Efficacy of Faricimab in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Single-Arm Systematic Review and...

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is a leading cause of vision loss and requires long-term anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of faricimab in patients with nAMD.

This systematic review and meta-analysis were performed according to the PRISMA guidelines to identify studies assessing faricimab in nAMD. Primary outcomes included visual acuity, central macular thickness (CMT), and dry macula rate. Secondary outcomes included macular status, central choroidal thickness (CCT), and complications. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled mean with 95% confidence intervals.

Out of the 365 studies identified, 21 studies were included, comprising a total sample size of 1,864 eyes of 1,791 patients. Post-operatively, there was a statistically significant improvement in corrected distance visual acuity (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.122, 95% p = 0.039) and CMT (SMD: -3.672, p = 0.010). Similarly, there was a significant improvement in the rate of dry macula at the final follow-up visit (event rate: 0.529; p < 0.05). For the secondary outcomes, there was a statistically significant improvement in CCT (SMD: -0.199, p = 0.026) and in the rate of macular exudates (0.452, p < 0.05), specifically intraretinal fluid (0.140, p < 0.05) and subretinal fluid (0.271, p < 0.05). Complications secondary to faricimab injections included hemorrhagic pigment epithelial detachment with a rate of 0.120 (p < 0.05) and retinal pigment epithelium tear with a rate of 0.025 (p < 0.05).

The use of faricimab injection in patients with nAMD is safe and effective, resulting in significant improvements in a myriad of visual measures and OCT parameters.