A 12-month, prospective, observational study of ranibizumab in treatment-naïve Taiwanese patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration: the RACER study

BACKGROUND: The current National Health Insurance scheme in Taiwan reimburses 3 initial plus 4 additional injections of ranibizumab 0.5 mg for eligible patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). The Ranibizumab AMD Clinical Efficacy in Real-world practice (RACER) study aimed to observe the effectiveness of ranibizumab injections under this reimbursement system. METHODS: RACER was a 12-month, prospective, observational study conducted in treatment-naïve, adult Taiwanese patients with nAMD. Patients received intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5 mg injections in adherence with local prescribing information. RESULTS: Of 161 patients enrolled, 114 (70.8%) completed the 12-month study. Overall, patients received a mean (standard deviation [SD]) of 4.3 (1.7) ranibizumab injections. The mean (SD, [95% confidence interval], P value) gain in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline at Month 3 was 5.2 (12.2, [3.1, 7.3] letters, P < 0.0001) and at Month 12 was 3.4 (15.4, [0.2–6.6] letters, P = 0.0352). Mean central retinal thickness also decreased from baseline at Months 3 and 12 (both P < 0.001). In subgroup analyses, better treatment outcomes at Months 3 and 12 were observed among patients who received a loading dose and those who had a shorter duration of nAMD at baseline. Adverse events were reported in 58.4% of patients; most (94.4%) were mild-to-moderate in severity and 98.8% were deemed unrelated to study treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with ranibizumab 0.5 mg resulted in significant improvements in visual outcomes among treatment-naïve Taiwanese patients with nAMD. Early treatment and frequent dosing in the real-world setting may be the key to achieving better outcomes. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12886-020-01715-3.