98 Updated Results of Phase 1b Study of KSI-301, an Anti-VEGF Antibody Biopolymer Conjugate with Extended Durability, in wAMD, DME, and RVO Arshad M Khanani, MD, MA Reno, NV Daniel Janer, MD, Bryce Miller, MPA, Diana V Do, MD, Joel Noar, MD, Jason Ehrlich, MD, PhD, Victor Perlroth, MD, J. Pablo Velazquez-Martin, MD Purpose: An ongoing Phase 1b clinical trial (NCT03790852), has demonstrated promising initial safety, efficacy and durability of intravitreal KSI-301, a novel anti-VEGF antibody biopolymer conjugate designed for improved intraocular durability, in patients with wAMD, DME and RVO. Data with extended patient follow-up of 32 weeks and beyond, as well as follow-up after multiple re-treatments over time will be reported at the meeting. Methods: This is a multicenter, randomized, open-label, Phase 1b study in treatment-naïve subjects with wAMD, DME or RVO followed over 72 weeks. Patients receive 3 initial monthly doses of either 2.5 mg or 5 mg of KSI-301 with additional treatment given according to disease-specific, protocol-specified retreatment criteria. Preliminary results for patients that have reached Week 24 (n=80) as of January 21, 2020 are presented in this abstract. Updated results will be provided at the meeting. Results: The phase 1b study is ongoing, with 121 patients recruited across all three cohorts. Ocular safety of KSI-301 is encouraging with no reports of intraocular inflammation and no drug-related adverse events after 420 doses. Mean change in BCVA at Week 24 was +5.9 letters in wAMD (n=31, baseline 64.2), +6.8 letters in DME (n=19, baseline 70.4) and +22.2 letters in RVO (n=30, baseline 52.1). Mean change in CST was -58 microns (μm) in wAMD (baseline 415), -133 μm in DME (baseline 434) and -350 μm in RVO (baseline 712). 84%, 76% and 53% of wAMD, DME and RVO patients, respectively, have been extended to 4 months or longer after the last loading dose without receiving retreatment. Additionally, 55% of wAMD patients have achieved a 6-month interval before a mandated first treatment, and 64% of DME patients have reached 6 months or longer without retreatment. New data with longer follow-up will be presented for the first time at the meeting.

PURPOSE:Estimate effects of ranibizumab on diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity in US Hispanic and non-Hispanic white persons with center-involved diabetic macular edema (DME) causing vision impairment for whom ranibizumab treatment would be considered.PATIENTS AND METHODS:This model simulated DR severity outcomes over 2 years in the better-seeing eye using US census, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy, and Los Angeles Latino Eye Study data. Baseline DR severity estimated from Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network trial data. Changes in DR severity after 2 years, with/without monthly ranibizumab (0.3 or 0.5 mg), were estimated from Phase III clinical trial data (RIDE/RISE) using a 2-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation model. Number of patients over a 2-year period for whom 1) DR severity worsening was avoided, 2) DR severity improved, and 3) selected clinical events related to proliferative DR (PDR) occurred, was estimated.RESULTS:An estimated 37,274 US Hispanic and non-Hispanic white persons were projected to have DR with center-involved DME and be eligible for ranibizumab treatment. The number of persons with moderately severe non-proliferative DR (NPDR) or less severe DR at baseline who would worsen to PDR and experience a PDR complication over 2 years would be reduced from 437 with no ranibizumab to 19 with ranibizumab (95% reduction; 95% simulation interval [SI], 79-100%). The number of persons with severe NPDR or less severe DR at baseline who would be expected to improve by ≥2 DR severity levels over 2 years would increase from 1706 with no ranibizumab to 13,042 with ranibizumab (682% increase; 95% SI, 478-967%).CONCLUSION:This model estimates that ranibizumab treatment in US Hispanic and non-Hispanic white patients with center-involved DME causing vision impairment would potentially reduce the number of patients with worsening DR and potentially increase the number with DR improvements.

