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Retina
Conversion to faricimab after prior anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for persistent diabetic macular oedema
  1. Asad Farooq Durrani1,
  2. Bita Momenaei1,
  3. Taku Wakabayashi1,
  4. Sudheshna Vemula2,
  5. Saagar A Pandit1,
  6. Jason Hsu1,
  7. Allen C Ho1,
  8. Marc J Spirn1,
  9. Michael A Klufas1,
  10. Sunir J Garg1,
  11. James F Vander1,
  12. Carl D Regillo1,
  13. Allen Chiang1,
  14. Ajay E Kuriyan1,
  15. Yoshihiro Yonekawa1
  1. 1 Mid Atlantic Retina, Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
  2. 2 Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Yoshihiro Yonekawa; yyonekawa{at}midatlanticretina.com

Abstract

Background To assess the anatomical and functional outcomes in eyes with persistent diabetic macular oedema (pDME) on chronic anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy switched to intravitreal faricimab.

Methods Patients with pDME on chronic anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy that were switched to faricimab and received at least three injections at our institution between April 2022 and May 2023 were included in this study. Patients were excluded if they had complete response to previous treatment but were switched to extend treatment intervals if they had steroid or laser treatment for DME within 6 months prior to switch. Clinical and imaging data were extracted from the electronic medical record. Central foveal thickness (CFT) and Snellen visual acuity (VA) were obtained before and after three intravitreal faricimab injections. Generalised estimating equations were used to analyse the change in CFT and VA.

Result During the study period, 69 eyes of 53 patients met inclusion criteria. The mean age was 68.6±9.0 years. The mean number of injections prior to switch was 18.1±16.0. Pre-switch mean logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution VA was 0.40±0.30 (Snellen equivalent 20/50) and 0.38±0.27 (Snellen equivalent 20/48) after three faricimab injections (p=0.397). Mean CFT improved from 380±155 microns to 323±147 microns (p<0.001). No ophthalmic or systemic adverse events occurred during the study period.

Conclusions Intravitreal faricimab can improve anatomic outcomes while maintaining visual acuity in eyes with pDME previously treated with anti-VEGF therapy.

  • Retina
  • Treatment Medical
  • Drugs

Data availability statement

Data are available upon reasonable request.

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo-2023-324394

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    Data availability statement

    Data are available upon reasonable request.

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    Footnotes

    • X @JasonHsuMD

    • Contributors Conception of the work: JH, AH, MJS, MK, SG, JV, CR, AC, AEK. Acquisition, analysis and interpretation of the data: AFD, BM, TW, SV, SAP, YY. Drafting of the manuscript: AFD, BM, YY. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: All authors. Final approval of the version to be published: All authors. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved: All authors. YY had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. YY is the guarantor of this work.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.