The phase 3 PULSAR trial (NCT04423718) has reported 96-week results comparing aflibercept 8 mg at extended dosing intervals with standard aflibercept 2 mg every 8 weeks in treatment-naive patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).
Among 1,009 participants, both aflibercept 8 mg regimens—every 12 weeks (8q12) and every 16 weeks (8q16)—achieved visual and anatomic outcomes non-inferior to the 2 mg every-8-weeks (2q8) standard. At Week 96, mean best-corrected visual acuity gains were +5.6, +5.5, and +6.6 letters for the 8q12, 8q16, and 2q8 groups, respectively. Reductions in central retinal thickness were also comparable across dosing schedules.
The authors noted that extended dosing reduced treatment burden, with patients on the 8q12 and 8q16 regimens receiving a mean of 9.7 and 8.2 injections, compared with 12.8 in the 2q8 group. Most patients on 8 mg were able to maintain extended intervals, with nearly 80% of those in the 8q16 arm sustaining dosing intervals of ≥16 weeks.
Safety outcomes were consistent across all groups, with similar rates of ocular treatment-emergent adverse events.
Reference
Korobelnik JF, Lanzetta P, Leal S, et al PULSAR investigators. Intravitreal Aflibercept 8 mg in Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration: 96-Week Results from the Randomized Phase 3 PULSAR Trial. Ophthalmology. 2025;S0161-6420(25)00532-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2025.08.022. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40876598.
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