One-Year and 18-Month Outcomes in nAMD Patient Eyes Switched to Brolucizumab Alone versus to Brolucizumab Alternating with Other Anti-VEGF Agents

Objective

Retrospective, real-world study to evaluate visual acuity (VA), anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injection intervals, and central macular thickness (CMT) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) eyes switched to brolucizumab only or to brolucizumab alternating with another anti-VEGF.

Methods

The overall study population comprised eyes that were given ≥1 brolucizumab injection between 1 October 2019 and 30 November 2021. The brolucizumab-only (BRO) cohort consisted of prior anti-VEGF-treated eyes treated exclusively with ≥3 brolucizumab injections over ≥12 or ≥18 months; the alternating brolucizumab (ALT) cohort comprised prior anti-VEGF-treated eyes treated with ≥2 brolucizumab injections and ≥1 other anti-VEGF over ≥12 or ≥18 months.

Results

A total of 482 eyes received ≥1 brolucizumab injection during the study period. Mean VA changes from baseline were -1.1±15.1 letters (BRO cohort; n = 174) and 1.3±13.0 letters (ALT cohort; n = 47) at Month 12, and 0.0±13.5 letters (BRO cohort; n = 95) and -7.3±17.2 letters (ALT cohort; n = 29) at Month 18. Mean changes in injection intervals were +26.9±48.1 days (BRO cohort) and +11.1±17.3 days (ALT cohort) at Month 12 and +36.3±52.3 days (BRO cohort) and +14.0±19.9 days (ALT cohort) at Month 18. Mean changes in CMT were -35.2±108.1 μm (BRO cohort) and -31.5±91.2 μm (ALT cohort) at Month 12 and -38.9±75.0 μm (BRO cohort) and -9.0±59.9 μm (ALT cohort) at Month 18. Intraocular inflammation-related adverse events were recorded in 22/482 (4.6%) eyes.

Conclusion

Treatment with either brolucizumab alone or brolucizumab alternating with another anti-VEGF can preserve vision, reduce CMT, and extend anti-VEGF injection intervals in patients with nAMD.