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The following is a summary of “Patient Preferences with Anti–Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Treatment for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Macular Edema: A Multinational Discrete Choice Experiment Study,” published in the November 2024 issue of Ophthalmology by García-Layana et al. 

Emerging anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatments are being developed for diabetic macular edema (DME) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine the treatment attributes considered necessary by patients when selecting treatment options.  

They assessed treatment preferences using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) among individuals with DME and nAMD in the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The DCE design was based on a targeted literature review and qualitative interview research, incorporating 5 treatment attributes: mode of administration, examination frequency, injection or refill frequency, expected change in visual acuity, and eye-related side effects. Conditional logit models employed to examine the data.  

The results showed that 537 individuals completed the DCE, 173 with DME and 364 with nAMD. Patients preferred “injection” over “implant surgery and refills” and prioritized better visual outcomes over “stabilization,” with these attributes accounting for 35.1% and 31.5% of preference, respectively. They also favored less frequent treatments and examinations, as well as “mild-moderate, frequent” side effects over “severe, rare” ones. These preferences were broadly consistent across both conditions, although notable differences were observed based on anti-VEGF treatment duration (nAMD, DME) and the number of reported barriers (nAMD).  

Investigators concluded the patient preferences for treatment were driven by several factors, which could be considered when introducing new therapies and selecting from an expanding array of treatment options. 

Source: karger.com/ore/article/doi/10.1159/000541349/916425/Patient-Preferences-with-Anti-Vascular-Endothelial