title: Intravitreal Aflibercept for Neovascular AMD: Short-Term Clinical Effects of Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection as a Predictor of Long-Term Results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship between early response to intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and long-term visual outcomes
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen patients with nAMD participated in this prospective clinical trial. All patients received three initial monthly IAIs, followed by IAIs at 8-week intervals. Study visits were scheduled at 1 week, followed by every 2 weeks for the first 3 months and then every 4 weeks until the conclusion of the study at 48 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight eyes (47%) were dry on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography by week 2 (early responders), and the remaining nine eyes took an average of 7.5 weeks for fluid resolution (late responders). The mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at the final visit was +11.9 letters from baseline (P = .002). Average BCVA gain in early responders was +11.6 letters compared to +12.2 letters in late responders (P = .7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although there was not a statistically significant correlation between early response to IAI and better long-term outcomes, both early and late responders maintained excellent visual outcomes at 48 weeks.
authors.forename: Enchun M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Blinder
authors.forename: Bradley T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Matthew A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058471:Subretinal Fluid; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C533178:aflibercept; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor