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

• Main Authors: Kaya C, Zandi S, Pfister IB, Gerhardt C, Garweg JG
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2019-12-01
• Series: Clinical Ophthalmology
• Subjects: exudative age-related macular degeneration; ozurdex; dexamethasone intravitreal implant; triamcinolone; ranibizumab; aflibercept
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/adding-a-corticosteroid-or-switching-to-another-anti-vegf-in-insuffici-peer-reviewed-article-OPTH

Cagdas Kaya,1 Souska Zandi,1,3 Isabel B Pfister,1,2 Christin Gerhardt,1,2 Justus G Garweg1,2 1Swiss Eye Institute, Rotkreuz, and Berner Augenklinik am Lindenhofspital, Bern, Switzerland; 2Department Ophthalmology, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandCorrespondence: Justus G GarwegBerner Augenklinik am Lindenhofspital, Bremgartenstrasse 119, Bern CH - 3012, SwitzerlandTel [phone]Fax [phone]Email [e-mail]: To compare the effect of adding a corticosteroid or switching to another anti-VEGF treatment in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (eAMD) with persisting intraretinal fluid on anti-VEGF monotherapy.Methods: This retrospective, interventional case series involved 43 pseudophakic eyes with eAMD and persistent intraretinal fluid on anti-VEGF treatment that switched treatment to a combination of Ozurdex® or Triamcinolone and anti-VEGF therapy (group 1) or to another anti-VEGF agent (group 2). The number of injections, time to re-injection, change in central retinal thickness (CRT), and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from 12 months prior to 12 months after switch to third-line therapy were defined as primary outcomes.Results: Whereas the treatment demand was reduced (from 8.8±2.2 to 4.6±2.9 injections; p=0.001) and the re-injection interval extended in group 1 (from 1.5±0.4 months to 4.4±3.8 months; p=0.001), these parameters did not change in group 2 (7.4±1.6 to 7.3±2.2; p=0.90 and 1.7±0.3 months to 1.9±0.8 months; p=0.75). Mean CRT decreased from 455.7±30.1 and 427.6±36.0μm (groups 1 and 2, respectively) to 359.1±38.2 and 303.1±44.4μm (intergroup p=0.03). The mean baseline BCVA of 62.6±3.8 letters (group 1) and 63.0±1.9 letters (group 2) remained stable under therapy in both groups (intergroup p=0.67).Conclusion: In eyes with eAMD with persistent intraretinal fluid on anti-VEGF monotherapy despite frequent re-injections, corticosteroids achieved a similar functional and morphological outcome over 12 months as switching to another anti-VEGF therapy, but with a reduced injection burden. In selected cases, corticosteroid treatment may thus be an option for third-line therapy in refractory exudative AMD.Keywords: exudative age-related macular degeneration, Ozurdex, dexamethasone intravitreal implant, triamcinolone, ranibizumab, aflibercept