Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40500585›Full record

Observational studyJapanese journal of ophthalmology2025

Efficacy of switching from existing anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs to ranibizumab biosimilar in neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Hikaru Ota, Jun Takeuchi, Ryo Nonogaki, Kazuma Tamura, Hiroki Kaneko, Koji M Nishiguchi

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Japanese journal of ophthalmology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

6 authors.

Hikaru OtaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan. hikaruu.otaa@gmail.com.
Jun TakeuchiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
Ryo NonogakiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
Kazuma TamuraDepartment of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
Hiroki KanekoDepartment of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
Koji M NishiguchiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.

Funding

Senju 7122Jr-09c
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study evaluated the clinical outcomes and aqueous humor cytokine levels in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) switched from intravitreal aflibercept to ranibizumab biosimilar (BS). STUDY

designProspective observational study.

methodsThirty-eight eyes of 38 patients with nAMD who received aflibercept under a treat-and-extend (TAE) regimen were prospectively switched to ranibizumab BS. Eight eyes with cataracts undergoing surgery served as controls for aqueous humor cytokine analysis. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and anatomical outcomes were assessed over one year. The aqueous humor levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), and placental growth factor (PlGF) were measured before and after switching in eyes with nAMD and at surgery in controls.

resultsDisease activity remained controlled in 94.3% of patients with nAMD for over one year. No significant changes were observed in the BCVA (P=0.65) after one year. Ang-2 levels remained unchanged (P=0.66) and were not significantly different between eyes with nAMD and controls both before (P=0.64) and after switching (P=0.30). PlGF levels also remained stable (P=0.12) but were significantly higher in eyes with nAMD than in controls both before (P<0.01) and after switching (P=0.03). VEGF-A levels significantly increased after switching (P<0.01) but remained lower than in the controls both before (P<0.01) and after switching (P=0.02).

conclusionSwitching from aflibercept to ranibizumab BS effectively maintained disease stability and cytokine balance in eyes with nAMD. These findings support ranibizumab BS as a viable and cost-effective alternative for long-term treatment.

Indexed as

Biosimilar PharmaceuticalsDrug SubstitutionRanibizumabReceptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth FactorRecombinant Fusion ProteinsVisual AcuityWet Macular DegenerationAgedAged, 80 and overAngiogenesis InhibitorsAqueous HumorFemaleFluorescein AngiographyFollow-Up StudiesFundus OculiHumansafliberceptAngiogenesis InhibitorsBiosimilar PharmaceuticalsRanibizumabReceptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth FactorRecombinant Fusion ProteinsVascular Endothelial Growth Factor AAnti-vascular endothelial growth factor agentNeovascular age-related macular degenerationRanibizumab biosimilarReal-world outcomes

Identifiers

PMID40500585
PMCPMC12594644

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Registered trials

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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.