Key Takeaways
- Aflibercept 8 mg with extended dosing intervals was associated with a 35% reduction in carbon emissions compared with aflibercept 2 mg over two years.
- Pharmaceutical procurement and patient transportation were the largest contributors to treatment-related emissions.
Extending dosing intervals with aflibercept 8 mg could decrease the environmental impact of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treatment by more than one-third, according to a study.
Researchers analyzed real-world data from 101 patients receiving intravitreal aflibercept 2-mg injections at a tertiary ophthalmic center and modeled the environmental impact of switching to a simulated aflibercept 8-mg regimen with longer intervals between injections. Carbon emissions were calculated in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) and accounted for drug manufacturing, clinical supplies, patient transportation, energy consumption, and waste disposal.
Over a 2-year treatment cycle, patients treated with aflibercept 2 mg generated an average of 1150 kg CO2e compared with 746 kg CO2e in the modeled 8-mg group. This represented an absolute reduction of 404 kg CO2e and a relative reduction of 35%. Pharmaceutical procurement was the largest contributor to emissions, followed by patient transportation. The reduced injection frequency associated with the 8-mg regimen lowered emissions from both sources.
Reference
Veritti D, Misciagna M, Teatino C, et al. Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Therapy: Environmental Impact of Transitioning to Aflibercept 8 mg. J Ophthalmol. 2026;2026:9131955. doi: 10.1155/joph/9131955. PMID: 41743586; PMCID: PMC12929641.
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