, and shrunk per type was also evaluated. Results Forty-three eyes from 43 patients with a mean follow-up of 2 years were evaluated. On structural OCT, 26 lesions were classified as pure type 1 MNVs, 12 MNVs had a type 2 component, and 5 MNVs had a type 3 component. Of these cases, 2 mixed-type MNVs were considered to have completely regressed. There was no significant differences in MNV area and growth rate between type 1 and type 2 lesions, but all cases of type 3 lesions shrunk in the follow-up period. There was no correlation between the number of injections per year and growth rate, endpoint MNV area or endpoint activity status for any MNV type. There was no significant association between the development of atrophy and the number of injections, baseline MNV area, baseline vessel density, or lesion growth rate. Conclusions In nAMD, complete regression of an MNV network exposed to anti-VEGF is rare. This work emphasizes the role of anti-VEGF as anti-leakage rather than vascular regression agents in nAMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Levine
- New England Eye Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA USA.,Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA
| | - Eugenia Custo Greig
- New England Eye Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA USA.,Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Luísa S M Mendonça
- New England Eye Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Shilpa Gulati
- New England Eye Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA USA
| | | | - A Yasin Alibhai
- New England Eye Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA USA
| | - Eric Moult
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
| | | | | | | | | | - James G Fujimoto
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
| | | | - Andre J Witkin
- New England Eye Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA USA
| | - Jay S Duker
- New England Eye Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA USA
| | | | - Nadia K Waheed
- New England Eye Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington Street, Box 450, Boston, MA 02111 USA
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25
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Sánchez-Thorin JC. Cost-minimization Analysis of Ranibizumab versus Aflibercept in the Treatment of Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration in Colombia. Ophthalmic Epidemiol 2020; 27:482-486. [PMID: 32715820 DOI: 10.1080/09286586.2020.1783687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2020 Colombia may expect to have close to 231,700 patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). Treatment of neovascular ARMD involves the sequential Intra-vitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF therapy) medications. The efficacy and safety of anti-VEGF therapy on a treat-and-extend (T&E) dosing scheme are similar when ranibizumab or aflibercept are administered. Objective : A cost-minimization analysis from the payer`s perspective in Colombia projects treatment expenses of anti-VEGF therapy using aflibercept or ranibizumab on T&E regimens for the treatment of neovascular ARMD. Methods : A model projects the expenses of the compared treatment regimens for two and five-year periods beginning on February 2020. The model used information from clinical trials, case series and meta-analyses on the compared treatment regimens, demographic, epidemiologic and economic data originated from the Colombian government sources. A 3% discount rate was applied. Results : Projected cost differences in favor of ranibizumab after two and five-year treatment periods beginning February 2020 could be close to U.S. $ 4,861 and U.S $ 7,241 per treated eye, respectively. If all patients with unilateral and bilateral neovascular ARMD in Colombia were to receive appropriate anti-VEGF therapy for two years, the projected expected cost difference in favor of ranibizumab could be close to U.S. $ 462,717,092 dollars. Conclusion : Within the Colombian healthcare setting anti-VEGF therapy on a T&E regimen utilizing ranibizumab for neovascular ARMD may be cost-saving compared with employing aflibercept. Despite cost favorability, ranibizumab should not be the only therapeutic option since in clinical practice alternatives are required.
