Objective: To compare visual outcomes in phakic and pseudophakic eyes treated with monthly intravitreal ranibizumab for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Design: Meta-analysis of individual patient data from 2 phase 3 clinical trials of intravitreal ranibizumab in neovascular AMD (Anti-VEGF Antibody for the Treatment of Predominantly Classic Choroidal Neovascularization in Age-Related Macular Degeneration [ANCHOR], ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00061594; and Minimally Classic/Occult Trial of the Anti-VEGF Antibody Ranibizumab in the Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration [MARINA], ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00056836).
Participants and controls: A total of 1137 patients from 2 phase 3 clinical trials.
Methods: Phakic and pseudophakic eyes were treated with monthly intravitreal ranibizumab (0.3 mg or 0.5 mg), sham injections plus verteporfin photodynamic therapy (ANCHOR), or sham injections alone (MARINA).
Main outcome measures: Mean change from baseline in Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity (VA) and the proportion of patients gaining or losing 15 or more ETDRS letters.
Results: After adjusting for baseline covariates, no differences were seen in mean change in VA for phakic versus pseudophakic eyes. Pseudophakic eyes were more likely to lose 15 or more letters of vision than phakic eyes at 12 months, but not at 24 months.
Conclusions: Overall, in this analysis, lens status did not demonstrate an independent influence on mean VA for eyes treated with monthly ranibizumab. It is possible that phakic eyes may be less prone to severe vision loss.
Financial disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.