At 1 year, aflibercept injections did not impact CNV conversion rates

Sumit P. Shah

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Patients with intermediate age-related macular degeneration treated with intravitreal aflibercept injections did not experience improved rates of non-conversion to neovascular age-related macular degeneration after 12 months of treatment, according to a speaker here.

“Interim analysis did not demonstrate a benefit of intravitreal aflibercept injection as a prophylactic treatment against conversion to neovascular AMD in high-risk eyes,” said Sumit P. Shah, MD, FACS, at Retina World Congress.

Shah presented the 12-month interim results of the 24-month PRO-CON study. The study included 128 eyes with high risk intermediate AMD in one eye defined as having more than 10 intermediate sized drusen (between 63 m and 125 m), 1 or more large drusen (125 m or greater), and or retinal pigmentary changes. Additionally, all subjects had neovascular AMD in their fellow eye. The subjects were randomized 1:1 to quarterly treatments with intravitreal aflibercept injections (IAI) or sham injections. Subjects were imaged at every visit to determine neovascular AMD conversion, he said.

At 12-months, IAI did not demonstrate a benefit as a prophylactic treatment against conversion to neovascular AMD. Shah said 6.35% of IAI participants converted to neovascular AMD compared with 9.38% of sham injection participants, which was not a statistically significant difference. The overall conversion rate in the cohort remained low.

Longer term follow-up through month 12 will provide additional information in the management of these patients, he said.

– by Robert Linnehan

Reference: Shah SP. Prevention of Exudative AMD in High Risk Eyes. Presented at: Retina World Congress; March 21 to 24, 2019; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Disclosure: Shah reports he is a speaker with Regeneron and Genentech.