Researchers recently found that the trajectory of functional decline in eyes treated for wet AMD was greater than what has been reported in previous studies with incomplete trial cohorts.

This multicenter cohort study evaluated 532 participants enrolled in the inhibition of VEGF in age-related choroidal neovascularization (IVAN) trial who were followed for up to seven years.

After monitoring patients for approximately three years, the team reported a median distance visual acuity (DVA) of 58.0 letters. They noted that DVA decreased by 4.3 letters per year, adding that this rate was not influenced by injection rate after adjusting for key covariates.

Upon exiting the IVAN trial, the investigators discovered that 32% of participants received no treatment. Of the remaining 358 patients, they noted that 93% were first treated with ranibizumab, 23% of whom eventually switched to aflibercept. They said that DVA was similar among participants, regardless of whether they switched treatment.

Evans RN, Reeves BC, Phillips D, et al. Long-term outcomes of usual care in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration in the IVAN trial. Ophthalmology. March 27, 2020. [Epub ahead of print].