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26
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Gil-Martínez M, Santos-Ramos P, Fernández-Rodríguez M, Abraldes MJ, Rodríguez-Cid MJ, Santiago-Varela M, Fernández-Ferreiro A, Gómez-Ulla F. Pharmacological Advances in the Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration. Curr Med Chem 2020; 27:583-598. [PMID: 31362645 DOI: 10.2174/0929867326666190726121711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration is an acquired degenerative disease that is responsible for severe loss of vision in elderly people. There are two types: dry age-related macular degeneration and wet age-related macular degeneration. Its treatment has been improved and tries to be tailored in the future. The aim of this review is to summarize the pharmacological advances in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. Regarding dry AMD, there is no effective treatment to reduce its progression. However, some molecules such as lampalizumab and eculizumab were under investigation, although they have shown low efficacy. Herein, in an attempt to prevent dry AMD progression, the most important studies suggested increasing the antioxidants intake and quitting the smoke habit. On the other hand, wet AMD has more developed treatment. Nowadays, the gold standard treatment is anti-VEGF injections. However, more effective molecules are currently under investigation. There are different molecules under research for dry AMD and wet AMD. This fact could help us treat our patients with more effective and lasting drugs but more clinical trials and safety studies are required in order to achieve an optimal treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Gil-Martínez
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Instituto Oftalmológico Gómez-Ulla, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Paz Santos-Ramos
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Maribel Fernández-Rodríguez
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Instituto Oftalmológico Gómez-Ulla, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Department of Surgery, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Maximino J Abraldes
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Instituto Oftalmológico Gómez-Ulla, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Department of Surgery, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Maria José Rodríguez-Cid
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Department of Surgery, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - María Santiago-Varela
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Anxo Fernández-Ferreiro
- Pharmacy Department and Pharmacology Group, Univ Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS) and Health Research Intitute (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Francisco Gómez-Ulla
- Instituto Oftalmológico Gómez-Ulla, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Department of Surgery, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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27
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Wolf A, Langmann T. Anti-VEGF-A/ANG2 combotherapy limits pathological angiogenesis in the eye: a replication study. EMBO Mol Med 2020; 11:emmm.201910362. [PMID: 31040129 PMCID: PMC6505573 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201910362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neovascular and inflammatory retinal diseases including wet age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) can cause severe vision loss among the elderly. Simultaneous neutralization of vascular endothelial growth factor‐A (VEGF‐A) and angiopoietin 2 (ANG2) is envisioned as a novel candidate approach to treat wet AMD with better efficacy. However, earlier published data from a genetic mouse model showed data aberrations (Regula et al, 2016). In this issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine, Foxton et al (2019) have provided compelling evidence replicating the data and confirming the overall concept that VEGF‐A/ANG2 combotherapy is effective in suppressing retinal neovascularization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Wolf
- Laboratory for Experimental Immunology of the Eye, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Langmann
- Laboratory for Experimental Immunology of the Eye, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Cologne, Germany
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28
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Gräfe MGO, van de Kreeke JA, Willemse J, Braaf B, de Jong Y, Tan HS, Verbraak FD, de Boer JF. Subretinal Fibrosis Detection Using Polarization Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2020; 9:13. [PMID: 32818100 PMCID: PMC7396173 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.9.4.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Subretinal fibrosis (SRFib) is an important cause of permanent loss-of-vision diseases with submacular neovascularization, but a reliable diagnostic method is currently missing. This study uses polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) to detect SRFib within retinal lesions by measurement of its birefringent collagen fibers. Methods Twenty-five patients were enrolled with retinal pathology in one or both eyes containing (1) suspected SRFib, (2) lesions suspected not to be fibrotic, or (3) lesions with doubtful presence of SRFib. All eyes were evaluated for SRFIb using conventional diagnostics by three retinal specialists. PS-OCT images were visually evaluated for SRFib based on cumulative phase retardation, local birefringence, and optic axis uniformity. Results Twenty-nine eyes from 22 patients were scanned successfully. In 13 eyes, SRFib