Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the results of intravitreal faricimab (IVF) injections over 12 months in patients with treatment-naive neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).
Methods :
The study included 27 eyes of 25 consecutive patients with treatment-naive nAMD who visited Jichi Medical University from June 2022 to October 2022 and received IVF with a one-year follow-up. After three 4 weekly initial injections, patients were monitored at 4 weeks to assess disease activity. If any disease activity was observed, additional injection was performed; otherwise, maintenance injection was scheduled 4 weeks later. Thereafter the patients received injections on a treat and extend regimen, with adjustments every 2 weeks if exudative changes were observed during treatment. The maximum and minimum dosing intervals were 8 and 16 weeks, respectively. The study evaluated changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central subfield thickness (CST), and subfoveal choroidal thickness (CCT) over one year, injection interval at one year, and safety.
Results :
Mean age was 74.6±10.0 years, 18 patients (72%) were male. Baseline BCVA, CST, and CCT were 0.592±0.543, 314±73 µm, and 184±105 µm, respectively. The subtypes of nAMD included 10 cases of macular neovascularization (MNV) type 1, 4 cases of type 2, 4 cases of type 3 and 8 cases of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Except for one case of switching to another drug due to poor response during the induction phase, there were no drug changes or concomitant use of other drugs. Dry retina was achieved in 21 (84%) and 25 (100%) cases after the third induction and at one year, respectively. There were significant improvements in BCVA, CST and CCT change over one year (p < 0.001), with mean differences of -0.162±0.219, -82±52 µm and -30±25 µm, respectively. The final injection interval was 14.4±2.3 weeks, with 95% achieving an injection interval of 12 weeks or more. There was one case of irreversible visual impairment of more than 15 letters due to worsening of MMV, and one case of bacterial endophthalmitis and one case of non-infectious endophthalmitis were observed.
Conclusions :
IVF for treatment-naive nAMD resulted in improvements in BCVA, CST and CCT, with over 90% achieving an injection interval of 12 weeks or longer.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.