Importance:Faricimab neutralizes angiopoietin-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor A via both simultaneous and independent binding. Objective:To evaluate extended dosing with faricimab, the first bispecific antibody designed for intraocular use, in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Design, Setting, and Participants:This phase 2 randomized clinical trial was a 52-week multicenter, active comparator-controlled, parallel-group study. Study participants were enrolled in 25 sites in the US from January and March 2017 with treatment-naive choroidal neovascularization secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letter score of 73 (approximate Snellen equivalent, 20/40) to 24 (approximate Snellen equivalent, 20/320). Analysis began January 2017 and ended March 2018. Interventions:Participants were randomized 1:2:2 to receive intravitreal ranibizumab, 0.5 mg, every 4 weeks or faricimab, 6.0 mg, every 12 or 16 weeks. Participants in the faricimab arms initially received 4 monthly injections of faricimab. No rescue injections were allowed. Participants randomized to dosing every 16 weeks were assessed for disease activity at week 24 using prespecified criteria. Those with no active disease continued dosing every 16 weeks through trial end; participants with disease activity continued received dosing every 12 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures:Mean change in BCVA from baseline at week 40. Results:Of 76 participants enrolled (mean [SD] age, 78.5 [8.5] years; age range, 56-94 years; 41 women [58%]; 69 white [97%]), 16 (21.0%) were randomized to ranibizumab every 4 weeks, 29 (38.2%) to faricimab every 12 weeks, and 31 (40.8%) to faricimab every 16 weeks. At week 24, 12 weeks after their last initiation injection, 65% (36 of 55) of all faricimab-treated participants had no disease activity. At week 40, adjusted mean BCVA gains from baseline (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters) were +11.4 (80% CI, 7.8-15.0), +9.3 (80% CI, 6.4-12.3), and +12.5 (80% CI, 9.9-15.1) for the ranibizumab every 4 weeks, faricimab every 12 weeks, and faricimab every 16 weeks arms, respectively. Participants received a mean (SD) total of 12.9 (0.25), 6.7 (0.91), and 6.2 (0.93) injections, for the ranibizumab every 4 weeks, faricimab every 12 weeks, and faricimab every 16 weeks arms, respectively, through week 52. The secondary BCVA and anatomical imaging end points supported the primary end point and were comparable with ranibizumab every 4 weeks. No new or unexpected safety signals were identified. Conclusions and Relevance:At week 52, faricimab dosing every 16 weeks and every 12 weeks resulted in maintenance of initial vision and anatomic improvements comparable with monthly ranibizumab. These results suggest a role for simultaneous neutralization of angiopoietin-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor A in providing sustained efficacy through extended durability, warranting further investigation. Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03038880.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Port Delivery System with ranibizumab (PDS) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treatment. Design: Phase 2, multicenter, randomized, active treatmentecontrolled clinical trial. Participants: Patients diagnosed with nAMD within 9 months who had received 2 or more prior antievascular endothelial growth factor intravitreal injections and were responsive to treatment. Methods: Patients were randomized 3:3:3:2 to receive the PDS filled with ranibizumab 10 mg/ml, 40 mg/ml, 100 mg/ml, or monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5-mg injections. Main Outcome Measures: Time to first implant refill assessed when the last enrolled patient completed the month 9 visit (primary efficacy end point), improvement in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT), and safety. Results: The primary analysis population was 220 patients, with 58, 62, 59, and 41 patients in the PDS 10-mg/ml, PDS 40-mg/ml, PDS 100-mg/ml, and monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5-mg arms, respectively. Median time to first implant refill was 8.7, 13.0, and 15.0 months in the PDS 10-mg/ml, PDS 40-mg/ml, and PDS 100-mg/ml arms, respectively. At month 9, the adjusted mean BCVA change from baseline was -3.2 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters,. 