was diagnosed by all retinal specialists; of these, 12 were confirmed by PS-OCT and one was inconclusive. In nine eyes, the retinal specialists expected no SRFib, which was confirmed by PS-OCT in all cases. In seven eyes, the retinal specialists’ evaluations were inconsistent with regard to the presence of SRFib. PS-OCT confirmed the presence of SRFib in four of these eyes and the absence of SRFib in two eyes and was inconclusive in one eye. Conclusions In 21 out of 22 eyes, PS-OCT confirmed the evaluation of retinal specialists regarding the presence of SRFib. PS-OCT provided additional information to distinguish SRFib from other tissues within subretinal neovascular lesions in 6 out of 7 eyes. Translational Relevance PS-OCT can identify and quantify SRFib in doubtful cases for which a reliable diagnosis is currently lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian G O Gräfe
- LaserLaB Amsterdam, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Joy Willemse
- LaserLaB Amsterdam, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Boy Braaf
- LaserLaB Amsterdam, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H Stevie Tan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frank D Verbraak
- Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes F de Boer
- LaserLaB Amsterdam, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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29
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Timing of Peak Vision Gains in Patients with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treated with Ranibizumab. Ophthalmol Retina 2020; 4:760-766. [PMID: 32387055 DOI: 10.1016/j.oret.2020.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate whether time to peak best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was predictive of magnitude of BCVA changes at study end in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) who received ranibizumab and assess whether patient baseline characteristics and on-study events were predictive of time to peak BCVA. DESIGN Exploratory analysis of data from HARBOR (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT00891735). PARTICIPANTS Treatment-naïve patients 50 years of age or older with subfoveal nAMD. METHODS Data by ranibizumab dose were pooled; data by dosing schedule (pro re nata [PRN] and monthly) were evaluated separately. Time to peak BCVA was the monthly evaluation at which the patient's greatest gain in Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters from baseline was achieved. Early peakers achieved peak BCVA between day 7 and month 6; late peakers achieved peak BCVA between months 7 and 12, months 13 and 18, and months 19 and 24. Variables evaluated for effect of time to peak BCVA included baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, presence of persistent subretinal fluid (SRF) or intraretinal fluid (IRF), and on-study events (atrophy status, fibrosis, retinal pigment epithelium tears). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Time to peak BCVA and its predictive value for magnitude of BCVA changes and BCVA at month 24 (study end). RESULTS Most patients reached peak BCVA after more than 6 months of treatment: 64% in the PRN group (301/474) and 70% in the monthly groups (327/469). Thirty-six percent and 30% of patients, respectively, peaked early, and 64% and 70%, respectively, peaked late. At month 24, early peakers on average lost vision (PRN, -1.6 ETDRS letters; monthly, -1.9 ETDRS letters). By contrast, late peakers achieved significantly better vision gains from baseline (PRN, 8.5-17.7 ETDRS letters; monthly, 10.1-18.7 ETDRS letters). No differences were found in patient characteristics, persistent SRF or IRF, or on-study events to account for the observed different outcomes between early and late peakers. CONCLUSIONS In most treatment-naïve patients with nAMD, vision gains were achieved at a slower rate (>6 months), and a slower response was associated with better vision outcomes after 24 months of ranibizumab. These findings suggest that continued treatment may result in greater vision improvements when consistent anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy is maintained over a longer period.
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30
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Queguiner F, Bezirganyan K, Courjaret JC, Curel L, Penaranda G, Righini Chossegros M. Impact of switching from ranibizumab to aflibercept on the number of intravitreous injection and follow up visit in wet AMD: results of real life ELU study. Int J Ophthalmol 2020; 13:252-256. [PMID: 32090034 DOI: 10.18240/ijo.2020.02.08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To study if one of the two molecules could lead to a lower number of follow up visits and intra-vitreous injection (IVI) with the same efficacy. METHODS ELU (or "elected" in French) study is a retrospective study conducted in real life in patients presenting suboptimal response after ranibizumab IVI (phase 1) and secondary switched to aflibercept (phase 2). The number of follow up visits and IVI were compared in both phases. Visual acuity (VA) evolution and "switching" reasons were secondary analyzed. RESULTS We retrospectively included data of 33 patients (38 eyes) with age-related macular degeneration (AMD; mean age: 77±7.7y). The number of monthly follow up visits [median (Q1; Q3)]: was significantly lower with aflibercept (phase 2), respectively 1.0 (0.81; 1.49) visits in phase 1, versus 0.79 (0.67; 0.86) visits in phase 2. The median number of monthly IVI also significantly decreased in phase 2, respectively 0.67 (0.55; 0.90) IVI in phase 1, versus 0.55 (0.45; 0.67) IVI in phase 2. The mean VA evolution (VA final-VA initial) was similar in both phases, (P>0.05). Whatever the reason for "switching" (loss of efficacy, tachyphylaxis, tolerance problems), there was no incidence on VA evolution over the time. CONCLUSION Our results show that switching from ranibizumab to aflibercept in "suboptimal" patients significantly reduce the number of follow up visits and IVI, with a comparable efficacy. This decrease in visit number could improve patients' quality of life and reduce surgical risk by reducing the number of injections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Queguiner
