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New anti-VEGF may improve vision in some patients initially treated with other agents
MIAMI — Some patients currently being treated with bevacizumab or ranibizumab may experience an improvement in visual acuity if their treatment regimen is switched to aflibercept, a speaker said here.
Presenting four patient cases, Jason S. Slakter, MD, said Eylea (aflibercept, Regeneron) may create a “marked improvement” in the eye’s anatomy.
“We don’t yet understand the mechanism of response, but aflibercept offers another option for our difficult-to-treat patients,” he said at Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2013.
According to Slakter, aflibercept may create a better anatomic response in these patients for several reasons. He said aflibercept blocks placental growth factors, while Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech) and Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech) do not.
The higher binding affinity of aflibercept may also play a role, Slakter said.
Citing the VIEW 1 and VIEW 2 clinical trials, Slakter said ranibizumab produced similar outcomes to aflibercept. He said future trials are needed to better understand why aflibercept yields better results in some patients and not in others.
Disclosure: Slakter receives research support from Genentech and Regeneron.