Effect of Brolucizumab and Aflibercept on the Maximum Thickness of Pigment Epithelial Detachments and Sub-Retinal Pigment Epithelium Fluid in HAWK and HARRIER.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy of brolucizumab and aflibercept treatment in reducing the maximum thickness of pigment epithelial detachments (PEDs) and sub-retinal pigment epithelium (sub-RPE) fluid in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration in the HAWK and HARRIER studies.

DESIGN

HAWK and HARRIER were 96-week, prospective, randomized, double-masked, controlled, multicenter studies.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1775 patients across 11 countries were included in the HAWK study, and 1048 patients across 29 countries were included in the HARRIER study.

INTERVENTION: After 3 monthly loading doses, brolucizumab-treated eyes received injections every 12 weeks or every 8 weeks if disease activity (DA) was detected. Aflibercept-treated eyes received fixed 8-week dosing.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maximum thickness of PEDs and sub-RPE fluid across the macula were assessed at baseline through week 96 in the brolucizumab- and aflibercept-treated patients and in the patient subgroups with DA at week 16 (matched in terms of injection number and treatment interval).

RESULTS

At week 96, there were greater mean percentage reductions from baseline in maximum thickness of both PEDs and sub-RPE fluid in brolucizumab-treated patients vs. aflibercept-treated patients (PED: 19.7% [n = 336] vs. 11.9% [n = 335] in HAWK; 29.5% [n = 364] vs. 18.3% [n = 361] in HARRIER. Sub-RPE fluid: 75.4% vs. 57.3% in HAWK; 86.0% vs. 76.3% in HARRIER). A similar trend in mean percentage reductions was observed in patients with DA at week 16.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis shows that brolucizumab achieved greater reductions in PEDs and sub-RPE fluid thickness than aflibercept in HAWK and HARRIER.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT02307682 (HAWK) and NCT02434328 (HARRIER).

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.