New data comparing Lucentis efficacy and durability versus aflibercept

Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX) today reported new data from a Phase IV head-to-head study (RIVAL) confirming Lucentis (ranibizumab) efficacy and durability in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

In the study (n=278), which compared ranibizumab versus aflibercept (Bayer’s Eylea) in nAMD, individuals receiving ranibizumab 0.5mg, using a treat-and-extend treatment regimen, experienced clinically relevant improvements in vision, measured as Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), at 12 months. The efficacy of ranibizumab was demonstrated by a 7.1 letter gain, versus a 4.9 letter gain in the aflibercept 2.0mg arm (p=0.063), with patients in both arms receiving the same average number of injections. The data were presented at the 17th EURETINA Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Additionally, five-year results from the LUMINOUS study confirm the real-world efficacy and safety of ranibizumab in patients with nAMD, visual impairment due to diabetic macular edema, branch retinal vein occlusion, central retinal vein occlusion and myopic choroidal neovascularization. LUMINOUS is a real-world study assessing the long-term effects of ranibizumab in more than 30,000 patients being treated across five different eye diseases in 43 countries across 494 sites, making this the largest-ever study in retinal disease. This data deepens knowledge of how the product is being used by patients in the real world.