Sustainable Practices in Anti-VEGF Therapy: A 15-Year Bibliometric Analysis of Ranibizumab for Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Abstract

Objective: A bibliometric analysis was performed in the domain of ranibizumab and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to delineate current trends in international research dynamics and to provide a visual representation of research hotspots and challenges associated with ophthalmic drugs over the past 15 years. This study also evaluates the sustainability of ranibizumab therapy through reduced injection burden, cost-effectiveness compared to alternative treatments, and long-term outcomes that minimize healthcare resource utilization. Method: In this cross-sectional study, bibliometrics analyzed data retrieved and extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database to analyze the evolution and thematic trends in the delivery of studies from January 1, 2008, to September 2, 2023, for ranibizumab and AMD studies. A total of 2691 articles on the field were assessed for specific characteristics such as the year of publication, journal, author, institution, country/region, citation, and keywords. Co-authorship analysis, co-occurrence analysis, co-citation analysis, and network visualization were constructed using VOSviewer. Some important subtopics identified by bibliometric characterization were further discussed and reviewed. Results: From 2008 to 2023, the cumulative number of articles published globally increased from 1 to 2,691, with the highest number of articles published in 2020 (255 papers). RETINA THE JOURNAL OF RETINAL AND VITREOUS DISEASES published the most manuscripts (285 papers) and was cited (6496 citations), followed by OPHTHALMOLOGY (193 papers) and GRAEFES ARCHIVE FOR CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY (163 papers). OPHTHALMOLOGY was the most cited (20,865 citations), with the United States (786 papers, 38,014 citations), Univ Sydney (98 papers, 5245 citations), and Kim, Jong Woo (56 papers, 550 citations) being the most productive and influential institutions, countries, and authors, respectively. Five clusters were formed by summarizing the top 100 keywords, which marked the emerging frontier of ranibizumab and AMD-related research. Further discussion of the five clusters of research is to assist the researcher in determining the scope of the research topic and planning the direction of the research. Conclusion: Over the past two decades, there has been a notable increase in the number of publications and citations pertaining to ranibizumab and AMD across various countries, institutions, and authors. This study elucidates current trends, global collaboration patterns, foundational knowledge, research hotspots, and developmental trajectories within the realm of ranibizumab-related AMD research. Key advancements in AMD treatment with ranibizumab over the last 15 years have centered on less frequent injection schedules, extended drug efficacy, and enhanced safety profiles.