A real-world study has found that faricimab (Vabysmo) improves or helps maintain vision in people with neovascular age-related macular degeneration, also known as wet AMD. The study, which involved over 24,000 people, found that those who had never had treatment for their AMD saw significant improvements in their visual acuity (a measure of the sharpness and clarity of vision) after receiving faricimab.

Researchers measured visual acuity by counting how many letters participants could read on a standard eye chart. Among individuals who had never received prior treatment, vision improved from 57.3 letters to 62 letters after receiving seven injections of faricimab. For those who had tried other treatments previously, vision remained stable while on faricimab.

Researchers also saw a reduction in central subfield thickness — a key measurement of swelling in the retina that is linked to disease activity and vision loss in AMD.

Faricimab was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2022 for the treatment of wet AMD, as well as diabetic macular edema. It works by targeting both VEGF-A and Ang-2, two proteins involved in the growth and leakage of abnormal blood vessels in the retina​.

The Value of Real-World Evidence

These findings support faricimab’s effectiveness in maintaining or improving vision in real-world settings. Unlike clinical trials, real-world data offers insight into how treatments perform in everyday medical practice, which can be reassuring for those considering their options.

As with any treatment, faricimab can have side effects. Some common ones include cataracts (clouding of the eye’s lens) and conjunctival hemorrhage (small blood spots on the white part of the eye). In rare cases, injections into the eye can lead to serious complications, such as endophthalmitis (a severe eye infection) or retinal detachment (when the retina pulls away, which can cause vision loss if not treated quickly).

If you have wet AMD and are exploring treatment options, talk to your doctor or ophthalmologist. They can assess your specific diagnosis and work with you to develop a treatment plan that suits your needs and goals.

Learn more about available treatments for AMD.

Find Your Team

On myAMDteam, the social network for people living with AMD and their loved ones, members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with this condition.

Have you tried any treatments for AMD? How have they worked? Share your thoughts in a comment below, or start a conversation on your Activities page.