Racial and ethnic disparities in faricimab injections: a propensity matched cohort study
Abhimanyu S Ahuja1, Pranav Vasu2, Isabella V Wagner3
1Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, 515 SW Campus Dr, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
Summary
Faricimab-svoa is underused in African American and Hispanic patients for macular edema and neovascular AMD. This study highlights potential racial and ethnic disparities in treatment access and utilization.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Health Services Research
- Health Equity
Background:
- Macular edema (ME) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) are leading causes of vision loss.
- Faricimab-svoa is a novel treatment option for these conditions.
- Understanding treatment disparities is crucial for equitable patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate racial and ethnic disparities in the utilization of faricimab-svoa for ME and nAMD.
- To compare faricimab-svoa use between African American (AA) and Hispanic patients versus non-Hispanic, non-AA controls.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX database.
- Analysis of patients with nAMD, diabetic macular edema (DME), or retinal vein occlusion macular edema (RVO ME).
- Propensity score matching was used to control for demographic and clinical factors.
Main Results:
- Faricimab-svoa injection incidence was significantly lower in AA patients (OR 0.162) and Hispanic patients (OR 0.273) compared to controls.
- The study included 49,568 AA patients and 13,520 Hispanic patients.
- Lower utilization rates were observed across both racial and ethnic minority groups.
Conclusions:
- Faricimab-svoa is underutilized in the management of ME and nAMD among AA and Hispanic populations.
- Significant racial and ethnic disparities exist in the adoption of this treatment.
- Further research is needed to address barriers to faricimab-svoa access and utilization in minority groups.