title: Twelve-month outcomes of treatment using ranibizumab or aflibercept for neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a comparative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the 12-month treatment outcome of ranibizumab with that of aflibercept in cases of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective single-institution study included patients who had been diagnosed with treatment-naïve neovascular AMD and treated using either ranibizumab (ranibizumab group, n = 30) or aflibercept (aflibercept group, n = 21) monotherapy over a 12-month follow-up period. Patients initially received three monthly injections, and were re-treated when neovascularization recurred. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at diagnosis and at 12 months, as well as the number of injections, were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the ranibizumab group, the mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution BCVA values at diagnosis and at 12 months were 0.86 ± 0.45 and 0.72 ± 0.56, respectively. The equivalent values were 0.73 ± 0.37 and 0.58 ± 0.41 in the aflibercept group. The mean number of injections was 4.5 ± 1.3 in the ranibizumab group and 4.3 ± 0.9 in the aflibercept group. There was no difference in BCVA between the two groups at either diagnosis (P = 0.560) or 12 months (P = 0.702). There was also no difference between the two groups in the number of injections (P = 0.847).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 12-month treatment outcome of intravitreal ranibizumab was similar to that of intravitreal aflibercept, with a comparable injection frequency. Further prospective studies with a more controlled design are needed to confirm our findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, #156 Youngdeungpo-dong 4ga, Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-034, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, #156 Youngdeungpo-dong 4ga, Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-034, South Korea. mediceye@kimeye.com.
authors.forename: Dong Won
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, #156 Youngdeungpo-dong 4ga, Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-034, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, #156 Youngdeungpo-dong 4ga, Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-034, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chul Gu
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C533178:aflibercept; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D000069579:Ranibizumab
keywords: Aflibercept; Age-related macular degeneration; Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor; Choroidal neovascularization; Ranibizumab