Real-World-Data of Treatment-Naïve and Previously Treated Patients Receiving Up to 3 Injections of Faricimab in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Berenike Cornelia Kunzmann, Alexandra Stefanie Schweig, Karl Ulrich Bartz-Schmidt, Bianka Sobolewska University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, GermanyCorrespondence: Berenike Cornelia Kunzmann, University Eye Hospital Tübingen, Department of Ophthalmology, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, Tübingen, 72076, Germany, Tel +49 7071 29 64356, Fax +49 7071 29 5216, Email [email protected]: To evaluate visual and anatomical outcome of consecutive patients who received intravitreal injections (IVI) of faricimab for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).Patients and methods: A retrospective study of patients treated for nAMD with one to three IVIs of faricimab from October 2022 to January 2024. Demographic data, treatment history, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), anatomic parameters, and adverse events (AEs) were collected.Results: After one IVI of faricimab, previously treated (n=160) eyes with a mean of 33.51 IVIs and treatment-naïve (n=10) eyes showed a mean BCVA gain of +0.59± 0.52 letters (p=0.364) and +5.00± 6.50 letters (p=0.461), respectively, and a mean central subfield thickness (CST) reduction of − 27.65± 5.33 μm (p< 0.001) and − 94.10± 39.74 μm (p=0.042), respectively. In treatment-refractory eyes after switching from aflibercept (n=108), mean BCVA increased by +0.42± 0.66 (p=0.745) and the mean CST improved by − 21.98± 6.04 (p< 0.001). After three IVIs of faricimab previously treated (n=106) and treatment-naïve (n=5) eyes showed a mean BCVA increase of +1.57± 0.88 letters (p=0.051) versus +12.50± 8.14 letters (p=0.185), and a mean CST reduction of − 25.51± 5.82 μm (p< 0.001) versus − 82.60± 36.20 μm from baseline, respectively. In treatment-refractory eyes after switching from aflibercept (n=79), mean BCVA improved by +2.15± 1.08 letters (p=0.029) and mean CST decreased by − 27.46± 7.04 μm (p< 0.001). Mean pigment epithelial detachment (PED) was also significantly reduced even between the first and the third faricimab injection in previously treated eyes (p=0.03). The proportion of eyes with intraretinal fluid and subretinal fluid improved significantly in all eyes and treatment-refractory eyes after switching from aflibercept. Ocular AEs were reported in three out of 170 eyes, and one patient had two stroke events during faricimab therapy.Conclusion: Three IVIs of faricimab have the potential to improve visual acuity and anatomical parameters even in treatment-refractory nAMD eyes with a mean dosing interval of more than 6 weeks.Keywords: anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, intravitreal injection, treatment resistant nAMD, intravitreal dosing interval, Vabysmo