Press release

Thursday, April 21, 2022

An NIH-funded study finds that many patients with retinal vein occlusion have visual benefits, but require long-term monitoring and treatment.

New research shows that treatment for retinal vein occlusion results in lasting vision gains, with visual acuity remaining significantly above baseline at five years. However, many patients require ongoing treatment. Retinal vein occlusion is one of the most common blinding conditions in the United States; Left untreated, central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), the most serious type of retinal vein occlusion, often results in significant and permanent vision loss. A report on the five-year results of the Comparative Treatments for Retinal Vein Occlusion 2 (SCORE2) study was published April 21 in American Journal of Ophthalmology. SCORE2 was funded in part by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Retinal vein occlusion is caused by blockage of the veins carrying blood away from the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. This blockage can lead to macular edema where fluid becomes trapped in and under the retina, leading to rapid and severe loss of visual acuity. Without treatment, this condition usually results in permanent loss of vision. The most effective treatment, injections of anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) drugs, helps control leaky blood vessels and retinal swelling.

“While anti-VEGF treatment is associated with significant improvement in retinal swelling and visual acuity in patients with central or hemi-retinal vein occlusion, our results show that most patients followed still need of treatment to control macular edema for at least five years,” said Ingrid U. Scott, MD, MPH, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, study chair. ongoing monitoring of these patients.

In 2017, researchers from the SCORE2 clinical trial reported that two types of anti-VEGF treatment were equally effective in improving visual acuity in people with macular edema due to CRVO or eye occlusion. the hemi-retinal vein (HRVO). CRVO affects the entire retina, while HRVO usually affects about half of the retina. Half of the study participants had received Avastin (bevacizumab) while the other half received Eylea (aflibercept). Both drugs were given by injection once a month for six months. After six months, the vision of participants in both groups had, on average, improved over three lines on an eye chart.

As detailed in this new report, study researchers followed SCORE2 participants for five years, collecting information about their visual acuity, treatments and resolution of macular edema. After the initial 12-month study period, participants were treated at the discretion of their physician. Most physicians reduced the frequency of anti-VEGF injections and some switched their patients to the other anti-VEGF drug. At five years, many participants had lost some visual acuity compared to their acuity at 12 months; however, they retained an average of three lines of improvement, compared to their acuity at the start of the study.

“We were surprised to find that despite many participants still needing treatment after five years, their visual acuity remained very good,” said Michael Ip, MD, study co-chair of the Doheny Eye Institute. , University of California, Los Angeles. “Compared to this treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration, where initial improvements in vision fade over time, these results are quite favorable.”

“This five-year study tells us a lot about what is happening with patients with retinal vein occlusion in the real world,” Scott said. “Prior to this study, retinal vein occlusion was widely considered an acute disease. This study demonstrates that RVO is a chronic disease. It also underscores the importance of disease surveillance and individualized treatment to achieve the best possible view.

“The SCORE2 study provides invaluable data to guide clinicians and their patients toward informed decisions regarding the treatment of retinal vein occlusion,” said NEI Director Michael F. Chiang, MD.

The SCORE2 study was funded by NEI and Research to Prevent Blindness. Study drugs were provided by Regeneron, Inc and Allergan, Inc. Clinical Trial Number: NCT01969708.

NEI leads federal government research on the visual system and eye disease. NEI supports basic and clinical science programs to develop sight-saving treatments and address the special needs of people with vision loss. For more information, visit https://www.nei.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):The NIH, the country’s medical research agency, comprises 27 institutes and centers and is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The NIH is the primary federal agency that conducts and supports basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and studies the causes, treatments, and cures for common and rare diseases. For more information about the NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Transforming Discovery into Health^®

###