Adding a Corticosteroid or Switching to Another Anti-VEGF in Insufficiently Responsive Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Figures & data

Table 1 Baseline Characteristics of Patients with Insufficient Response to Anti-VEGF Monotherapy

	Group 1	Group 2	pValues
Number of eyes	18	25
Female (%)	61	44	0.36
Mean age (years)	81±9	87±5	0.07
CNV Type classic (%)	11	20	0.14
CNV Type occult (%)	67	64
CNV Type mixed (%)	16	16
Baseline BCVA (ETDRS)	63±4	63±2	0.74
Baseline CRT (µm)	456±30	428±36	0.30

Abbreviation: CNV, choroidal neovascularization; BCVA, best-corrected visual acuity; ETDRS, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study scores with 85 letters representing a BCVA of 1.0; CRT, central retinal thickness.

Table 2 Portion of Eyes with Persistent Disease Activity

	Group 1		Group 2
	Yes	No	Yes	No
After the loading phase (%)	100	0	80	20	p=0.06
6 months after treatment initiation (%)	94	6	84	16	p=0.38
Prior to switch (%)	94	6	88	12	p=0.63
3 months after switch (%)	72	28	68	32	p=1.00
6 months after switch (%)	66	34	56	44	p=0.54
12 months after switch (%)	72	28	56	44	p=0.35

Table 3 Comparison Between and Within the Groups Regarding Number of Injections Within the 12 Months Before and 12 Months After Switch

Number of Injections Before Switch
		Mean	SD	Range	p=0.051
Group 1		8.8	2.2	5–14
Group 2		7.4	1.6	5–11
Number of Injections After Switch
		Mean	SD	Range	p=0.005
Group 1 *		4.6	2.9	1–10
Group 2 *		7.3	2.2	3–10

Notes: *Statistical comparison within the groups (group 1: p=0.001; group 2: p=0.90).

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.

Table 4 Comparison Between and Within the Groups Regarding Interval of 12 Months Before and 12 Months After Switch

Interval in Months Before Switch
		Mean	SD	Range	p=0.051
Group 1		1.5	0.4	1–2.4
Group 2		1.7	0.3	1.1–2.4
Interval in Months After Switch
		Mean	SD	Range	p=0.006
Group 1 *		4.4	3.8	1.2–12
Group 2 *		1.9	0.8	1.2–4

Notes: *Statistical comparison within the groups (group 1: p=0.001; group 2: p=0.750).

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.

Figure 1 Central retinal thickness (CRT in μm) at the start of treatment, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months as well as 3, 6, and 12 months after switch. Black line: group 1 (n=25 eyes in 25 patients); grey line: group 2 (n= 25 eyes in 25 patients); *p ≤ 0.05. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean (SEM).

Figure 2 Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA in EDTRS letters) at start of treatment, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months as well as 3, 6, and 12 months after switch. Black line: group 1 (n=25 eyes in 25 patients); grey line: group 2 (n=25 eyes in 25 patients). Error bars represent the standard error of the mean (SEM).