Two-year results of switching to intravitreal administration of faricimab in patients with aflibercept-refractory neovascular age-related macular degeneration

Abstract We evaluated the efficacy of switching to intravitreal injection of faricimab (IVF) in patients with aflibercept-refractory neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) over 2 years of follow-up. We retrospectively reviewed 47 consecutive eyes of 45 Japanese patients with nAMD who sw...

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Main Authors: Masaaki Saito, Kimihiro Imaizumi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-15194-3
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author Masaaki Saito
Kimihiro Imaizumi
author_facet Masaaki Saito
Kimihiro Imaizumi
author_sort Masaaki Saito
collection DOAJ
description Abstract We evaluated the efficacy of switching to intravitreal injection of faricimab (IVF) in patients with aflibercept-refractory neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) over 2 years of follow-up. We retrospectively reviewed 47 consecutive eyes of 45 Japanese patients with nAMD who switched from aflibercept to faricimab. Thirty-one eyes of 30 Japanese patients were included in this study. The mean visual acuity (BCVA) at month 24 was stable relative to the baseline. The mean central retinal thickness and subfoveal choroidal thinning significantly decreased at 24 months (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, respectively). At 24 months, 22 eyes (70.0%) achieved a dry macula and had improved VA levels with an improvement of 0.80 lines, which was significantly different from the remaining 9 eyes (P < 0.01). The mean interval of IVF was 11.8 weeks, which was significantly longer than that of aflibercept (10.0 weeks) at baseline (p = 0.014). Progression of macular atrophy or newly developing macular atrophy was seen in 3 eyes (9.7%), showing decline of 1.0 line, no other complications were seen. These results indicate that switching to IVF stabilized VA, significantly improved the anatomical changes and the achievement of a dry macula was significantly associated with the visual outcome, in patients with aflibercept-refractory nAMD over a 24-month period.
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spelling doaj-art-e68cf6f523884aec8033a0ae3c8a8ceb2025-08-24T11:28:26ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-08-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-15194-3Two-year results of switching to intravitreal administration of faricimab in patients with aflibercept-refractory neovascular age-related macular degenerationMasaaki Saito0Kimihiro Imaizumi1Department of Regional Vision Reconstruction, Fukushima Medical UniversityIwaki City Medical CenterAbstract We evaluated the efficacy of switching to intravitreal injection of faricimab (IVF) in patients with aflibercept-refractory neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) over 2 years of follow-up. We retrospectively reviewed 47 consecutive eyes of 45 Japanese patients with nAMD who switched from aflibercept to faricimab. Thirty-one eyes of 30 Japanese patients were included in this study. The mean visual acuity (BCVA) at month 24 was stable relative to the baseline. The mean central retinal thickness and subfoveal choroidal thinning significantly decreased at 24 months (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, respectively). At 24 months, 22 eyes (70.0%) achieved a dry macula and had improved VA levels with an improvement of 0.80 lines, which was significantly different from the remaining 9 eyes (P < 0.01). The mean interval of IVF was 11.8 weeks, which was significantly longer than that of aflibercept (10.0 weeks) at baseline (p = 0.014). Progression of macular atrophy or newly developing macular atrophy was seen in 3 eyes (9.7%), showing decline of 1.0 line, no other complications were seen. These results indicate that switching to IVF stabilized VA, significantly improved the anatomical changes and the achievement of a dry macula was significantly associated with the visual outcome, in patients with aflibercept-refractory nAMD over a 24-month period.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-15194-3Neovascular age-related macular degeneration Macular neovascularizationFaricimabAfliberceptRefractoryOptical coherence tomography angiography
spellingShingle Masaaki Saito
Kimihiro Imaizumi
Two-year results of switching to intravitreal administration of faricimab in patients with aflibercept-refractory neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Scientific Reports
Neovascular age-related macular degeneration 
Macular neovascularization
Faricimab
Aflibercept
Refractory
Optical coherence tomography angiography
title Two-year results of switching to intravitreal administration of faricimab in patients with aflibercept-refractory neovascular age-related macular degeneration
title_full Two-year results of switching to intravitreal administration of faricimab in patients with aflibercept-refractory neovascular age-related macular degeneration
title_fullStr Two-year results of switching to intravitreal administration of faricimab in patients with aflibercept-refractory neovascular age-related macular degeneration
title_full_unstemmed Two-year results of switching to intravitreal administration of faricimab in patients with aflibercept-refractory neovascular age-related macular degeneration
title_short Two-year results of switching to intravitreal administration of faricimab in patients with aflibercept-refractory neovascular age-related macular degeneration
title_sort two year results of switching to intravitreal administration of faricimab in patients with aflibercept refractory neovascular age related macular degeneration
topic Neovascular age-related macular degeneration 
Macular neovascularization
Faricimab
Aflibercept
Refractory
Optical coherence tomography angiography
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-15194-3
work_keys_str_mv AT masaakisaito twoyearresultsofswitchingtointravitrealadministrationoffaricimabinpatientswithafliberceptrefractoryneovascularagerelatedmaculardegeneration
AT kimihiroimaizumi twoyearresultsofswitchingtointravitrealadministrationoffaricimabinpatientswithafliberceptrefractoryneovascularagerelatedmaculardegeneration