Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of loading phase treatment with 3 monthly intravitreal injections of faricimab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 16-week outcomes of 40 consecutive eyes of 38 patients with treatment-naïve nAMD. Three monthly injections of faricimab were administered to all eyes as a loading phase treatment. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), foveal thickness, central choroidal thickness (CCT), and dry macula achievement were all assessed every 4 weeks. Moreover, the regression of polypoidal lesions was evaluated after the loading phase.
Results: BCVA was 0.33 ± 0.41 at baseline and showed significant improvement to 0.22 ± 0.36 at week 16 (P < 0.01). Foveal thickness was 278 ± 116 µm at baseline, decreasing significantly to 173 ± 48 µm at week 16 (P < 0.01). CCT was 214 ± 98 µm at baseline, decreasing significantly to 192 ± 89 µm at week 16 (P < 0.01). Dry macula was achieved in 31 eyes (79.5%) at week 16. Indocyanine green angiography after the loading phase revealed complete regression of polypoidal lesions in 11 of 18 eyes (61.1%) with polypoidal lesions. One eye (2.5%) developed vitritis without visual loss at week 16.
Conclusion: Loading phase treatment with intravitreal faricimab appears to generally be safe and effective for improving visual acuity and reducing exudative changes in eyes with nAMD.
Keywords: Age-related macular degeneration; Anti-VEGF; Faricimab; Loading phase treatment.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.