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Early detection of neovascular age-related macular degeneration in the second eye reduces intravitreal treatment burden: FASBAT report 2

Eye volume 40, pages 493–497 (2026)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives

To investigate if early detection of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in the second eye is associated with a reduced number of intravitreal treatments compared with the first eye using data from the EDNA/FASBAT trial.

Subjects/methods

Post-hoc analysis of 117 participants receiving standard clinical care during the FASBAT study. Assessments were at enrolment and at an average of 18.9 (SD = 10.2) and 30.5 (SD = 9.7) months in the first eye. Assessment of the second eye was made at the onset of nAMD (as participants were monitored for conversion) and at 12- and 24-months. The annualised injection rate for first eyes and the actual rate for second eyes are reported alongside visual acuity (VA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) characteristics.

Results

In second eyes the annualised number of treatments was lower both in year 1 (second eyes mean = 6.4, SD = 3.4 vs mean = 7.2, SD = 1.9 in first eyes) and in year 2 (second eyes mean = 5.8, SD = 2.9; versus mean = 6.2, SD = 2.7 in first eyes). Second eyes had better VA at the point of conversion to nAMD (mean = 74.1, SD = 9.9) compared with the first eyes at baseline (mean = 55.6, SD = 15.3) which was maintained until 24 months (second eye: mean = 73.6, SD = 9.9; first eye: mean = 53.2, SD = 19.3). Highly reflective material was detected less frequently in second eyes compared to first eyes at clinical visits.

Conclusions

Compared to first eyes, early detection of nAMD in the second eye is beneficial in terms of better maintenance of visual acuity, reduced intravitreal treatment burden, and improved anatomical findings after 2 years of treatment.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2: Annualised treatment rate for the first eyes compared with the actual treatment rate for the second eyes.

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Data availability

The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge with thanks support from all members of the FASBAT study group across the UK, the EDNA study group, Augusto Azuara-Blanco, Networc UK, the Central Angiographic Resource Facility and the Research and Development team at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Funding

Funding was received from Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd to RPG via an Investigator Initiated Trial (OAP030A2401T). The funding organisation had no role in the design or conduct of this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Academic Unit of Ophthalmology, York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, York, UK

    Rachel L. W. Hanson, Archana Airody & Richard P. Gale

  2. Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK

    Rachel L. W. Hanson, Archana Airody & Richard P. Gale

  3. NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Sobha Sivaprasad

  4. Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Leeds, UK

    Martin McKibbin

  5. Department of Psychology, University of York, York, UK

    Antony B. Morland

  6. York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, UK

    Antony B. Morland

  7. York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, UK

    Antony B. Morland & Richard P. Gale

  8. Centre for Public Health, Queen’s University of Belfast, Belfast, UK

    Tunde Peto & Usha Chakravarthy

  9. York and Scarborough Teaching Hospital, York, UK

    Richard P. Gale

  10. Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK

    Sobha Sivaprasad

  11. Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, UK

    Martin McKibbin

  12. Colchester Hospital, Colchester, UK

    Nicola Hopkins

  13. Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull, UK

    Louise Downey

  14. Frimley Park Hospital, Frimley, UK

    Geeta Menon

  15. Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester, UK

    Emily Fletcher

  16. Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, UK

    Tunde Peto

  17. James Paget University Hospital, Great Yarmouth, UK

    Ben Burton

  18. Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire, UK

    Mandeep Bindra

  19. University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire, Coventry, UK

    Sergio Pagliarini

  20. Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford, UK

    Faruque Ghanchi

  21. Harrogate District Hospital, Harrogate, UK

    Sarah MacKenzie

  22. Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester, UK

    Amy Stone

  23. The Hillingdon Hospital, Uxbridge, UK

    Sheena George

  24. University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK

    Sanjiv Banerjee

  25. Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK

    Konidaris Vasileios & Theo Empeslidis

  26. Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, UK

    Steven Dodds

  27. Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK

    Savita Madhusudhan

  28. Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK

    Chris Brand

  29. Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK

    Andrew Lotery

  30. New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, UK

    Diane Whistance-Smith

Authors
  1. Rachel L. W. Hanson
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  2. Archana Airody
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  3. Sobha Sivaprasad
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  4. Martin McKibbin
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  5. Antony B. Morland
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  6. Tunde Peto
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  7. Usha Chakravarthy
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  8. Richard P. Gale
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Consortia

on behalf of the FASBAT study group

  • Richard P. Gale
  • , Sobha Sivaprasad
  • , Martin McKibbin
  • , Nicola Hopkins
  • , Louise Downey
  • , Geeta Menon
  • , Emily Fletcher
  • , Tunde Peto
  • ,  Ben Burton
  • , Mandeep Bindra
  • , Sergio Pagliarini
  • , Faruque Ghanchi
  • , Sarah MacKenzie
  • , Amy Stone
  • , Sheena George
  • , Sanjiv Banerjee
  • , Konidaris Vasileios
  • , Steven Dodds
  • , Savita Madhusudhan
  • , Chris Brand
  • , Andrew Lotery
  • , Diane Whistance-Smith
  •  & Theo Empeslidis

Contributions

Conception and Design: RPG, AA, MM, SS, UC. Data Collection: RPG, AA, SS, UC, MM, the EDNA Study group and the FASBAT Study group. Analysis and Interpretation: RPG, AA, RLH, ABM, SS, UC, MM, TP and the FASBAT Study group. Obtained Funding: RPG. Overall Responsibility: RPG for FASBAT and UC for EDNA.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard P. Gale.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

RPG: Received honorarium for advisory board meetings and speaker fees from Abbvie, Allergan, Alimera, Apellis, Bayer, Heidelberg Engineering, Lux Biosciences, Novartis, Notal Vision and Roche; Institutional grants from Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd and Bayer Pharmaceuticals. SS: Member of the Eye editorial board. Institutional research grants and received support for publication from Novartis, Bayer, Allergan/Abbvie and Boehringer Ingleheim; Attended advisory board meetings of Allergan, Apellis, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Heidelberg Engineering, Novartis, Oxurion, Oculis, Optos, Ophthea and Roche. UC: Personal fees from Novartis, Iveric, Roche, Boehringer Ingleheim, Apellis and Alimera; Other: Bayer, Gyroscope. TP: Member of the Eye editorial board.

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Hanson, R.L.W., Airody, A., Sivaprasad, S. et al. Early detection of neovascular age-related macular degeneration in the second eye reduces intravitreal treatment burden: FASBAT report 2. Eye 40, 493–497 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-025-04210-5

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