Anti Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Agent Switch in the Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Program – Own Experiences.
Wydanie 2/2021
str. 63 – 67
Autorzy: Marta Kita-Mosek1, Anna Skłodowska1, Magdalena Ulińska2
1 Samodzielny Publiczny Kliniczny Szpital Okulistyczny w Warszawie
Kierownik: prof. dr hab. n. med. Jacek P. Szaflik
2. Centrum Mikrochirurgii Oka LASER w Warszawie
Summary:
The modern neovascular age-related macular degeneration treatment is based on intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents. Ranibizumab, aflibercept, bevacizumab and brolucizumab, the recent one, are currently used substances giving the most effective therapy in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Injections of two of them, ranibizumab or aflibercept, are reimbursed from 2015 according to the neovascular age-related macular degeneration Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Program in Poland.
Each of mentioned above agents have been found to stabilize or even improve both the visual outcome and anatomical results of eyes affected with neovascular age-related macular degeneration, but in some patients there are some differences in response to a particular drug. Recently in literature, there is some information of positive functional and morphological effect of drug switch during therapy.
The aim of our study was to present results of switching anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agent in patients treated in the Clinical Ophthalmological Department in Warsaw who have shown no or only partial response to the administered agent. We showed outcomes of 38 eyes in which we changed ranibizumab to aflibercept or vice versa.
The aim of our study was to present results of switching anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agent in patients treated in the Clinical Ophthalmological Department in Warsaw who have shown no or only partial response to the administered agent. We showed outcomes of 38 eyes in which we changed ranibizumab to aflibercept or vice versa.
Our analysis showed that switching from one anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agent to another led to an improvement in anatomical parameters, especially reduction of central retinal thickness, however, we haven’t noticed a significant improvement in vision outcomes.