0.5 ETDRS letters, thorn5.0 ETDRS letters, and +3.9 ETDRS letters in the PDS 10-mg/ml, PDS 40-mg/ml, PDS 100-mg/ml, and monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5-mg arms, respectively. At month 9, the adjusted mean CFT change from baseline was similar in the PDS 100-mg/ml and monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5-mg arms. The optimized PDS implant insertion and refill procedures were generally well tolerated. After surgical procedure optimization, postoperative vitreous hemorrhage rate was 4.5% (7/157; 1 event classified as serious). There was no evidence of implant clogging. Conclusions: In the phase 2 Ladder trial, the PDS was generally well tolerated and demonstrated a dose response across multiple end points in patients with nAMD. The PDS 100-mg/ml arm showed visual and anatomic outcomes comparable with monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5-mg injections but with a reduced total number of ranibizumab treatments. The PDS has the potential to reduce treatment burden in nAMD while maintaining vision. (C) 2019 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

IMPORTANCE: Geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of visual disability in older individuals. A phase 2 trial suggested that lampalizumab, a selective complement factor D inhibitor, reduced the rate of GA enlargement, warranting phase 3 trials. OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and efficacy of lampalizumab vs sham procedure on enlargement of GA. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Two identically designed phase 3 double-masked, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trials, Chroma and Spectri, enrolled participants from August 28, 2014, to October 6, 2016, at 275 sites in 23 countries. Participants were aged 50 years or older, with bilateral GA and no prior or active choroidal neovascularization in either eye and GA lesions in the study eye measuring 2.54 to 17.78 mm(2) with diffuse or banded fundus autofluorescence patterns. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomized 2:1:2:1 to receive 10 mg of intravitreous lampalizumab every 4 weeks, sham procedure every 4 weeks, 10 mg of lampalizumab every 6 weeks, or sham procedure every 6 weeks, through 96 weeks. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Safety and efficacy assessed as mean change from baseline in GA lesion area at week 48 from centrally read fundus autofluorescence images of the lampalizumab arms vs pooled sham arms, in the intent-to-treat population and by complement factor I-profile genetic biomarker. RESULTS: A total of 906 participants (553 women and 353 men; mean [SD] age, 78.1 [8.1] years) were enrolled in Chroma and 975 participants (578 women and 397 men; mean [SD] age, 77.9 [8.1] years) were enrolled in Spectri; 1733 of the 1881 participants (92.1%) completed the studies through 48 weeks. The adjusted mean increases in GA lesion area from baseline at week 48 were 1.93 to 2.09 mm(2) across all groups in both studies. Differences in adjusted mean change in GA lesion area (lampalizumab minus sham) were -0.02 mm(2) (95% CI, -0.21 to 0.16 mm(2); P = .80) for lampalizumab every 4 weeks in Chroma, 0.16 mm(2) (95% CI, 0.00-0.31 mm(2); P = .048) for lampalizumab every 4 weeks in Spectri, 0.05 mm2 (95% CI, -0.13 to 0.24 mm(2); P = .59) for lampalizumab every 6 weeks in Chroma, and 0.09 mm(2) (95% CI, -0.07 to 0.24 mm(2); P = .27) for lampalizumab every 6 weeks in Spectri. No benefit of lampalizumab was observed across prespecified subgroups, including by complement factor I-profile biomarker. Endophthalmitis occurred after 5 of 12 447 injections (0.04%) or in 5 of 1252 treated participants (0.4%) through week 48. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In Chroma and Spectri, the largest studies of GA conducted to date, lampalizumab did not reduce GA enlargement vs sham during 48 weeks of treatment. Results highlight the substantial and consistent enlargement of GA, at a mean of approximately 2 mm(2) per year.

