PLoS ONE (Jan 2021)

Effectiveness of anti-vascular endothelial growth factors in neovascular age-related macular degeneration and variables associated with visual acuity outcomes: Results from the EAGLE study.

  • Giovanni Staurenghi,
  • Francesco Bandello,
  • Francesco Viola,
  • Monica Varano,
  • Giulia Barbati,
  • Elena Peruzzi,
  • Stefania Bassanini,
  • Chiara Biancotto,
  • Vito Fenicia,
  • Claudio Furino,
  • Maria Vadalà,
  • Michele Reibaldi,
  • Stela Vujosevic,
  • Federico Ricci,
  • EAGLE study investigators

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256461
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 9
p. e0256461

Abstract

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ObjectiveTo assess the overall effectiveness of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in treatment-naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in a clinical practice setting.Study designEAGLE was a retrospective, 2-year, cohort observational, multicenter study conducted in Italy that analyzed secondary data of treatment-naïve patients with nAMD. The primary endpoint evaluated the mean annualized number of anti-VEGF injections at Years 1 and 2. The main secondary endpoints analyzed the mean change in visual acuity (VA) from baseline and variables associated with visual outcomes at Years 1 and 2.ResultsOf the 752 patients enrolled, 745 (99.07%) received the first dose of anti-VEGF in 2016. Overall, 429 (57.05%) and 335 (44.5%) patients completed the 1- and 2-year follow-ups, respectively. At baseline, mean (standard deviation, SD) age was 75.6 (8.8) years and the mean (SD) VA was 53.43 (22.8) letters. The mean (SD) number of injections performed over the 2 years was 8.2 (4.1) resulting in a mean (SD) change in VA of 2.45 (19.36) (P = 0.0005) letters at Year 1 and -1.34 (20.85) (P = 0.3984) letters at Year 2. Linear regression models showed that age, baseline VA, number of injections, and early fluid resolution were the variables independently associated with visual outcomes at Years 1 and 2.ConclusionsThe EAGLE study analyzed the routine clinical practice management of patients with nAMD in Italy. The study suggested that visual outcomes in clinical practice may be improved with earlier diagnosis, higher number of injections, and accurate fluid resolution targeting during treatment induction.