The results of aflibercept therapy as a first line treatment of age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE: To report the results of aflibercept treatment in treatment-naive neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients and suggest a suitable treatment algorithm for routine clinical practice. METHOD: The medical charts of patients treated with intravitreal aflibercept for neovascular AMD were reviewed retrospectively. Best corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, dilated fundus examination, applanation tonometry, and a total number of aflibercept injections were recorded. Aflibercept therapy was applied in an as-needed algorithm after three monthly loading dose. Additionally, optic coherence tomography data, including presence or absence of macular fluid and central macular thickness were recorded. RESULTS: Thirty-eight eyes of 36 patients were included in this study. The mean number of aflibercept injections was 4.86 ± 2.76 (3–18). Mean follow-up time was 12.1 ± 5.7 months (6–26). Thirty-seven eyes (97.3%) achieved maintenance of vision. The mean best corrected visual acuity (logMAR) increased from 0.98 ± 0.56 (0.2–2.4) to 0.57 ± 0.31 (0.1–1.3), (P = 0.001). Mean visual acuity gain was 15.86 ± 12.18 letters at the end of the study. The mean central macular thickness decreased from 327.9 ± 56.5 μm (219–474 μm) to 277.0 ± 53.0 μm (197–405 μm), (P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Aflibercept therapy appears to be a safe and effective treatment for neovascular AMD. Injections applied in an as-needed algorithm after three monthly loading doses were successful to maintain and improve visual acuity.