Short-Term Outcomes of Aflibercept Therapy for Diabetic Macular Edema in Patients With Incomplete Response to Ranibizumab and/or Bevacizumab

Abstract

Background and objective: Aflibercept is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). Currently, the effect of switching to aflibercept from other anti-VEGF agents for DME is unknown.

Patients and methods: In this prospective, interventional case series, DME patients with persistent retinal fluid despite regular (every 4 to 6 weeks) intravitreal injection (IVI) with ranibizumab 0.3 mg, and/or bevacizumab 1.25 mg were switched to IVI aflibercept 2 mg. Collected data included visual acuity, central subfield foveal thickness (CSFT), and the area of thickest edema on registered spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

Results: At 1 month after the first aflibercept IVI, 79% (11 of 14 eyes) showed anatomic improvement with a 23% decrease in average CSFT from 421 µm to 325 µm (P < .0132).

Conclusion: A majority of patients with DME with persistent fluid on SD-OCT despite regular ranibizumab 0.3 mg and/or bevacizumab 1.25 mg IVIs showed a positive anatomic response to IVI aflibercept 2 mg.