Ranibizumab reimbursement and treatment patterns for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Taiwan- Results from the 12-month, observational RENOWNED study

Background: The RENOWNED study investigated the treatment patterns, real-world effective-ness and safety of ranibizumab in Taiwanese patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treated with ranibizumab 0.5 mg in accordance with the first reimburse-ment scheme effective from 2012 to 2014.Methods: This study was a Phase IV, 12-month, open-label, prospective, observational study conducted in Taiwan. Patients with visual impairment due to nAMD initiating treatment with ranibizumab 0.5 mg were included. The primary endpoint was mean change in best -corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from Baseline at Month 3.Results: Overall, 202 patients with nAMD were included. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) BCVA Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters improved from Baseline (49.6 [21.5] let-ters) at Month 3 (+4.9 [11.8], P < 0.0001), and at Month 12 (+3.5 [14.1], P = 0.0043). The proportion of patients with nAMD who lost >5 letters at Months 3 and 12 was 13.6% (n = 27) and 26.6% (n = 37), respectively. Mean (SD) central retinal thickness decreased from Baseline (320.1 [127.2] mm) with a mean reduction of 49.1 (107.3) mm at Month 3 (P < 0.0001), but was not significant at Month 12 with a mean reduction of 11.6 (115.6) mm (P = 0.2861). Mean (SD) number of ranibizumab injections over 12 months was 3.1 (1.0). A mean treatment interval of 109.5 days was observed between the third and fourth injections. After limited reimbursed ranibizumab injections, 43.8% patients received other treatments. The safety find-ings are consistent with previous studies.Conclusion: Ranibizumab 0.5 mg treatment for 12 months under real-world settings improved visual outcomes in Taiwanese patients with nAMD.Copyright 2022, Formosan Medical Association. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

The RENOWNED study in Taiwan demonstrated the effectiveness of ranibizumab in improving visual outcomes in patients with nAMD. The study showed an improvement in BCVA and a reduction in central retinal thickness.