Similar Risk of Kidney Failure among Patients with Blinding Diseases Who Receive Ranibizumab, Aflibercept, and Bevacizumab: An Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics Network Study

Ophthalmol Retina. 2024 Aug;8(8):733-743. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2024.03.014. Epub 2024 Mar 20.

Abstract

Purpose: To characterize the incidence of kidney failure associated with intravitreal anti-VEGF exposure; and compare the risk of kidney failure in patients treated with ranibizumab, aflibercept, or bevacizumab.

Design: Retrospective cohort study across 12 databases in the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) network.

Subjects: Subjects aged ≥ 18 years with ≥ 3 monthly intravitreal anti-VEGF medications for a blinding disease (diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, exudative age-related macular degeneration, or retinal vein occlusion).

Methods: The standardized incidence proportions and rates of kidney failure while on treatment with anti-VEGF were calculated. For each comparison (e.g., aflibercept versus ranibizumab), patients from each group were matched 1:1 using propensity scores. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the risk of kidney failure while on treatment. A random effects meta-analysis was performed to combine each database's hazard ratio (HR) estimate into a single network-wide estimate.

Main outcome measures: Incidence of kidney failure while on anti-VEGF treatment, and time from cohort entry to kidney failure.

Results: Of the 6.1 million patients with blinding diseases, 37 189 who received ranibizumab, 39 447 aflibercept, and 163 611 bevacizumab were included; the total treatment exposure time was 161 724 person-years. The average standardized incidence proportion of kidney failure was 678 per 100 000 persons (range, 0-2389), and incidence rate 742 per 100 000 person-years (range, 0-2661). The meta-analysis HR of kidney failure comparing aflibercept with ranibizumab was 1.01 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-1.47; P = 0.45), ranibizumab with bevacizumab 0.95 (95% CI, 0.68-1.32; P = 0.62), and aflibercept with bevacizumab 0.95 (95% CI, 0.65-1.39; P = 0.60).

Conclusions: There was no substantially different relative risk of kidney failure between those who received ranibizumab, bevacizumab, or aflibercept. Practicing ophthalmologists and nephrologists should be aware of the risk of kidney failure among patients receiving intravitreal anti-VEGF medications and that there is little empirical evidence to preferentially choose among the specific intravitreal anti-VEGF agents.

Financial disclosures: Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Keywords: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor; Big data; Informatics; Kidney failure; OHDSI; OMOP.

Publication types

  • Observational Study
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors* / administration & dosage
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors* / adverse effects
  • Bevacizumab* / administration & dosage
  • Bevacizumab* / adverse effects
  • Blindness / chemically induced
  • Blindness / diagnosis
  • Blindness / epidemiology
  • Blindness / etiology
  • Blindness / prevention & control
  • Diabetic Retinopathy / complications
  • Diabetic Retinopathy / diagnosis
  • Diabetic Retinopathy / drug therapy
  • Diabetic Retinopathy / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Intravitreal Injections*
  • Macular Edema / diagnosis
  • Macular Edema / drug therapy
  • Macular Edema / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Ranibizumab* / administration & dosage
  • Ranibizumab* / adverse effects
  • Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor* / administration & dosage
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins* / administration & dosage
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins* / adverse effects
  • Renal Insufficiency* / chemically induced
  • Renal Insufficiency* / complications
  • Renal Insufficiency* / epidemiology
  • Retinal Vein Occlusion / complications
  • Retinal Vein Occlusion / diagnosis
  • Retinal Vein Occlusion / drug therapy
  • Retinal Vein Occlusion / epidemiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A* / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • aflibercept
  • Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Ranibizumab
  • Bevacizumab
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A