title: Estimated cases of legal blindness and visual impairment avoided using ranibizumab for choroidal neovascularization: non-Hispanic white population in the United States with age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the number of non-Hispanic white individuals in the United States avoiding legal blindness and visual impairment from neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with ranibizumab availability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Modeling of visual acuity outcomes from phase 3 ranibizumab trials to incidence rates of neovascular AMD from population-based studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  If no treatment were given, of the 103 582 individuals developing neovascular AMD for which ranibizumab would be indicated and available, 16 268 would become legally blind in 2 years. Monthly ranibizumab would reduce the incidence of legal blindness in 2 years by 72% (95% confidence interval [CI], 70% to 74%) to 4484 individuals. If no treatment were given, 34 702 would become visually impaired. Monthly ranibizumab would reduce the incidence of visual impairment in 2 years by 37% (95% CI, 35% to 39%) to 21 919 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ranibizumab should have a substantial effect on reducing the magnitude of legal blindness and visual impairment within 2 years after diagnosis of neovascular AMD among non-Hispanic white individuals in the United States. Although racial subgroups other than non-Hispanic whites were not considered (because there is limited information in the literature regarding incidence rates of choroidal neovascularization in other populations) and although these results assume access to and application of monthly ranibizumab for 2 years, the number of individuals developing legal blindness or vision impairment from neovascular AMD should be reduced dramatically if monthly ranibizumab is applied when indicated.
authors.affiliation: Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Neil M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Bressler
authors.forename: Quan V
authors.initials: QV
authors.lastname: Doan
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.forename: Paul P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ivan J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Suñer
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dolan
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Danese
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Irwin
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Shoshana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Colman
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D001766:Blindness / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000069579:Ranibizumab