Ranibizumab for exudative age-related macular degeneration in eyes previously treated with alternative vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To evaluate ranibizumab for exudative age-related macular degeneration previously treated with pegaptanib, bevacizumab, or both.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective, interventional case series of patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration who were treated with ranibizumab after being initially treated with pegaptanib, bevacizumab, or both. The primary outcome was change in visual acuity following the switch to ranibizumab.

RESULTS

One hundred two eyes of 92 patients were identified. Following the switch to ranibizumab, there was an average gain of 0.7 lines in visual acuity. Ninety-four eyes (92%) lost 3 or fewer lines, 29 eyes (28%) gained more than 3 lines, and 3 eyes (3%) lost more than 6 lines after switching to ranibizumab. Lesion type and time between previous vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor and ranibizumab did not affect the response.

CONCLUSION

Ranibizumab maintained visual acuity in the majority of patients and appears to be an effective treatment regardless of previous anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy.