title: Intravitreal aflibercept for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of legal blindness in patients over the age of 50 in the western world. Intravitreally administered anti-VEGF drugs have been developed to halt neovascular growth in AMD. Randomized trials have demonstrated the excellent safety profile and significant benefit of anti-VEGF therapy in maintaining vision. Aflibercept (Eylea(®); Regeneron, NY, USA) is a soluble decoy receptor against VEGF that offers greater potency and binding affinity than other anti-VEGF drugs. Having received US FDA approval for neovascular AMD in November 2011, aflibercept given every 8 weeks after a loading dose was 'clinically equivalent' and statistically noninferior to the current FDA-approved therapy ranibizumab (Lucentis(®); Genentech, CA, USA), given every 4 weeks. This article discusses the clinical background of AMD, development of aflibercept, results of the clinical trials and the future role of aflibercept in ocular neovascular diseases.
authors: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Xu
authors: Peter K
authors: PK
authors: Kaiser
mesh_terms: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017277:Drug Approval; D005123:Eye / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C533178:aflibercept; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D000069579:Ranibizumab