Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40993448›Full record

ArticleOphthalmology and therapy2025

Aflibercept 8 mg versus Faricimab Treat-and-Extend for Diabetic Macular Edema or Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Bayesian Fixed-Effect Network Meta-analysis of Clinical Trials.

Scott M Friedman, Yingxin Xu, Steven Sherman, Andreas Kuznik, Ali Mojebi, Sam Keeping, Keith Chan, Theodore Leng, Nimesh Patel

Erratum issuedAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Ophthalmology and therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
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  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Scott M FriedmanFlorida Retina Consultants, Lakeland, FL, USA. smfriedman83@hotmail.com.
Yingxin XuRegeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Steven ShermanRegeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Andreas KuznikRegeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Ali MojebiPrecision AQ, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Sam KeepingPrecision AQ, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Keith ChanPrecision AQ, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Theodore LengByers Eye Institute at Stanford University, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
Nimesh PatelHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionReducing intravitreal injection frequency while maintaining efficacy is a critical goal in alleviating the burden associated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) or neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). In clinical trials, aflibercept 8 mg and faricimab 6 mg administered at extended dosing intervals have demonstrated similar efficacy compared with aflibercept 2 mg, but with fewer injections. This network meta-analysis (NMA) indirectly compared numbers of injections and efficacy between aflibercept 8 mg and faricimab 6 mg administered according to a treat-and-extend (T&E)-based regimen in patients with DME or nAMD.

methodsA systematic literature review was conducted on 10 January 2025, to identify randomized controlled trials of aflibercept 8 mg or faricimab T&E with observation periods of approximately 2 years. Outcomes included number of injections, absolute change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and absolute and percentage change from baseline in central subfield thickness (CST). NMAs were performed with Bayesian statistical models. Injection numbers were adjusted to 104 weeks to account for differences in trial observation periods.

resultsThe NMA included 2-year data from six trials: PHOTON, YOSEMITE, and RHINE (DME); and PULSAR, TENAYA, and LUCERNE (nAMD). Treatment with aflibercept 8 mg was associated with significantly fewer injections compared with faricimab T&E in patients with DME (mean difference -3.62 [95% credible interval -4.22, -3.02]) or nAMD (-1.47 [-1.90, -1.05]). Mean changes from baseline in BCVA (absolute) or CST (absolute and percentage) did not differ significantly between the two treatments.

conclusionThis NMA indicated that aflibercept 8 mg required significantly fewer injections while maintaining similar efficacy over 2 years of treatment compared with faricimab T&E in patients with DME or nAMD.

Indexed as

AfliberceptAnti-VEGF therapyDiabetic macular edemaEfficacyFaricimabIntravitreal injectionNeovascular age-related macular degenerationNetwork meta-analysisSystematic literature review

Identifiers

PMID40993448
PMCPMC12534626

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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.