Intravitreal tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors for neovascular age-related macular degeneration suboptimally responsive to antivascular endothelial growth factor agents: a pilot study from the Pan American Collaborative Retina Study Group.

PURPOSE

To compare the short-term visual and anatomic outcomes after intravitreal injections of 2 different tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors to continued antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in eyes with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration that responded suboptimally to anti-VEGF agents.

METHODS

Retrospective comparative case series of 26 eyes. Eyes were injected intravitreally with 1 mg infliximab, 2 mg infliximab, 2 mg adalimumab, or 1.25 mg bevacizumab. The main outcomes measured were the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the central macular thickness (CMT) at 3 months of follow-up.

RESULTS

The mean log minimal angle of resolution BCVA changed from 1.04±0.23 at baseline to 1.06±0.51 at 3 months (P=0.9455) in the 1-mg infliximab group; 0.94±0.48 at baseline to 0.85±0.43 in the 2-mg infliximab group (P=0.2802); 1.58±0.50 at baseline to 1.38±0.43 in the adalimumab group (P=0.1116); and 1.08±0.1 at baseline to 1.03±0.16 in the bevacizumab group (P=0.9928). The mean CMT changed from 387±54 μm at baseline to 342±108 μm (P=0.1053) in the 1-mg infliximab group; 301±42 μm at baseline to 284±73 μm (P=0.4854) in the 2-mg infliximab group; remained unchanged at 348±106 μm (P=0.308) in the adalimumab group; and 362±66 μm to 340±27 μm in the bevacizumab group (P=0.4622). Adverse events included uveitis in 37.5% (6/16) of eyes injected with infliximab.

CONCLUSION

Intravitreal infliximab and adalimumab do not appear to benefit eyes with CNV that responded suboptimally to anti-VEGF agents. Intravitreal injections of infliximab may elicit a severe intraocular inflammatory reaction.