PurposeTo better characterize visual function decline and geographic atrophy (GA) progression secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).DesignProxima A (NCT02479386)/Proxima B (NCT02399072) were global, prospective, noninterventional, observational clinical trials.ParticipantsEligible patients were aged ≥50 years. Patients in Proxima A had bilateral GA without choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in either eye (N = 295). Patients in Proxima B had GA without CNV in the study eye and CNV±GA in the fellow eye (fellow eye CNV cohort, n = 168) or GA without CNV in the study eye, no CNV/GA in the fellow eye (fellow eye intermediate AMD cohort, n = 32).MethodsChanges in visual function and imaging/anatomic parameters were evaluated over time using a mixed model for repeated measurement accounting for key baseline characteristics.Main Outcome MeasuresPrespecified end points included change in GA area from baseline, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) score assessed by Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS), and visual acuity under low-luminance (LLVA).ResultsAt 24 months, adjusted mean (standard error) change in GA lesion area from baseline was 3.87 (0.15) mm2 in participants with bilateral GA (Proxima A), 3.55 (0.16) mm2 in the fellow eye CNV cohort (Proxima B), and 2.96 (0.25) mm2 in the fellow eye intermediate AMD cohort (Proxima B). Progression of GA was greater in patients with baseline nonsubfoveal (vs. subfoveal) GA lesions and tended to increase as baseline low-luminance deficit increased (all patients). Conversion to GA or CNV in the fellow eye occurred in 30% and 6.7% of participants, respectively, in the Proxima B intermediate AMD cohort at month 12. Adjusted mean (standard error) changes in BCVA and LLVA (ETDRS letters) in the study eye from baseline to 24 months were −13.88 (1.40) and −7.64 (1.20) in Proxima A, −9.49 (1.29) and −7.57 (1.26) in Proxima B fellow eye CNV cohort, and −11.48 (3.39) and −8.37 (3.02) in Proxima B fellow eye intermediate AMD cohort, respectively.ConclusionsThe prospective Proxima A and B studies highlight the severe functional impact of GA and the rapid rate of GA lesion progression over a 2-year period, including in patients with unilateral GA at baseline. To better characterize visual function decline and geographic atrophy (GA) progression secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Proxima A (NCT02479386)/Proxima B (NCT02399072) were global, prospective, noninterventional, observational clinical trials. Eligible patients were aged ≥50 years. Patients in Proxima A had bilateral GA without choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in either eye (N = 295). Patients in Proxima B had GA without CNV in the study eye and CNV±GA in the fellow eye (fellow eye CNV cohort, n = 168) or GA without CNV in the study eye, no CNV/GA in the fellow eye (fellow eye intermediate AMD cohort, n = 32). Changes in visual function and imaging/anatomic parameters were evaluated over time using a mixed model for repeated measurement accounting for key baseline characteristics. Prespecified end points included change in GA area from baseline, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) score assessed by Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS), and visual acuity under low-luminance (LLVA). At 24 months, adjusted mean (standard error) change in GA lesion area from baseline was 3.87 (0.15) mm2 in participants with bilateral GA (Proxima A), 3.55 (0.16) mm2 in the fellow eye CNV cohort (Proxima B), and 2.96 (0.25) mm2 in the fellow eye intermediate AMD cohort (Proxima B). Progression of GA was greater in patients with baseline nonsubfoveal (vs. subfoveal) GA lesions and tended to increase as baseline low-luminance deficit increased (all patients). Conversion to GA or CNV in the fellow eye occurred in 30% and 6.7% of participants, respectively, in the Proxima B intermediate AMD cohort at month 12. Adjusted mean (standard error) changes in BCVA and LLVA (ETDRS letters) in the study eye from baseline to 24 months were −13.88 (1.40) and −7.64 (1.20) in Proxima A, −9.49 (1.29) and −7.57 (1.26) in Proxima B fellow eye CNV cohort, and −11.48 (3.39) and −8.37 (3.02) in Proxima B fellow eye intermediate AMD cohort, respectively. The prospective Proxima A and B studies highlight the severe functional impact of GA and the rapid rate of GA lesion progression over a 2-year period, including in patients with unilateral GA at baseline.