title: Three-month outcome of ziv-aflibercept for exudative age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In vitro and in vivo studies did not detect toxicity to the retinal pigment epithelium cells using intravitreal ziv-aflibercept. Our purpose is to ascertain the 3-month safety and efficacy in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with intravitreal ziv-aflibercept.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospectively, consecutive patients with wet AMD underwent ziv-aflibercept intravitreal injection (1.25 mg/0.05 mL) from March 2015 to November 2015. Monitoring of best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular inflammation, cataract progression and by spectral domain optical coherence tomography were carried out at baseline day 1, 1 week, 1 month, 2 months and 3 months after injections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  30 eyes were treated (22 Caucasians, 8 Indians; 16 men, 14 women; 14 right eyes and 16 left eyes) with mean age of 74.3 years with 11 treatment-naïve cases and 19 having had treatment-non-naïve. Best-corrected visual acuity improved from baseline logMAR 1.08-0.74 at 1 week, 0.72 at 1 month, 0.67 at 2 months and 0.71 at 3 months (p<0.001 for all time periods). Central macular thickness in microns decreased from 332.8 to 302.0 at 1 week, 244.8 at 1 month, 229.0 at 2 months and 208.2 at 3 months (p<0.001 for all time periods). There were no signs of intraocular inflammation, or change in lens status or increase in intraocular pressure throughout the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Off label use of ziv-aflibercept improves visual acuity, without detectable ocular toxicity and offers a cheaper alternative to the same molecule aflibercept, especially in low/middle-income countries and in countries where aflibercept (Eylea) is not available.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  NCT02486484.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.|Department of Ophthalmology, Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ahmad M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.affiliation: Smt Kanuri Santhamma Centre for Vitreoretinal Diseases, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chhablani
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Rafic S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Antonios
authors.affiliation: Smt Kanuri Santhamma Centre for Vitreoretinal Diseases, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yogi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.|Department of Ophthalmology, Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Muhammad H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Younis
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.|Department of Ophthalmology, Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Rola
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dakroub
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chahine
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000187:drug effects; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C533178:aflibercept; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
keywords: Macula; Neovascularisation; Retina