Purpose: To summarize recommendations for the use of intravitreal aflibercept with a treat-and-extend regimen to manage neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in the Asia-Pacific region. Although anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapies have improved the quality of life of patients with nAMD, a leading cause of blindness and visual impairment, the high treatment frequency recommended by current guidelines places a significant burden on patients and healthcare providers.
Design: Recommended guidelines from a consensus panel.
Methods: An expert panel formed a consensus on recommendations for use of intravitreal aflibercept as treatment of nAMD in the Asia-Pacific region.
Results: After 3 initial monthly doses, treatment interval could be extended by 4-week increments, to a maximum of 12 weeks, in patients with inactive disease. Conversely, in active disease, treatment intervals should be shortened, by 4 weeks, or to 4 weeks in cases of severe recurrence. Treatment could be ceased in patients with stable disease activity after 12 months of treatment at 12-week intervals, as a means to prevent over treatent and lifelong injections.
Conclusions: These recommendations could potentially minimize the number of treatments while maintaining efficacy and improve compliance by reducing the number of clinic visits compared with existing recommendations.
Keywords: Asia; aflibercept; age-related macular degeneration; blindness; vascular endothelial growth factor.
Copyright 2017 Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology.