Switching to aflibercept 8 mg improved anatomical outcomes and reduced reliance on shorter treatment intervals, according to a study. However, researchers note that an observed decline in visual acuity warrants longer-term follow-up.
Researchers evaluated 654 eyes from 567 patients who had received at least 10 prior anti-VEGF injections and were in a treatment plateau phase before switching to aflibercept 8 mg. Eyes had received an average of 34.5 injections before the switch.
Consistent with these anatomical improvements, retinal fluid outcomes also improved after the switch:
- The proportion of eyes with a dry macula increased from 55% at the time of switch to 76% at 3 months, 73% at 6 months, and 69% at 12 months.
- Mean central retinal thickness decreased from 234.7 µm at baseline to 223.5 µm at 12 months.
The mean treatment interval increased from 6.0 weeks to 7.8 weeks, whereas the proportion of eyes treated every 3 to 5 weeks declined from 46% to 18%. At the same time, the percentage of eyes managed on 9- to 12-week intervals increased from 11% to 34%. Eyes with a dry macula at the time of switching were extended by an average of 2.6 weeks.
Best-corrected visual acuity declined modestly during follow-up, decreasing from 68.5 to 67.3 ETDRS letters in the overall cohort and from 68.5 to 66.6 ETDRS letters in eyes that had a dry macula at switch.
Reference
Lee C, Karunainathan MG, Zohalinejad KD, et al. Real-World Outcomes after Switch to Aflibercept 8 mg in Neovascular AMD: Twelve Months Follow-up on 654 Eyes. Retina. 2026;doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000004888. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42190237.
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