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  • Faricimab appears comparable to ranibizumab through 52 weeks

    Retina/Vitreous

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    Review of: Efficacy of Every Four Monthly and Quarterly Dosing of Faricimab vs Ranibizumab in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

    Khanani A, Patel S, Ferrone P, et al. JAMA Ophthalmology, September 2020

    This phase 2 trial assessed extended dosing of faricimab compared with monthly ranibizumab for neovascular AMD.

    Study design

    Researchers conducted a randomized, multicenter, active comparator-controlled, parallel-group study over a 52-week period. Seventy-six patients were randomized 2:2:1 to receive either a 6-mg dose of faricimab every 16 or 12 weeks or a 0.5-mg dose of ranibizumab every 4 weeks; the faricimab arms initially received 4 monthly doses. A disease activity assessment was performed at week 24. The primary endpoint was mean change in BCVA at week 40.

    Outcomes

    At week 24, 65% (36/55) of patients in the faricimab arms showed no disease activity. By week 40, the patients in the 2 faricimab groups achieved comparable visual acuity gains to the ranibizumab arm. Spectral-domain OCT and fluorescein angiography at weeks 40 and 52 revealed comparable reductions in central subfield thickness and lesion size in all 3 groups. There were no new or unexpected safety events during the trial.

    Limitations

    This was a phase 2 study with a limited sample size (76 randomized patients) and a relatively short duration (52 weeks).

    Clinical significance

    Faricimab has the potential to address an unmet need and reduce treatment burden among patients who show a decline in number of AMD treatment injections over time in the real world. Phase 3 trials are ongoing to further evaluate the efficacy, durability and safety of faricimab.