Prolongation of injection interval after switching therapy from ranibizumab to aflibercept in Japanese patients with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion

Abstract

Purpose

This study was conducted to investigate the outcome of switching therapy from ranibizumab to aflibercept in Japanese patients with macular edema (ME) secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) in daily practice.

Materials and methods

This retrospective study enrolled 15 eyes in 15 Japanese patients with ME secondary to BRVO who had been receiving a pro re nata regimen of ranibizumab and had provided written informed consent to switch to aflibercept therapy. The intravitreal injection interval, central retinal thickness, and visual acuity were evaluated before and after switching.

Results

The mean period of ranibizumab treatment was 11.8±4.2 months. The mean observation period after switching to aflibercept was 10.6±3.4 months, and seven patients were observed for more than 12 months after switching. The mean intravitreal injection interval was prolonged by 23.6 days with aflibercept (68.2±26.4 days with ranibizumab vs 91.8±33.2 days with aflibercept; P=0.0011). The mean intravitreal injection interval just before the switch was 81.3±35.6 days and was significantly prolonged to 100.8±34.2 days just after the switch to aflibercept (P=0.0309). The mean central retinal thickness did not change before or after the switch to aflibercept (295±55 μm with ranibizumab vs 276±25 μm with aflibercept; P=0.12). The mean visual acuity also remained at an improved level after the switch. No systemic or ocular side effects were evident during the study period.

Conclusion

Switching therapy from ranibizumab to aflibercept in Japanese patients with ME secondary to BRVO prolonged the intravitreal injection interval without anatomical or functional degradation.

Keywords:

• branch retinal vein occlusion
• macular edema
• ranibizumab
• aflibercept

View correction statement:

Prolongation of injection interval after switching therapy from ranibizumab to aflibercept in Japanese patients with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion [Corrigendum]

Acknowledgments

Medical writing and editing were supported by Havas Worldwide Japan K.K., for which funding was received from Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd.

Abbreviations: BCVA, best-corrected visual acuity; logMAR, logarithm of minimal angle of resolution; CRT, central retinal thickness; SD, standard deviation.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work and did not receive any honorarium for the preparation of this manuscript. Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd. was not involved in this study including data collection and analysis.