Ranibizumab for exudative age-related macular degeneration in eyes previously treated with alternative vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors

■ BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate ranibizumab for exudative age-related macular degeneration previously treated with pegaptanib, bevacizumab, or both. ■ PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, interventional case series of patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration who were treated with ranibizumab after being initially treated with pegaptanib, bevacizumab, or both. The primary outcome was change in visual acuity following the switch to ranibizumab. ■ RESULTS: One hundred two eyes of 92 patients were identified. Following the switch to ranibizumab, there was an average gain of 0.7 lines in visual acuity. Ninety-four eyes (92%) lost 3 or fewer lines, 29 eyes (28%) gained more than 3 lines, and 3 eyes (3%) lost more than 6 lines after switching to ranibizumab. Lesion type and time between previous vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor and ranibizumab did not affect the response. ■ CONCLUSION: Ranibizumab maintained visual acuity in the majority of patients and appears to be an effective treatment regardless of previous anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy.