Short-term outcomes of switching to brolucizumab in japanese patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Abstract

To evaluate the outcomes of a 6-month follow-up after switching to brolucizumab from aflibercept to treat neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Japanese patients. Retrospective observational study. We studied 45 consecutive eyes of 42 patients diagnosed with neovascular AMD, who were switched to intravitreal brolucizumab injection (IVBr) after receiving intravitreal aflibercept injection (IVA) using a treat-and-extend (TAE) regimen. Patients who had brolucizumab-associated intraocular inflammation (IOI) were excluded from the study. The mean changes in the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central foveal thickness (CFT), central choroidal thickness (CCT), and treatment intervals were evaluated at 6 months after the switch to IVBr. One eye of 1 patient was excluded because of IOI after the switch; 44 eyes of 41 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean logMAR BCVA was maintained throughout the follow-up period when compared with the baseline value (P > .05 at 6 months). However, the mean CFT and CCT at 6 months had decreased significantly (P < .05 and P < .001, respectively). The mean treatment interval was extended from 5.75 to 8.12 weeks. Switching to brolucizumab from aflibercept using a TAE regimen might be effective for maintaining functional outcomes and extending intervals in Japanese patients with AMD.