Assessment of the Real-Life Usage of Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant in the Treatment of Chronic Diabetic Macular Edema in France

Purpose: Intravitreal steroids, including dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex (R)), are effective for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). However, the dosing regimen for Ozurdex in DME is unclear, and thus, this study was designed to evaluate the dosing regimen for dexamethasone in real-life clinical practice. Methods: Results are presented from 3 studies based on a questionnaire that was sent out by e-mail to physicians; the monitoring of drugs dispensing over time through pharmacies; and the French Social Security database for 2011 and 2012. Data are presented as the average number of dexamethasone treatments per year and the time interval between injections. Results: Study 1 involved 111 ophthalmologists and assessed DME prescriptions. The number of injections per year and the time interval between 2 successive injections were measured as 2.3 and 4.8 months, respectively. In study 2, the survey incorporated 570 prescriptions from retail pharmacies; the mean follow-up period was 13.7 months, and 2.3 injections were administered per year with a time interval between injections of 5.2 months. In study 3, relating to the reimbursements by social security, 114 patients were initially identified and, among these, 15 patients were treated with Ozurdex. Over the course of a 25-month follow-up period, an average of 2.5 Ozurdex implants were injected per year with 4.7 months between injections. Conclusions: The average number of dexamethasone implant injections was consistent between studies with an average of 2.4 injections per year and 4.9 months between treatments. This highlights the need for a study to evaluate the optimal treatment frequency in DME.