title: Aflibercept: an update on recent milestones achieved.
abstract: In the last decade, intravitreal medications targeted to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) such as pegaptanib, ranibizumab and bevacizumab have revolutionized the treatment and significantly improved visual acuity outcomes in patients with retinal vascular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macula edema (DME) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). In recent years, aflibercept, an anti-VEGF drug that targets all isoforms of VEGF as well as placenta growth factor, has shown similar effectiveness in recent clinical trials. Aflibercept has firmly joined ranibizumab and bevacizu-mab as an important therapeutic option in the management of neovascular AMD. More recently, aflibercept appears to be contending with ranibizumab and bevacizumab as an important therapeutic option in the management of DME and RVO.
authors.affiliation: Retina Vitreous Division, Casey Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Palejwala
authors.affiliation: Retina Vitreous Division, Casey Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA. lauera@ohsu.edu.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lauer
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy*; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000188:drug therapy*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C533178:aflibercept; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
keywords: Aflibercept; Branch retinal vein occlusion; Diabetic macular edema; Macular edema; Neovascular wet age-related macular degeneration; VEGF Trap-Eye