Safety of intravitreally applied epidermal growth factor receptor antibody panitumumab

Abstract Purpose To examine the safety of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor antibody panitumumab intravitreally applied in patients with myopic macular degeneration (MMD) or neovascular age‐related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods Patients with MMD stage 4 underwent repeated intravitreal panitumumab injections in escalating doses, and patients with neovascular AMD received combined intravitreal ranibizumab/panitumumab injections, with single ranibizumab injections applied in between. Results The study included 28 patients. In the first cohort, 11 highly myopic patients with MMD stage 4 (age: 66.8 ± 6.3 years) received intravitreal panitumumab injections in doses of 0.6 mg (4 eyes; 1 × 1 injection, 3 × 2 Injections), 1.2 mg (4 eyes; 1 × 1 injection; 2 × 2 injections; 1 × 3 injections) and 1.8 mg (3 eyes; 1 × 1 injection, 2 × 2 injections), respectively, in intervals of 3.6 ± 1.8 months (first to second injection), and 4.7 months (second to third injection). At 3.7 ± 0.4 years (median: 3.6 years; range: 3.5–4.7 years) after the first injection, ten patients were re‐examined, with no change in axial length (30.6 ± 1.0 vs. 30.7 ± 1.3; p = 0.66). A second cohort included 17 eyes with neovascular AMD and receiving bimonthly combined panitumumab/ranibizumab (1.2 mg/0.5 mg) injections (mean: 2.4 ± 0.5 injections). The mean follow‐up period was 11.0 ± 1.0 months (median: 11 months; range: 6–14 months). In none of the eyes of the first and second cohort, treatment‐related systemic or intraocular adverse events were noted. Ocular side effects were hyposphagmata at the injection sites. Signs of intraocular inflammation were not detected in any eye. The morphology of the optic nerve head did not change significantly, nor did the IOP (14.5 ± 4.3 mmHg vs. 13.5 ± 1.5 mmHg; p = 0.30). Conclusions Repeated intravitreal panitumumab applications in various doses, single or combined with ranibizumab, were not associated with severe ocular or systemic side effects.