OBJECTIVES: Age-related macular degeneration(AMD) is the leading cause of older adult blindness, but other common causes also needed to be discussed. Treatment the diease used intravitreous injection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors were expensive. The purpose of this study was to analyze the cost of anti-VEGF drugs used in Taiwan.

METHODS: We retrospectively review outpatients with drugs of the 5th ATC code (S01LA) during Jan 2011 to Dec 2016 in Chimei medical center in Taiwan. Descriptive analysis the date of patient age, sex, and diagnosis. And total outpatients drug expense date collected over the 2011-2016 period.

RESULTS: A total of 4,406 records were treated with anti-VEGF in our hospital in 2011 to 2016. These patients had a mean age of 67.8 years and 60% were man. Most of them was treated with ranibizumab(78.1%), followed by aflibercept(14.5%), and verteporfin(7.4%). The annual costs of anti-VEGF were increased from NT$ 5 millions in 2011 to NT$ 33 millions in 2016. The anti-VEGF drug costs accounted for 0.57%-2.48% of total drug costs for all outpatients in each year. Futher analysis, most of them were 50-59 year(drug ratio range from 0.07% in 2011 to 0.41% in 2016), followed by patients were 60-69 years(drug ratio range from 0.17% in 2011 to 0.91% in 2016); most of these patients with diagnosis were diabetic macular edema(DME)(patient number range from 13 in 2011 to 514 in 2016), followed by patients were wetAMD(patient number range from 91 in 2011 to 428 in 2016).

CONCLUSIONS: From these rusults, we can understand during past six years, anti-VEGF drugs useage increased continuously, especially in patient who had DM with older age, so these will be the main target to control DM may decrease progression to advanced retinopathy and reduce the expenditure on drugs.