A randomized clinical trial of intravitreal bevacizumab versus intravitreal dexamethasone for diabetic macular edema: the BEVORDEX study.

OBJECTIVE: To report the 12-month results of the first head-to-head comparison of a dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex; Allergan, Inc., Irvine, CA) versus bevacizumab (Avastin; Genentech, South San Francisco, CA) for center-involving diabetic macular edema (DME). DESIGN: Phase 2, prospective, multicenter, randomized, single-masked clinical trial (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01298076). PARTICIPANTS: We enrolled 88 eyes of 61 patients with center-involving DME. METHODS: Forty-two eyes were randomized to receive bevacizumab every 4 weeks and 46 eyes were randomized to receive a dexamethasone implant every 16 weeks, both pro re nata. Results were analyzed using linear regression with generalized estimation equation methods to account for between-eye correlation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the proportion of eyes that improved vision by 10 logarithm of minimum angle of resolution letters. Secondary outcomes included mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), change in central macular thickness (CMT), injection frequency, and adverse events. Patient-reported outcomes were measured using the Impact of Vision Impairment (IVI) questionnaire. RESULTS: Improvement in BCVA of 10 or more letters was found in 17 of 42 eyes (40%) treated with bevacizumab compared with 19 of 46 dexamethasone implant-treated eyes (41%; P = 0.83). None of the 42 bevacizumab eyes lost 10 letters or more, whereas 5 of 46 (11%) dexamethasone implant eyes did, mostly because of cataract. Mean CMT decreased by 122 µm for bevacizumab eyes and by 187 µm for dexamethasone implant eyes (P = 0.015). Bevacizumab-treated eyes received a mean of 8.6 injections compared with 2.7 injections for dexamethasone implant eyes. Significant improvement in IVI scores occurred for both treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Dexamethasone implant achieved similar rates of visual acuity improvement compared with bevacizumab for DME, with superior anatomic outcomes and fewer injections. Both treatments were associated with improvement in visual quality-of-life scores. However, more dexamethasone implant-treated eyes lost vision, mainly because of cataract.

Vision-Related Quality of Life Outcomes in the BEVORDEX Study: A Clinical Trial Comparing Ozurdex Sustained Release Dexamethasone Intravitreal Implant and Bevacizumab Treatment for Diabetic Macular Edema.

PURPOSE: To determine the patient-centered effectiveness of treatment with the slow-release dexamethasone intravitreal implant (DEX implant) and intravitreal bevacizumab using the Impact of Vision Impairment Questionnaire (IVI), a vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) measure, in patients with visual impairment secondary to center-involving diabetic macular edema (DME). METHODS: Patients with DME were enrolled in a phase 2, prospective, multicenter, randomized, single-masked clinical trial and received either DEX implant 4 monthly or bevacizumab monthly, both pro re nata. Vision-related quality of life was measured at baseline and 24 months, using the IVI's three component scales, namely reading, mobility, and emotional well-being. Rasch analysis was used to generate interval-level estimates of VRQoL, which were then analyzed using t-tests to assess changes over time. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients completed the main study; 43 (90%) answered the IVI at the baseline and 24-month (final efficacy) visits. Vision-related quality of life improved significantly, with average increases of 1.44, 0.99, and 1.49 logits, for the reading, mobility, and emotional well-being scales respectively, from baseline to 24 months, (P < 0.001). There was no significant between-group difference in improvement in VRQoL in the DEX implant only compared with the bevacizumab-only group, in any of the three scales listed above (with 1.41, 1.08, and 2.11 logits improvement, in reading, mobility, and emotional well-being, respectively, for DEX implant group, compared with 1.48, 1.06, and 2.11 for bevacizumab; P values > 0.1.). CONCLUSIONS: We found that both DEX implant and bevacizumab treatment result in significant and similar improvements in VRQoL in patients with DME over a 24-month period. (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01298076).