Study compares efficacy of ranibizumab and aflibercept in diabetic retinopathy treatment

Both ranibizumab (LU) and aflibercept (AF) injections into the vitreous cavity effectively reduce the expression of vascular-related factors in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR), however, AF demonstrates a more significant inhibitory effect on inflammatory factors in the short term after treatment compared to LU, according to a study.

Participants were randomly divided to receive LU (n = 47) or AF (n = 47).

The results demonstrated a significant decrease in VEGF levels and an increase in pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) levels in both groups post-injection (P < 0.001). Notably, no significant differences were observed between the LU and AF groups in terms of operative time, intraoperative bleeding rate, incidence of medically induced fissures, BCVA, and CMT.

At the 2-month mark after surgery, the AF group exhibited lower levels of IL-6, IL-8, and MMP-9 inflammatory factors compared to the LU group.

The study ultimately concluded that both LU and AF injections into the vitreous cavity effectively reduced the expression of vascular-related factors in DR patients. Notably, AF displayed a more pronounced inhibitory effect on inflammatory factors in the short term after treatment.

Reference
Ma X, Ma N, Zhang Q, et al. Effectiveness Differences of Ranibizumab and Aflibercept Action in the Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. Altern Ther Health Med. 2023;AT8272. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37820680.