1-year results of intravitreal aflibercept treatment for macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion

Abstract

Evaluation of: Brown DM, Heier JS, Clark WL et al. Intravitreal aflibercept injection for macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion: 1-year results from the Phase III COPERNICUS study. Am. J. Ophthalmol. 155(3), 429–437 (2013).

Macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion is a significant cause of vision loss that had been untreatable until the recent introduction of intraocular triamcinolone injections, dexamethasone inserts and the newly developed VEGF-binding drugs, such as bevacizumab and ranibizumab. The VEGF-binding fusion molecule aflibercept recently completed the Phase III registration trials COPERNICUS (1-year results) and GALILEO (6-month results). Most patients (55.3%) receiving monthly injections of aflibercept in the COPERNICUS trial improved by at least 15 letters of vision at 52 weeks, and they outgained those in the original sham group by an average of 12.4 letters. Based on the results from these trials, aflibercept received US FDA approval for the treatment of central retinal vein occlusion-associated macular edema.

Keywords::

• aflibercept
• central retinal vein occlusion
• macular edema
• VEGF

Financial & competing interests disclosure

MW Stewart is on the Advisory Board for Allergan and Regeneron and is a consultant for Boehringer–Ingelheim. The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.