Visual acuity improvement after aflibercept injection maintained over 3 years

Long-term aflibercept injection achieve visual improvement and reduced the thickness of the retina and choroid in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), according to a study published in BMC Ophthalmology.

In this prospective study, 49 patients (50 eyes) with treatment-naïve nAMD received intravitreal aflibercept injection every 2 months for the first year before switching to a treat-and-extend approach in the subsequent 2 years.

Of the 28 patients (29 eyes) who completed the 36 months follow-up, 15 eyes had typical AMD and 14 had polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

Over the course of 3 years, the number of ntravitreal aflibercept injections performed was 17.2 ± 3.1 (mean ± standard deviation). At baseline, the mean logMAR was 0.42, and improved to 0.19 at 12 months and 0.26 at 36 months. Central retinal thickness was 329 ± 120 μm, 151 ± 38 μm, and 143 ± 61 μm at baseline, 12 months, and 36 months respectively. The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) was 288 ± 97 μm at baseline, 243 ± 82 μm at 12 months, and 208 ± 63 μm at 36 months. No difference was noted between typical AMD and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

Reference

Three-year outcome of aflibercept treatment for Japanese patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. BMC Ophthalmol. 2020;20:276. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-020-01542-6