Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35678996›Full record

SynthesisAdvances in therapy2022

Comparative Efficacy of Brolucizumab in the Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Literature Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Robert P Finger, Natalie Dennis, Rita Freitas, Arthur Quenéchdu, Andreas Clemens, Helene Karcher, Eric H Souied

Open access · hybridAbstract readComparative StudySystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Advances in therapy, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
5.3field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Robert P FingerDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. robert.finger@ukbonn.de.
Natalie DennisHealth Economics and Market Access, Amaris, Paris, France.
Rita FreitasNovartis Farma-Produtos Farmacêuticos S.A., Porto Salvo, Portugal.
Arthur QuenéchduAmaris, Health Economics and Market Access, Montréal, Canada.
Andreas ClemensNovartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.
Helene KarcherNovartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.
Eric H SouiedDepartment of Ophthalmology, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Créteil, University Paris Est Créteil, Créteil, France.
Novartis (Switzerland) · CHHôpital Intercommunal de Créteil · FRUniversity of Bonn · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionA systematic literature review (SLR) and network meta-analysis (NMA) were conducted to evaluate the comparative efficacy of brolucizumab relative to other anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatments for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) at 1 and 2 years, and overall safety and injection frequency of each treatment.

methodsAn SLR identifying randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before June 2021 according to a pre-specified protocol was followed by a Bayesian NMA to compare brolucizumab (6 mg q12w/q8w) against sham and all relevant anti-VEGF regimens. Pooled mean injection frequency, serious adverse ocular events, and discontinuation rates were estimated for each treatment regimen.

resultsNineteen RCTs were included in NMA base-case analysis. Brolucizumab (6 mg q12w/q8w) with loading-phase (LP) demonstrated superior best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) gains to sham both at year 1 (mean difference 16.8 [95%CrI 13.3, 20.4]) and year 2 (mean difference 21.2 [95%CrI 17.4, 25.0]) and was comparable to other anti-VEGFs. Brolucizumab (6 mg q12w/q8w) also showed superior retinal thickness reduction to most comparators including ranibizumab (0.5 mg q4w; year 1 mean difference - 50.1 [95%CrI - 70.3, - 29.8]; year 2 mean difference - 49.5 [95%CrI - 70.8, - 28.6]), aflibercept (2 mg q8w; year 1 mean difference - 39.7 [95%CrI - 52.9, - 26.4]; year 2 mean difference - 35.0 [95%CrI - 49.1, - 21.4]), and faricimab (6 mg q16w/q8w; year 1 mean difference - 27.6 [95%CrI - 42.3, - 12.8]). Brolucizumab (6 mg q12w/q8w) showed similar rates of treatment discontinuation and serious and overall adverse events (both years). At year 2, pooled annualized injection frequency was lowest for brolucizumab (6 mg q12w/q8w) and highest for ranibizumab (0.5 mg q4w) at 5.7 and 11.5 injections annually, respectively.

conclusionAmong all licensed anti-VEGF treatments, brolucizumab showed superior reduction in retinal thickness and comparable BCVA gains and discontinuation rates, despite having the lowest injection frequency. The current study provides the most up-to-date, robust comparison of treatments for nAMD.

Indexed as

Macular DegenerationRanibizumabAngiogenesis InhibitorsAntibodies, MonoclonalAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedChild, PreschoolHumansInfantIntravitreal InjectionsReceptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth FactorRecombinant Fusion ProteinsVascular Endothelial Growth Factor AVisual AcuityAngiogenesis InhibitorsAntibodies, MonoclonalAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedbrolucizumabRanibizumabReceptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth FactorRecombinant Fusion ProteinsVascular Endothelial Growth Factor AAnti-VEGFBrolucizumabnAMDNeovascular age-related macular degenerationNetwork meta-analysisNMA

Identifiers

PMID35678996
PMCPMC9309118
OpenAlexW4281618856

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.