Ranibizumab 0.5 mg for Diabetic Macular Edema with Bimonthly Monitoring after a Phase of Initial Treatment: 18-Month, Multicenter, Phase IIIB RELIGHT Study

Ophthalmology. 2015 Sep;122(9):1811-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2015.05.038. Epub 2015 Jul 3.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate ranibizumab 0.5 mg using bimonthly monitoring and individualized re-treatment after monthly follow-up for 6 months in patients with visual impairment due to diabetic macular edema (DME).

Design: A phase IIIb, 18-month, prospective, open-label, multicenter, single-arm study in the United Kingdom.

Participants: Participants (N = 109) with visual impairment due to DME.

Methods: Participants received 3 initial monthly ranibizumab 0.5 mg injections (day 0 to month 2), followed by individualized best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography-guided re-treatment with monthly (months 3-5) and subsequent bimonthly follow-up (months 6-18). Laser was allowed after month 6.

Main outcome measures: Mean change in BCVA from baseline to month 12 (primary end point), mean change in BCVA and central retinal thickness (CRT) from baseline to month 18, gain of ≥10 and ≥15 letters, treatment exposure, and incidence of adverse events over 18 months.

Results: Of 109 participants, 100 (91.7%) and 99 (90.8%) completed the 12 and 18 months of the study, respectively. The mean age was 63.7 years, the mean duration of DME was 40 months, and 77.1% of the participants had received prior laser treatment (study eye). At baseline, mean BCVA was 62.9 letters, 20% of patients had a baseline BCVA of >73 letters, and mean baseline CRT was 418.1 μm, with 32% of patients having a baseline CRT <300 μm. The mean change in BCVA from baseline to month 6 was +6.6 letters (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.9-8.3), and after institution of bimonthly treatment the mean change in BCVA at month 12 was +4.8 letters (95% CI, 2.9-6.7; P < 0.001) and +6.5 letters (95% CI, 4.2-8.8) at month 18. The proportion of participants gaining ≥10 and ≥15 letters was 24.8% and 13.8% at month 12 and 34.9% and 19.3% at month 18, respectively. Participants received a mean of 6.8 and 8.5 injections over 12 and 18 months, respectively. No new ocular or nonocular safety findings were observed during the study.

Conclusions: The BCVA gain achieved in the initial 6-month treatment period was maintained with an additional 12 months of bimonthly ranibizumab PRN treatment.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01257815.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase III
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / adverse effects
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use*
  • Diabetic Retinopathy / diagnosis
  • Diabetic Retinopathy / drug therapy*
  • Diabetic Retinopathy / physiopathology
  • Drug Monitoring
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intravitreal Injections
  • Macular Edema / diagnosis
  • Macular Edema / drug therapy*
  • Macular Edema / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Ranibizumab
  • Retreatment
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Visual Acuity / drug effects
  • Visual Acuity / physiology

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • VEGFA protein, human
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Ranibizumab

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01257815