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical importance of changes in diabetic retinopathy severity score (DRSS) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) treated with intravitreal ranibizumab.Design: Post hoc analysis of the phase III RIDE and RISE studies of ranibizumab for treatment of DME.Participants: Four hundred sixty-eight eyes treated with ranibizumab from randomization with gradable DRSS on baseline fundus photographs.Methods: Visual and anatomic outcomes were examined in eyes grouped according to DRSS change from baseline to month 24.Main Outcome Measures: Mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) letter score change, proportion of patients with 15 or more Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letter score change, mean contrast sensitivity change, proportion of patients with resolved macular edema, and leakage on fluorescein angiography.Results: Most (56.8%) patients treated with ranibizumab experienced 1-step or more improvement in DRSS from baseline to month 24; 40.0% had no change, and 3.2% experienced DRSS worsening. Patients with DRSS stability or improvement had greater mean BCVA letter score changes (+15.1, +14.2, +11.3, and +11.2 letters for >= 3-step improvement, >= 2-step improvement, 1-step improvement, and no DRSS change, respectively) compared with +5.0 letters in patients who had any DRSS worsening. Best-corrected visual acuity letter score gain of 15 letters or more was more common in patients with 2-step or 3-step or more DRSS improvement (51.9% and 44.6%, respectively) compared with those with a 1-step DRSS improvement, no change, or worsening (37.9%, 39.6%, and 26.7%, respectively). A loss of 15 letters or more in BCVA was more common in patients with any DRSS worsening (13.3%) compared with patients who had stable or improved DRSS (0%-2.8%). Resolution of macular edema was more common in patients with DRSS improvement: 84.2%, 87.7%, and 92.3% of patients with 1-step, 2-step or more, and 3-step or more improvement in DRSS achieved central foveal thickness of 250 mm or less, compared with 65.2% and 53.3% of patients who had no DRSS change or any DRSS worsening.Conclusions: These findings provide further support that improvement in DRSS is a clinically important outcome that should be evaluated as a measure of treatment effectiveness in future studies of diabetic eye disease. (C) 2017 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

PURPOSE:To determine whether the efficacy and safety achieved with monthly ranibizumab as treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME) can be maintained with less-than-monthly treatment.DESIGN:Open-label extension (OLE) phase of randomized, sham-controlled phase III trials: RIDE (NCT00473382) and RISE (NCT00473330).PARTICIPANTS:Five hundred of 582 adults who completed the 36-month randomized core studies elected to enter the OLE.METHODS:All patients participating in the OLE were eligible to receive 0.5 mg ranibizumab according to predefined re-treatment criteria: Treatment was administered when DME was identified by the investigator on optical coherence tomography or when best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) worsened by ≥5 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters versus month 36. Patients were observed at 30-, 60-, or 90-day intervals depending on the need for treatment.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The incidence and severity of ocular and nonocular events, proportion of patients with ≥15-letter best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) gain from baseline, mean BCVA change from month 36 (final core study visit), mean central foveal thickness (CFT), and mean CFT change from month 36.RESULTS:A mean of 4.5 injections were administered over a mean follow-up of 14.1 months. Approximately 25% of patients did not require further treatment based on protocol-defined re-treatment criteria. Mean BCVA was sustained or improved in these patients through the end of follow-up. Approximately 75% of patients received ≥1 criteria-based re-treatment; mean time to first re-treatment was approximately 3 months after the last masked-phase visit. Mean BCVA remained stable in re-treated patients; CFT was generally stable with a trend toward slight thickening in all patients when mandatory monthly therapy was relaxed.CONCLUSIONS:Vision gains achieved after 1 or 3 years of monthly ranibizumab therapy were maintained with a marked reduction in treatment frequency; some patients required no additional treatment. These observations are consistent with other studies evaluating induction followed by maintenance ranibizumab therapy for DME. Patients whose treatment was deferred by 2 years (randomized initially to sham) did not ultimately achieve the same BCVA gains as patients who received ranibizumab from baseline. Ranibizumab's safety profile in the OLE appeared similar to that observed in the controlled core studies and other studies.

IMPORTANCE:The potential effect of treatments for diabetic macular edema (DME) on driving should be of value to patients and clinicians, such as ophthalmologists and other physicians, who treat patients with diabetes mellitus.OBJECTIVE:To determine the effect of ranibizumab on driving and patient-reported vision function relevant to driving among patients with DME.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS:This exploratory post hoc analysis was conducted between October 1, 2011, and July 25, 2015, based on deidentified data from phase 3, multicenter, randomized clinical trials (RIDE, RISE, and RESTORE trials). Individuals assigned randomly to monthly sham, 0.3-mg ranibizumab, or 0.5-mg ranibizumab in RIDE and RISE or to macular laser, macular laser plus 0.5-mg ranibizumab (3-monthly doses, then as needed), or 0.5-mg (3-monthly doses, then as needed) in RESTORE.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES:Driving items from the National Eye Institute (NEI) Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (VFQ-25) at baseline through 24 months in RIDE/RISE (pooled) and through 12 months in RESTORE.RESULTS:A total of 71.2% of 753 patients in RIDE/RISE and 50.4% of 345 patients in RESTORE reported driving at baseline; at least 55% reported still driving at follow-up. Among those not driving at baseline in RIDE/RISE, at 12 months, 7.0% (95% CI, -5.0 to 19.0) more in the 0.3-mg group and 14.4% (95% CI, 1.1 to 27.7) more in the 0.5-mg group vs the sham group reported driving. Among those not driving at baseline in RESTORE, at 12 months, 4.2% (95% CI, -7.7 to 16.1) more in the laser plus 0.5-mg group and 0.9% (95% CI, -10.3 to 12.1) more in the 0.5-mg group vs the laser group reported driving. Although balanced at baseline across treatment groups for RESTORE and RIDE/RISE, the proportion of patients with best-corrected visual acuity typically required for an unrestricted license (20/40 or better in at least 1 eye) appeared greater at month 12 in the ranibizumab groups (77 of 80 [96.3%] for 0.5 mg + laser and 91 of 93 [97.8%] for 0.5 mg) vs laser (71 of 79 [89.9%]) in RESTORE, and at months 12 (112 of 123 [91.1%] and 136 of 137 [99.3%] in 0.3- and 0.5-mg groups, respectively) and 24 (113 of 123 [91.9%] and 135 of 137 [98.5%] in the 0.3- and 0.5-mg groups, respectively) vs sham (121 of 147 [82.3%] and 122 of 147 [83.0%]) in RIDE/RISE.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE:These results suggest that 12 months after initiating ranibizumab for vision impairment from center-involved DME, patients not driving at initiation of treatment are more likely to report driving and have driving-eligible visual acuity of 20/40 or better in the better-seeing eye than those treated with sham or laser.TRIAL REGISTRATION:clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: RESTORE: NCT00687804; RIDE: NCT00473382; and RISE: NCT00473330.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of monthly intravitreal ranibizumab on hard exudate (HE) area and the impact of HE on visual acuity (VA) outcomes in diabetic macular edema (DME) patients using data from 2 phase III clinical trials.Design: Exploratory analyses of phase III, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled, multicenter clinical trials.Participants: Adults with DME, baseline best-corrected VA 20/40 to 20/320 Snellen equivalent, and central foveal thickness of >= 275 mm.Methods: Between the 2 studies, 759 patients with DME were randomized to receive monthly 0.3 or 0.5 mg intravitreal ranibizumab (Lucentis; Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA) or sham injections.Main Outcome Measures: Hard exudate area was assessed from color fundus stereophotographs both on an ordinal scale and using continuous estimates of areas within the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study grid.Results: Data from 