Roche has announced five-year data from the Phase III Portal study, a long-term extension of the Archway trial, showcasing the durability, safety, and efficacy of Susvimo (ranibizumab injection) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). These results were presented at the ASRS 2025 Annual Meeting in Long Beach, California.
The findings show that approximately 95% of patients receiving biannual refills of Susvimo did not require supplemental treatment, maintaining stable vision and retinal drying over five years. This positions Susvimo as a promising long-term alternative to monthly anti-VEGF injections.
“Susvimo’s long-term results reaffirm its ability to preserve vision while reducing treatment burden for patients with nAMD,” said Dr. Levi Garraway, Roche’s Chief Medical Officer. Study investigator Dr. John Kitchens emphasized that continuous delivery with Susvimo may achieve better real-world outcomes than frequent intravitreal (IVT) injections.
The Portal study followed 352 patients from the Archway trial. Of these, 220 continued on Susvimo (Susvimo cohort), while 132 transitioned from monthly IVT ranibizumab to Susvimo (IVT-Susvimo cohort). At five years, the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) remained stable:
Susvimo cohort: from 74.4 to 67.6 letters
IVT-Susvimo cohort: from 76.3 to 68.6 letters
Over 50% of patients maintained better than 20/40 vision. Central subfield thickness also remained largely unchanged.
Susvimo uses a refillable eye implant to continuously deliver a customised formulation of ranibizumab. It is inserted surgically during a one-time outpatient procedure, offering a less frequent and sustained alternative to monthly eye injections. Approved by the FDA for nAMD, diabetic macular edema (DME), and diabetic retinopathy (DR), Susvimo is designed to inhibit VEGF-A, a key protein driving abnormal blood vessel growth and leakage in retinal diseases.
nAMD, the leading cause of vision loss in individuals over 60, affects about 20 million people globally. As the population ages, the burden is expected to rise.
Roche, founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, is a global leader in biotechnology and diagnostics. The company is committed to advancing science to improve lives worldwide.