EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF A TREAT-AND-EXTEND REGIMEN WITH AFLIBERCEPT IN TREATMENT-NAIVE PATIENTS WITH TYPE 3 NEOVASCULARIZATION: A 52-Week, Single-Arm, Multicenter Trial

• Published in: Retina (Philadelphia, Pa.) Vol. 40; no. 7; pp. 1234 - 1244
• Main Authors: Arias, Luis, Cervera, Enrique, Vilimelis, Jaume Crespí, Escobar, José Juan, Escobar, Antonio Gómez, Zapata, Miguel Ángel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Retina 01-07-2020
• ISSN: 0275-004X; 1539-2864
• DOI: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000002582

To evaluate 52-week efficacy and safety of a treat-and-extend regimen of intravitreal aflibercept 2 mg on treatment-naive Type 3 neovascularization lesions.
Phase IV, prospective, open-label, single-arm, multicenter trial including patients with untreated Stage I/II Type 3 neovascularization lesions and baseline best-corrected visual acuity between 78 and 23 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters. Primary endpoint: mean change in best-corrected visual acuity from baseline at 52 weeks.
Thirty-two eyes from 32 patients were included (mean ± SD age: 78.2 ± 7.7 years, 68.8% females, baseline best-corrected visual acuity: 57.9 ± 15.4 [Snellen fraction 20/70]). Best-corrected visual acuity increased by 10.5 ± 15.9 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters at Week 52 (P = 0.0001). The mean foveal and choroidal thickness decreased by 129.1 ± 80.1 µm (P < 0.0001) and 64.3 ± 96.5 (P = 0.0001), respectively. The proportion of patients with intraretinal/subretinal fluid decreased from 28 (87.5%) at baseline to 3 (11.5%) at Week 52 (P < 0.0001). Pigment epithelial detachment and lesion area showed nonsignificant changes over 52 weeks. The mean number of injections was 8.0 ± 2.0. Seven (21.9%) patients experienced treatment-related adverse events and two (6.3%) experienced serious adverse events; one (3.1%) ocular serious adverse event requiring treatment withdrawal, endophthalmitis, and one (3.1%) nonocular spontaneously resolved serious adverse event, palpitations. One (3.1%) patient experienced an APTC ATE: nonfatal stroke not related to trial treatment.
A treat-and-extend regimen of aflibercept improves visual acuity and retinal edema in eyes with Type 3 neovascularization over 52 weeks with good tolerability.