Short-term outcomes of treatment switch to faricimab in patients with aflibercept-resistant neovascular age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE: To report short-term outcomes of treatment switch to faricimab in real-world patients with aflibercept-resistant neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

METHODS: Single-center, retrospective cohort study with chart-review using electronic injection database, electronic medical records, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) data from May to September 2023.

RESULTS: A total of 50 eyes of 46 patients were analyzed. Faricimab treatment led to absence of fluid in 32% of the eyes and a reduction of fluid in 84% of the eyes. There was a statistically significant decrease in central retinal thickness (CRT) and pigment epithelial detachment (PED) height in those that responded to the switch (median difference: - 31 μm, IQR: 55, p < 0.0001 and median difference: - 21 μm, IQR: 36, p < 0.0001, respectively) and a statistically significant increase in CRT (median difference: + 19 μm, IQR: 20, p = 0.0143) and no change in PED height (median difference: + 22 μm, IQR: 64, p = 0.1508) in those that did not. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) showed marginal decrease with low statistical significance. No ocular or systemic safety events were observed.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that switching to faricimab is generally safe and effective in patients with neovascular AMD who are otherwise difficult to treat and have residual fluid despite frequent injections with aflibercept. We observed a high rate of morphological response to the treatment switch, improvement of anatomical parameters with about one-third of patients having dry macula following a single injection, and a marginal change in BCVA. Sustainability of these results requires further investigation.

STUDY REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT06124677. Date of registration: 09/11/2023, retrospectively registered.