title: A single-arm, investigator-initiated study of the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of intravitreal aflibercept injection in subjects with exudative age-related macular degeneration previously treated with ranibizumab or bevacizumab (ASSESS study): 12-month analysis.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  In subjects with active exudative age-related macular degeneration, treating with a fixed intravitreal aflibercept injection dosing regimen for 12 months demonstrated improved anatomic and vision endpoints from baseline.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Switching therapies in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may offer an advantage for some patients. This study evaluates the efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) in subjects previously treated with ranibizumab and/or bevacizumab.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects (n=26) were given monthly 2 mg of IAI for 3 months, followed by 2 mg once in every 2 months for up to 12 months. The mean absolute change from baseline in central subfield thickness (CST) measured by optical coherence tomography and the mean change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) early treatment in diabetic retinopathy study (ETDRS) letter score were obtained. Additionally, the percentage of subjects who gained or lost ≥15 letters of vision and the percentage of subjects who are 20/40 or better or 20/200 or worse were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a mean decrease in CST of -50.3 μm (P<0.001) and a mean increase in ETDRS BCVA of +9.2 letters (P<0.001). Twenty-seven percent of subjects experienced a ≥15-letter improvement in visual acuity, and no subject lost ≥3 lines of vision from baseline. Fifty percent of subjects were 20/40 or better, and 11.5% of subjects were 20/200 or worse at month 12.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fixed IAI dosing regimen for 12 months demonstrated improved anatomic and vision endpoints in subjects with active exudative AMD.
authors.affiliation: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Rishi P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Sunil K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.affiliation: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Justis P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ehlers
authors.affiliation: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Fabiana Q
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Rumneek
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bedi
authors.affiliation: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Schachat
authors.affiliation: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Peter K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Kaiser
keywords: aflibercept; age-related macular degeneration; bevacizumab; ranibizumab; vascular endothelial growth factors