title: Intraocular pressure in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration switched to aflibercept injection after previous anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess for change in intraocular pressure (IOP) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients switched to aflibercept after receiving previous treatments of intravitreal bevacizumab or ranibizumab.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective chart review of the first 53 patients (53 eyes) treated with at least 2 injections of 2 mg in 0.05 mL of aflibercept by March 6, 2013, after at least 2 previous injections of 0.5 mg in 0.05 mL of ranibizumab with or without previous injections of 1.25 mg in 0.05 mL of bevacizumab. The analysis was restricted to the first such sequence within each patient. The last previous anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection before the switch to aflibercept was ranibizumab in all cases included in the study. Each person served as his or her own control. The pre-aflibercept IOP in the before state (treatment with bevacizumab or ranibizumab) was the preinjection IOP measure before dilation at the visit of the first aflibercept injection. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 41 patients who were first treated with ranibizumab followed by aflibercept and 12 patients treated with ranibizumab and bevacizumab followed by aflibercept. For each of these sequences, IOP in the treated eye during treatment with aflibercept (the after state) was computed in 3 different ways: the first IOP, the last IOP, and the mean IOP for the period when treated with aflibercept. The pooled data showed a mean pre-aflibercept (the before state) IOP of 14.87 that decreased to a mean first IOP of 14.57, mean last IOP of 13.79, and a mean IOP of 14.14 during aflibercept treatment. The inference is based on the pooled analysis. The 95% confidence interval for the differences (after minus before) were -0.30 (-1.12 to 0.52), -1.08 (-1.83 to -0.32), and -0.73 (-1.30 to -0.17) for the first, last, and mean IOPs, respectively. The corresponding P values were 0.46 for the first, 0.006 for the last, 0.01 for the mean IOP during the aflibercept treatment period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intraocular pressure was found to be significantly lower in patients switched to aflibercept after previous treatments with ranibizumab and/or bevacizumab. Aflibercept may have a more favorable IOP safety profile in patients previously on other anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatments.
authors: *Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York; †Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York, New York, New York; ‡Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; §Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; ¶LuEsther T. Mertz Retinal Research Center, Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, New York, New York; and **Regeneron, Tarrytown, New York.
authors: Irene M
authors: IM
authors: Rusu
authors: Avnish
authors: A
authors: Deobhakta
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Yoon
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Lee
authors: Jason S
authors: JS
authors: Slakter
authors: James M
authors: JM
authors: Klancnik
authors: Desmond
authors: D
authors: Thompson
authors: K Bailey
authors: KB
authors: Freund
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D057915:Drug Substitution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C533178:aflibercept; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D000069579:Ranibizumab