Quarterly Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Dosing for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Real-World Clinical Outcomes

Abstract

Background and objective: Characterize eyes managed with quarterly intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Patients and methods: Treatment-naïve nAMD eyes managed predominately using a treat-and-extend approach that received five or more consecutive quarterly injections from 2005 to 2017.

Results: One hundred fifty eyes were retrospectively identified. During quarterly dosing, a mean of 9.8 injections were given over a mean of 29 months. Ninety-one eyes (61%) had no exudative disease recurrence during quarterly dosing. Thirty-three eyes (22%) experienced exudative activity recurrence, with a mean cumulative yearly recurrence rate of 12% and a mean 6-letter loss of visual acuity (VA). Twenty-four eyes (16%) stopped quarterly treatments; nine (38%) of these subsequently experienced exudative activity recurrence with a mean 8-letter VA loss.

Conclusion: In this real-world analysis of nAMD managed with quarterly dosing over a mean of more than 2 years' follow-up, 22% experienced disease recurrence during quarterly dosing, and 38% of eyes that stopped quarterly dosing experienced subsequent exudative disease recurrence. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2019;50:e250-e256.].