739 eyes were available for analysis. Mean baseline HE area was similar across treatment groups, ranging from 0.65 to 0.82 mm(2). Through month 24, the percentage of eyes without HE increased from 20.9% to 36.3% in the sham group and from 22.1% to 61.3% and 23.6% to 62.0% in the ranibizumab 0.3-mg and 0.5-mg groups, respectively. Resolution of HE became apparent sometime after month 6 in ranibizumabtreated eyes. At baseline, there was no meaningful correlation between VA and presence or absence of HE. After baseline, there also was no consistent correlation between presence or absence of HE and change in VA over time.Conclusions: In this exploratory analysis, monthly intravitreal ranibizumab resulted in significantly greater reduction of HE area compared with sham (P < 0.0001). In contrast to the rapid effects of ranibizumab on macular edema, changes in HE area were more gradual. Contrary to prior expectations, the presence and area of HE did not increase as DME resolved (either in the ranibizumab or sham groups). Importantly, baseline VA was not correlated with presence of HE, nor was the therapeutic benefit of ranibizumab on VA affected negatively by the presence of HE. These data suggest that in the context of intravitreal antievascular endothelial growth factor therapy, the presence of HE is not a prognostic indicator of poor visual outcomes. (C) 2015 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

To assess the effects of intravitreal ranibizumab on diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity when administered for up to 3 years, evaluate the effect of delayed initiation of ranibizumab therapy on DR severity, and identify baseline patient characteristics associated with the development of proliferative DR (PDR).Exploratory analyses of phase III, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled multicenter clinical trials.Adults with diabetic macular edema (DME) (N = 759), baseline best-corrected visual acuity 20/40 to 20/320 Snellen equivalent, and central foveal thickness ≥275 μm.Patients were randomized to monthly 0.3 or 0.5 mg ranibizumab or sham injections. Sham participants could switch to 0.5 mg ranibizumab during the third year (sham/0.5 mg crossover). Baseline risk factors were evaluated to explore potential associations with development of PDR. Time to first development of PDR was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier methods to calculate cumulative probabilities by group.Study eye change on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study severity scale and a composite clinical outcome evaluating progression to PDR based on photographic changes plus clinically important events defining PDR.At month 36, a greater proportion of ranibizumab-treated eyes had ≥2- or ≥3-step DR improvement compared with sham/0.5 mg crossover. A ≥3-step improvement was achieved at 36 months by 3.3%, 15.0%, and 13.2% of sham/0.5 mg, 0.3 mg, and 0.5 mg ranibizumab-treated eyes, respectively (P < 0.0001). Through 36 months, 39.1% of eyes in the sham/0.5 mg group developed PDR, as measured by composite outcome, compared with 18.3% and 17.1% of eyes treated with 0.3 or 0.5 mg ranibizumab, respectively. The presence of macular capillary nonperfusion at baseline seems to be associated with progression to PDR in ranibizumab-treated eyes but did not meaningfully influence visual acuity improvement in eyes with DME after ranibizumab therapy.Ranibizumab, as administered to patients with DME for 12 to 36 months in these studies, can both improve DR severity and prevent worsening. Prolonged delays in initiation of ranibizumab therapy may limit this therapeutic effect. Although uncommon, the development of PDR still occurs in a small percentage of eyes undergoing anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy and may be related to the presence of macular nonperfusion.

