title: Aflibercept as First-Line Therapy in Patients with Treatment-Naïve Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Prospective Case Series Analysis in Real-Life Clinical Practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the 13-month effectiveness and safety of aflibercept in naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nvAMD) in a real-life clinical setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two treatment-naïve patients with nvAMD participated in a prospective two-center study. Patients received intravitreal injections of aflibercept (Eylea®), a loading dose of three monthly injections (2 mg/0.05 ml) every 4 weeks for the first 3 months, followed by intravitreal injections every 2 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 3 and 13 months, the mean best-corrected visual acuity improved significantly as compared with baseline (logMAR 0.53 ± 0.30 and 0.55 ± 0.32 vs. 0.30 ± 0.24, respectively, p < 0.001). At 3 and 13 months, 46.8% of patients (15/32) gained ≥15 ETDRS letters. The mean decrease in central macular thickness was also significant at 3 months (252 ± 35 µm) and at 13 months (249 ± 38 µm) as compared with pretreatment values (383 ± 76 µm) (p < 0.01). Also, 50% resolution of pigment epithelial detachment (PED) was observed in 8 out of 9 eyes (88.9%) with PED at baseline. Intravitreal injections were well tolerated and no adverse events were recorded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aflibercept was effective and safe for treating nvAMD in naïve patients in routine daily practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitari i Politx00E8;cnic La Fe de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Udaondo
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Salom
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: García-Delpech
authors.forename: Ángel
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Cisneros-Lanuza
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C533178:aflibercept; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor