Ranibizumab for myopic choroidal neovascularization

• Published in: Expert opinion on biological therapy Vol. 20; no. 12; p. 1385
• Main Authors: Ng, Danny S C, Fung, Nicholas S K, Yip, Fanny L T, Lai, Timothy Y Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.12.2020
• Subjects: Angiogenesis Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals - therapeutic use; Choroidal Neovascularization - drug therapy; Humans; Intravitreal Injections; Myopia, Degenerative - drug therapy; Ranibizumab - administration & dosage; Ranibizumab - therapeutic use; Treatment Outcome; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - antagonists & inhibitors; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - metabolism; Visual Acuity - drug effects; anti-VEGF; myopia; choroidal neovascularization; Ranibizumab
• ISSN: 1744-7682
• DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2021.1830969

Myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is one of the most vision-threatening complications in patients with pathologic myopia. Over the last decade, anti-angiogenesis therapy with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents has become the standard-of-care treatment for myopic CNV and ranibizumab has been approved for treating myopic CNV. Review of preclinical studies and clinical trials data supporting the use of ranibizumab for myopic CNV. Discussion on the mechanisms, efficacy, safety, regulatory affairs, and future directions of ranibizumab for myopic CNV are highlighted. Ranibizumab has demonstrated good efficacy and safety profile in multiple clinical trials and long-term studies for treating myopic CNV. Cost-effective analysis has shown that ranibizumab therapy is a cost-effective treatment for myopic CNV. Among the currently available anti-VEGF agents, ranibizumab is the only drug that is approved for the treatment of myopic CNV by the US Food and Drug Administration. In the coming few years, biosimilars of ranibizumab may become available and will have the potential to lower the cost of ranibizumab. Long-term visual gain after ranibizumab treatment for myopic CNV is limited by chorioretinal atrophy associated with pathologic myopia and further research is required to tackle the development of chorioretinal atrophy.