Objective: To describe the systemic pharmacokinetics of ranibizumab after intravitreal administration in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) or diabetic macular edema (DME).Design: A population approach of nonlinear mixed-effect pharmacokinetics modeling based on serum concentrations of ranibizumab measured at various times after intravitreal administration.Participants: Patients with RVO (n = 441) and DME (n = 435) from 4 large, randomized, phase 3 clinical trials of monthly ranibizumab intravitreal administration.Methods: A 1-compartment pharmacokinetics model with first-order absorption and elimination rate constants previously developed in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was fitted separately to RVO and DME data. Population pharmacokinetic parameters and interindividual variability were estimated for each model. Baseline covariates were evaluated for potential effects on systemic pharmacokinetics. Model performance was validated using general diagnostic plots and a visual predictive check.Main Outcome Measures: Ranibizumab disposition was determined in RVO and DME patients and compared with that previously seen in AMD patients.Results: The AMD pharmacokinetics model correctly predicted the measured serum ranibizumab concentration data for RVO and DME patients. Most observed data points were within the simulated 90% confidence interval, indicating that systemic ranibizumab concentrations were comparable among AMD, RVO, and DME patients. No disease-related covariates were identified by the population pharmacokinetics analysis.Conclusions: The systemic pharmacokinetics of ranibizumab were similar among patients with AMD, RVO, or DME. Disease-related differences and patient demographics, measured in this study, did not lead to variability in ocular elimination or in systemic exposure of ranibizumab after intravitreal administration. In all disease processes tested, ranibizumab exits the eye slowly and then is eliminated rapidly from the circulation, thus minimizing systemic exposure. (C) 2014 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Objective: To determine the effect of suppression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by monthly injection of ranibizumab on posterior retinal nonperfusion (RNP) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).Design: Unplanned retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from 2 randomized, sham injection-controlled, double-masked, multicenter clinical trials.Participants: Six hundred sixty-six patients with DME.Methods: An independent reading center measured the area of RNP on fluorescein angiograms obtained in the phase 3 RISE and RIDE trials.Main Outcome Measures: The percentage of patients with no posterior RNP.Results: The percentage of patients with no posterior RNP decreased in the sham group between baseline and month 24, but remained relatively stable in the 2 ranibizumab groups. After month 24, the sham group crossed over to receive monthly injections of ranibizumab 0.5 mg, and the differences between the sham and ranibizumab groups were reduced. The percentage of patients who showed an increase in posterior RNP from baseline increased over time in all 3 groups, but at a faster rate in the sham group, resulting in statistically significant differences at every time point between months 3 (9.6% vs. 18.5%; P = 0.016) and 24 (16.1% vs. 37.6%; P<0.0001) for ranibizumab 0.5 mg versus sham and from months 6 (12.3% vs. 23.0%; P = 0.013) through 24 (15.0% vs. 37.6%; P<0.0001) for ranibizumab 0.3 mg. Initiation of ranibizumab in the sham group at month 24 was followed by reduction in the percentage of patients with an increase in posterior RNP from baseline at months 30 and 36, whereas the 2 ranibizumab groups continued their gradual rise.Conclusions: Just as high VEGF levels contribute to progression of retinal nonperfusion in retinal vein occlusion, the same is true in patients with DME, suggesting that regardless of the underlying disease process, high levels of VEGF can cause closure of retinal vessels. However, our data also suggest that VEGF-induced worsening of retinal perfusion in DME is superimposed on another cause of more gradually worsening perfusion, possibly glucotoxicity. Thus, monthly injections of ranibizumab can slow, but not completely prevent, retinal capillary closure in patients with DME. (C) 2014 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Diabetes mellitus is a serious health problem that affects over 350 million individuals worldwide. Diabetic retinopathy (DR), which is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes, is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in working-aged adults. Diabetic macular edema (DME) is an advanced, vision-limiting complication of DR that affects nearly 30% of patients who have had diabetes for at least 20 years and is responsible for much of the vision loss due to DR. The historic standard of care for DME has been macular laser photocoagulation, which has been shown to stabilize vision and reduce the rate of further vision loss by 50%; however, macular laser leads to significant vision recovery in only 15% of treated patients. Mechanisms contributing to the microvascular damage in DR and DME include the direct toxic effects of hyperglycemia, sustained alterations in cell signaling pathways, and chronic microvascular inflammation with leukocyte-mediated injury. Chronic retinal microvascular damage results in elevation of intraocular levels of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF), a potent, diffusible, endothelial-specific mitogen that mediates many important physiologic processes, including but not limited to the development and permeability of the vasculature. The identification of VEGF as an important pathophysiologic mediator of DME suggested that anti-VEGF therapy delivered to the eye might lead to improved visual outcomes in this disease. To date, four different inhibitors of VEGF, each administered by intraocular injection, have been tested in prospective, randomized phase II or phase III clinical trials in patients with DME. The results from these trials demonstrate that treatment with anti-VEGF agents results in substantially improved visual and anatomic outcomes compared with laser photocoagulation, and avoid the ocular side effects associated with laser treatment. Thus, anti-VEGF therapy has become the preferred treatment option for the management of DME in many patients.