- Ophthalmology and Clinical Research Departments, Hôpital Saint Joseph, Marseille F-13008, France
| | - Kristina Bezirganyan
- Ophthalmology and Clinical Research Departments, Hôpital Saint Joseph, Marseille F-13008, France
| | | | - Laurence Curel
- Ophthalmology and Clinical Research Departments, Hôpital Saint Joseph, Marseille F-13008, France
| | | | - Maud Righini Chossegros
- Ophthalmology and Clinical Research Departments, Hôpital Saint Joseph, Marseille F-13008, France
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31
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Jose V, Radhakrishna S, Pipalava P, Singh I. Bevacizumab for eye diseases - Legal, regulatory, and ethical overview. Indian J Pharmacol 2020; 51:377-383. [PMID: 32029959 PMCID: PMC6984021 DOI: 10.4103/ijp.ijp_413_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, ranibizumab, aflibercept, and pegaptanib are approved treatments for certain eye diseases that occurs especially in the elderly. These drugs are mostly inaccessible due to their high cost. Bevacizumab is a VEGF inhibitor, approved for cancer treatment. Being a cheaper alternative, it is extensively used off-label as an intravitreal injection for the treatment of eye diseases. In this article, we have analyzed similarities and differences between bevacizumab and ranibizumab, and potential long-term safety concerns with off-label use of bevacizumab. We also analyzed legal, regulatory, and ethical background of off-label use and provided recommendations to resolve this issue. Based on the extensive clinical data, actions taken, and recommendations provided by agencies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, International Council of Ophthalmology, United Kingdom and Thailand regulatory agency, intravitreal bevacizumab has adequate evidence for controlled licensing. Claiming better safety for ranibizumab at the expense of nonaffordability cannot be considered a positive risk-benefit scenario. Intravitreal bevacizumab is being used and will continue to be used off-label, if not regulatory controlled. Licensing will ensure the availability of intravitreal bevacizumab to the patients with eye diseases, without any legal or ethical concerns for the clinicians, and will also assist in generating long-term safety data. Safest delivery formulation and dosage form should be considered for approval. Both the regulatory agency and technical experts should join and take critical decision, which will be a big step forward to making a cost-effective drug available to the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinu Jose
- Clinical Development and Medical Affairs, Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Biopharma), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Swetha Radhakrishna
- Clinical Development and Medical Affairs, Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Biopharma), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Parag Pipalava
- Clinical Development and Medical Affairs, Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Biopharma), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Inderjeet Singh
- Clinical Development and Medical Affairs, Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Biopharma), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
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32
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Tounakaki O, Tsakou Α, Malamas A, Chrisoula D, Ioannis S, Elias Z. Assessment of reporting quality of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials in neovascular age-related macular degeneration published from April 2014 to May 2018 using prisma statement. Int Ophthalmol 2020; 40:1163-1180. [DOI: 10.1007/s10792-019-01282-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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33
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Flaxel CJ, Adelman RA, Bailey ST, Fawzi A, Lim JI, Vemulakonda GA, Ying GS. Age-Related Macular Degeneration Preferred Practice Pattern®. Ophthalmology 2019; 127:P1-P65. [PMID: 31757502 DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2019.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Steven T Bailey
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
| | - Amani Fawzi
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | | | - G Atma Vemulakonda
- Department of Ophthalmology, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Gui-Shuang Ying
- Center for Preventative Ophthalmology and Biostatistics, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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34
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Ghosh S, Padmanabhan A, Vaidya T, Watson AM, Bhutto IA, Hose S, Shang P, Stepicheva N, Yazdankhah M, Weiss J, Das M, Gopikrishna S, Aishwarya, Yadav N, Berger T, Mak TW, Xia S, Qian J, Lutty GA, Jayagopal A, Zigler JS, Sethu S, Handa JT, Watkins SC, Ghosh A, Sinha D. Neutrophils homing into the retina trigger pathology in early age-related macular degeneration. Commun Biol 2019; 2:348. [PMID: 31552301 PMCID: PMC6754381 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0588-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an expanding problem as longevity increases worldwide. While inflammation clearly contributes to vision loss in AMD, the mechanism remains controversial. Here we show that neutrophils are important in this inflammatory process. In the retinas of both early AMD patients and in a mouse model with an early AMD-like phenotype, we show neutrophil infiltration. Such infiltration was confirmed experimentally using ribbon-scanning confocal microscopy (RSCM) and IFNλ- activated dye labeled normal neutrophils. With neutrophils lacking lipocalin-2 (LCN-2), infiltration was greatly reduced. Further, increased levels of IFNλ in early AMD trigger neutrophil activation and LCN-2 upregulation. LCN-2 promotes inflammation by modulating integrin β1 levels to stimulate adhesion and transmigration of activated neutrophils into the retina. We show that in the mouse model, inhibiting AKT2 neutralizes IFNλ inflammatory signals, reduces LCN-2-mediated neutrophil infiltration, and reverses early AMD-like phenotype changes. Thus, AKT2 inhibitors may have therapeutic potential in early, dry AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayan Ghosh
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | | | | | - Alan M. Watson
- Center for Biologic Imaging and Department of Cellular Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Imran A. Bhutto
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Stacey Hose
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Peng Shang
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Nadezda Stepicheva
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Meysam Yazdankhah
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Joseph Weiss
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | | | | | - Aishwarya
- Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bengaluru, India
| | - Naresh Yadav
- Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bengaluru, India
| | - Thorsten Berger
- The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research and Ontario Cancer Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Tak W. Mak
- The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research and Ontario Cancer Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Shuli Xia
- Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Jiang Qian
- The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Gerard A. Lutty
- The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Ashwath Jayagopal
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
- Present Address: Kodiak Sciences, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - J. Samuel Zigler
- The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | | | - James T. Handa
- The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Simon C. Watkins
- Center for Biologic Imaging and Department of Cellular Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | | | - Debasish Sinha
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
- The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
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35
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Li Y, Zhang W, Nguyen VP, Rosen R, Wang X, Xia X, Paulus YM. Real-time OCT guidance and multimodal imaging monitoring of subretinal injection induced choroidal neovascularization in rabbit eyes. Exp Eye Res 2019; 186:107714. [PMID: 31288022 PMCID: PMC6745701 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2019.107714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a major cause of vision loss that consists of abnormal growth of new blood vessels from the choroidal vasculature. High resolution in vivo imaging of animal models is essential to better elucidate and conduct research on CNV. This study evaluates a novel multimodal imaging platform combining optical coherence tomography (OCT) and photoacoustic microscopy (PAM). Using real-time OCT guidance subretinal injection to induce and multimodality imaging system to monitor CNV over time in rabbit eyes. The significance of our work lies in providing the optimal setting and conditions to make use of the OCT image guided system to improve the consistency and reproducibility of experimental results in subretinal injection induced CNV model in rabbits. For the first time, this study successfully demonstrated the dual-modality PAM-OCT system, without using exogenous contrast agents, can detect and visualize CNV in the rabbit eye with high resolution. This is promising system for diagnosing and monitoring CNV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxiu Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, NO. 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu District, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, PR China; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, 1000 Wall Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, United States.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2200 Bonisteel Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States.
| | - Van Phuc Nguyen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, 1000 Wall Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, United States.
| | - Rachel Rosen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, 1000 Wall Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, United States.
| | - Xueding Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2200 Bonisteel Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States.
| | - Xiaobo Xia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, NO. 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu District, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, PR China.
| | - Yannis M Paulus
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, 1000 Wall Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2200 Bonisteel Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States.
