Switching from Intravitreal Ranibizumab to Bevacizumab for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Purpose . To report our experiences in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated initially with intravitreal ranibizumab and then switched to bevacizumab. Methods . We retrospectively reviewed the records of 7 patients (7 eyes) who were treated with monthly injections of intravitreal ranibizumab and then switched to injections of bevacizumab (every 6 weeks) for six months. The best-corrected visual acuity measurements (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed at the baseline examination and then at each visit. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for the statistical analysis. Results . Following three monthly ranibizumab treatments, there was no significant difference in the BCVA, while the foveal retinal thickness (FRT) significantly decreased ( P < 0.01). Switching from ranibizumab to bevacizumab resulted in maintenance (57.2%) of the BCVA and a further decrease in the FRT ( P < 0.01) after 6 months. Conclusions . Switching to intravitreal bevacizumab may be effective in patients who wish to discontinue intravitreal ranibizumab treatment due to the high cost.