Long-term surveillance provides real-world evidences of safety and effectiveness in intravitreal aflibercept treatment for age-related macular degeneration

This prospective, multicentre, postmarketing surveillance were conducted to report on the long-term safety and effectiveness of intravitreal aflibercept (IVT-AFL) treatment in clinical practice of Japanese patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) who newly initiated IVT-AFL treatment. The primary outcomes were the incidence of adverse events (AEs) and of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) over 36 months. Number of injections, timing of ADR occurrence, and some effectiveness index were also summarised. A total of 3,872 patients received 7.2 ± 5.8 (mean ± standard deviation) injections, and AEs occurred in 5.73% of patients. ADRs were reported in 2.76% of patients, with ocular and nonocular ADRs in 2.07% and 0.72% of patients, respectively. Most vitreo-retinal events developed within 6 months of initial IVT-AFL treatment, and most instances of increased intraocular pressure and cerebral infarction developed after 6 months of follow-up. Mean best-corrected visual acuity and central retinal thickness were numerically better throughout the follow-up period compared with baseline. These results indicated acceptable tolerability and effectiveness of IVT-AFL treatment in patients with nAMD in clinical practice in Japan. Information regarding the risk and the timing of ADRs is valuable for safe and effective long-term treatment of patients with nAMD. Trial registration number: NCT01756248.