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Garweg JG. Twelve-week dosing with Aflibercept in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Clin Ophthalmol 2019; 13:1289-1295. [PMID: 31409968 PMCID: PMC6650619 DOI: 10.2147/opth.s185756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To review published evidence for a treatment interval extension to ≥12-weeks in neovascular macular degeneration treated with intravitreal Aflibercept. Methods A systematic search was performed in the NCBI/PubMed database to identify pro- and retrospective studies retrieved by the key terms <exudative> or <neovascular> and <AMD> or <age-related macular degeneration> AND <intravitreal therapy> AND <Aflibercept> and included all papers that used a treat-and-extend (T&E) protocol including a loading phase of 3 intravitreal anti-VEGF injections and a minimal follow-up of 2 years. Disease stability was defined as the absence of any intraocular and absence or stability of subretinal fluid and pigment-epithelial detachment. Results Four studies were identified that reported information pertaining to disease stability or treatment extension beyond 12 weeks under intravitreal Aflibercept therapy including 1,102 eyes in total. Following a T&E protocol, a mean of 62.9% achieved disease stability and a 6.9 letter gain based on 11.9 injections over 24 months of Aflibercept treatment. As much as 43.0% of all eyes or 64.1% of the eyes with stable disease were maintained on ≥12-weekly injection intervals. Conclusions A consequent treatment with a null tolerance for intraretinal fluid is prerequisite to induce stability and maintain visual gain after the loading phase. Using Aflibercept in a T&E protocol, disease stability and interval extension to ≥12 weeks were reported in 43% of the eyes by end of the second year with less injections, but similar results as under fix dosing. A lower treatment burden strongly argues for an individualized proactive treatment regimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justus G Garweg
- Swiss Eye Institute, Rotkreuz, and Berner Augenklinik Am Lindenhofspital, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Balser C, Wolf A, Herb M, Langmann T. Co-inhibition of PGF and VEGF blocks their expression in mononuclear phagocytes and limits neovascularization and leakage in the murine retina. J Neuroinflammation 2019; 16:26. [PMID: 30732627 PMCID: PMC6366121 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-019-1419-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of visual impairment in the elderly. The neovascular (wet) form of AMD can be treated with intravitreal injections of different anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents. Placental growth factor (PGF) is another member of the VEGF family of cytokines with pro-angiogenic and pro-inflammatory effects. Here, we aimed to compare single and combined inhibition of VEGF-A and PGF in the laser-induced mouse model of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) with a focus on the effects on retinal mononuclear phagocytes. Methods CNV was induced in C57BL/6J mice using a YAG-Laser. Immediately after laser damage antibodies against VEGF-A (aVEGF), anti-PGF (aPGF), aVEGF combined with aPGF, aflibercept, or IgG control were injected intravitreally in both eyes. Three and 7 days after laser damage, the vascular leakage was determined by fluorescence angiography. Lectin staining of retinal and RPE/choroidal flat mounts was used to monitor CNV. In situ mRNA co-expression of Iba1, VEGF and PGF were quantified using in situ hybridization. Retinal and RPE/choroidal protein levels of VEGF and PGF as well as the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL1-beta, and TNF were determined by ELISA. Results Early (day 3) and intermediate (day 7) vascular leakage and CNV were significantly inhibited by PGF and VEGF-A co-inhibition, most effectively with the trap molecule aflibercept. While VEGF-A blockage alone had no effects, trapping PGF especially with aflibercept prevented the accumulation of reactive microglia and macrophages in laser lesions. The lesion-related mRNA expression and secretion of VEGF-A and PGF by mononuclear phagocytes were potently suppressed by PGF and partially by VEGF-A inhibition. Protein levels of IL-6 and IL1-beta were strongly reduced in all treatment groups. Conclusions Retinal inhibition of PGF in combination with VEGF-A prevents vascular leakage and CNV possibly via modulating their own expression in mononuclear phagocytes. PGF-related, optimized strategies to target inflammation-mediated angiogenesis may help to increase efficacy and reduce non-responders in the treatment of wet AMD patients. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12974-019-1419-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Balser
- Laboratory for Experimental Immunology of the Eye, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anne Wolf
- Laboratory for Experimental Immunology of the Eye, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marc Herb
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Langmann
- Laboratory for Experimental Immunology of the Eye, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany. .,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
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