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Anti-VEGF reduces PED after little or no response to other therapies
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LAS VEGAS — Intravitreal aflibercept significantly reduced persistent retinal pigment epithelial detachment in patients who previously received intravitreal injections of bevacizumab and/or ranibizumab, according to a study presented here.
“Resistance to treatment is well-documented. In two recent papers, the majority had minimal to no response of the PED or stabilization of the disease with anti-VEGF therapy. In other words, we haven’t been able to do a lot about these big PEDs,” James Major, MD, PhD, FACS, told colleagues at the American Society of Retina Specialists meeting.
James Major
The retrospective analysis included 79 eyes of 74 patients with persistent pigment epithelial detachment (PED) associated with choroidal neovascular membrane secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
Mean baseline PED height was 295 µm (range: 50 µm to 700 µm). Patients had previously received a mean 24.5 anti-VEGF injections.
Study results showed a mean reduction in PED height of 16.6% at 1 week and 15.5% at 1 month with Eylea (aflibercept, Regeneron) therapy; some improvement in PED was seen in 89% of patients at 1 week and 86% at 1 month, Major said. Additionally, 77% of patients had a reduction of at least 10 µm, he said.
The correlation between type of anti-VEGF initially used and response to aflibercept therapy was insignificant, Major said. Data showed a slight but statistically significant correlation between number of previous anti-VEGF injections and response to aflibercept (P = .03), Major said.
“The more injections you received prior to your switch to aflibercept, the less likely you were to have a response in your PED,” he said.
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Disclosure: Major receives occasional speaker honoraria from Allergan.