June 2013
Volume 54, Issue 15
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   June 2013
Patients prefer a fixed monthly dosing regimen in anti-VEGF treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Katharina Droge
    Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  • Dirk Mueller
    Department of Institute of Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  • Albert Caramoy
    Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  • Bernd Kirchhof
    Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  • Sascha Fauser
    Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships Katharina Droge, None; Dirk Mueller, None; Albert Caramoy, Bausch & Lomb (F), Fluoron GmbH (F), Alamedics GmbH&Co. KG (F); Bernd Kirchhof, None; Sascha Fauser, None
  • Footnotes
    Support None
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science June 2013, Vol.54, 3814. doi:
  • Views
  • Share
  • Tools
    • Alerts
      ×
      This feature is available to authenticated users only.
      Sign In or Create an Account ×
    • Get Citation

      Katharina Droge, Dirk Mueller, Albert Caramoy, Bernd Kirchhof, Sascha Fauser; Patients prefer a fixed monthly dosing regimen in anti-VEGF treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2013;54(15):3814.

      Download citation file:


      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

      ×
  • Supplements
Abstract

Purpose: To identify treatment preference and influencing factors in patients undergoing anti-VEGF therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) under real-life conditions.

Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted with 108 patients receiving Anti-VEGF therapy for at least one year on a pro re nata regimen with monthly controls in a tertiary health care clinic. Patients were asked to respond to a questionnaire composed of 19 questions covering items such as anxiety, financial issues of therapy and treatment preference to anti-VEGF treatment. Data regarding visual acuity, number of intravitreal injections and period of treatment were analysed.

Results: Forty-six men and 62 women were included. Mean time under anti-VEGF treatment was 35 months (range 11-83). The mean number of intravitreal injections was 19 (5-51). One eye was treated in 58.3 % of patients and 41.7 % of patients received injections in both eyes. Thirty- three percent of patients favoured a pro re nata regimen, 47 % of patients favoured continuous monthly injections, and 11 % of the patients abstained from the question of preference. The questionnaire from 8 % of the patients could not be analysed to a final conclusion.

Conclusions: The majority of patients favoured a fixed dosing regimen with monthly injections rather than monthly controls with a pro re nata regimen. However the patients in this cohort did not reflect and consider on the risk of endophthalmitis.

Keywords: 412 age-related macular degeneration • 466 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: treatment/prevention assessment/controlled clinical trials • 688 retina  
×
×

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

Sign in or purchase a subscription to access this content. ×

You must be signed into an individual account to use this feature.

×