Patient preference of ranibizumab treatment regimen for neovascular age-related macular degeneration — monthly injections versus pro re nata

• Published in: Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology 2014, Vol.252 (1), p.31-34
• Main Authors: Droege, Katharina M., Caramoy, Albert, Kersten, Andreas, Luberichs-Fauser, Janina, Zilkens, Katharina, Müller, Dirk, Kirchhof, Bernd, Fauser, Sascha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized - administration & dosage; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Intravitreal Injections; Macular degeneration; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Ophthalmology; Patient Preference - statistics & numerical data; Ranibizumab; Retinal Disorders; Retreatment; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - antagonists & inhibitors; Visual Acuity - physiology; Wet Macular Degeneration - diagnosis; Wet Macular Degeneration - drug therapy; Wet Macular Degeneration - physiopathology
• ISSN: 0721-832X; 1435-702X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00417-013-2412-6

Purpose To identify preference of treatment regimen in patients with anti-VEGF therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in real life. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 200 patients receiving ranibizumab therapy on a pro re nata regimen with monthly controls. One hundred and twenty-four patients were recruited in a tertiary health care clinic, and 76 patients were recruited in a private practice. Patients were asked to respond to a 14-item questionnaire covering items such as treatment burden and preference for treatment: either monthly injections or pro re nata. Results Mean time under anti-VEGF treatment was 33.7 months, and the mean number of intravitreal injections was 17.7. Despite a high treatment burden in 60.3 % of patients, there was an acceptance rate for monthly examinations or injections of 93 %. The proportion of patients who favoured a PRN regimen was 53.0 %, whereas 37.9 % of patients favoured continuous injections. Major concern was recurrent disease activity in 54.5 %. Conclusion We identified two groups of patients of considerable size who would prefer either monthly injections or as-required. Overall, there was a high acceptance rate despite a high treatment burden. Nevertheless, efforts should be undertaken to improve examination and injection procedures and to consider the patient’s preference for a treatment regimen.