Real-world use of faricimab to treat DME patients in the UK

Lotery, Andrew, Gale, Richard P., Peto, Tunde, Talks, James Stephen, De Salvo, Gabriella, Pearce, Ian, Kiire, Christine, Bailey, Clare, Downey, Louise, Reynolds, Rhianon, Sivaprasad, Sobha, James, Natalee, Chi, Gloria, Downey, Amanda, Shah, Parth, Dodds, Melanie and McGrory, Sarah (2023) Real-world use of faricimab to treat DME patients in the UK. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF RETINA SPECIALISTS, Seattle. 28 Jul - 01 Aug 2023. (In Press)

Abstract

Purpose (463 characters)
Faricimab, a bispecific antibody inhibiting Angiopoietin-2 (Ang2) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)-A, was approved in the UK on May 17, 2022 for the treatment of DME. A multicenter real-world data study is being conducted to evaluate faricimab uptake, patient characteristics, treatment frequency and visual acuity (VA) outcomes over time. We report preliminary data on faricimab utilization in DME patients at three ophthalmology centers in the UK.

Methods (680 characters)
This is a retrospective observational study evaluating the real-world utilization and outcomes of faricimab from 2022-2024. Patients who receive faricimab for the treatment of DME at participating National Health Service sites using the Medisoft ophthalmic electronic medical record system will be included. Site recruitment is currently underway and preliminary data up to January 09, 2023 are presented. All analyses are descriptive. Further evaluation of patient demographics, faricimab treatment intervals, anti-VEGF treatment history and the change in VA following faricimab treatment is ongoing; results will be available for presentation at the 2023 ASRS annual conference.

Results (954 characters)
As of January 9, 2022, three sites were recruited into the study, where 258 DME patients (345 patient-eyes) received at least one faricimab injection. 249 (72%) patient-eyes were switched from another anti-VEGF treatment; 88% from aflibercept, 10% from ranibizumab and the remaining from other anti-VEGF treatments.
Previously-treated eyes had a mean (SD) follow-up of 2.2 (1.5) months on faricimab, during which they received a mean (SD) of 2.3 (1.2) injections per eye. Eyes without a recorded history of anti-VEGF treatment (treated as “naive” eyes) had a similar mean (SD) duration of follow-up of 2.2 (1.5) months, during which they received a mean (SD) of 2.5 (1.2) injections. A total of 71 (21%) patient-eyes had at least 4 months of follow-up on faricimab. Among these, previously-treated eyes (n=51) received a mean (SD) of 3.5 (1.0) injections and naive eyes (n=20) received 3.5 (0.9) injections per eye during the first 4 months of treatment.

Conclusions (377 characters)
Preliminary data show that a majority of the faricimab patient-eyes with DME were switched from another anti-VEGF treatment, primarily aflibercept. Previously-treated and naive eyes received a comparable number of injections in the early months of initiating faricimab treatment. Future results from this study will describe the utilization and outcomes of faricimab over time.

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Contributors

Author: Andrew Lotery

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