Short-term Efficacy and Safety of Faricimab Switching in Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration Previously Treated with Anti-vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
10.21561/jor.2025.10.1.20
- Author:
Jun Sung LEE
1
;
Chang Ryong KIM
;
Sun Taek LIM
;
Yung-Hwi KIM
Author Information
1. MSC Research Institute, Parangsae Eye Clinic, Gwangju, Korea
- Publication Type:ORIGINAL ARTICLE
- From:
Journal of Retina
2025;10(1):20-30
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Purpose:To evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of intravitreal faricimab injection (IFI) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) previously treated with another anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF).
Methods:We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with nAMD refractory to previous anti-VEGF treatment who were switched to faricimab from June 2023 to July 2024. A good responder was defined as a case with complete absence of subretinal fluid (SRF) or intraretinal fluid (IRF) 8 weeks after IFI, whereas a poor responder was defined as having residual SRF or IRF 8 weeks after IFI. We evaluated best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central subfield retinal thickness (CST), sub-foveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), maximum height of pigment epithelial detachment (PED) and the presence of SRF or IRF, and the presence of optical coherence tomography parameters of nAMD at baseline (before the injection of faricimab) and 8 weeks and 16 weeks after faricimab switching. All adverse events following faricimab injection were analyzed.
Results:Seventy-two eyes of 69 patients were included. There was no significant BCVA change after IFI. CST, SFCT and maximum PED height were significantly decreased 8 weeks and 16 weeks after faricimab switching compared to baseline (all p < 0.05). A fluid-free state was reached in 39% at 16 weeks. The poor responder group had a higher number of brolucizumab injections before switching compared to the good responder group (1.1 ± 1.9 vs. 2.4 ± 3.3, p = 0.04). The good responder group had more cases without SRF before switching and lower baseline CST than the poor responder group (all p < 0.05). There were no severe adverse events after IFI.
Conclusions:Faricimab was safe and anatomically effective, though it did not produce functional improvements. IFI could serve as another option in the treatment of patients with nAMD treated with previous anti-VEGF.
