Abstract
Purpose :
The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of suprachoroidal administration of aflibercept in reducing neovascular area in a rat laser induced choroidal neovascularization model. Reduction in neovascular area in this model could provide evidence for treating retinal disease such as wet age related macular degeneration.
Methods :
Brown Norway rats (4/group) of approximately 8 weeks were used for this study. Both eyes for each rat were used and 3 laser spots/eye were applied on day 1. On day 3 rats were treated using a microneedle (Clearside Biomedical) to perform a suprachoroidal injection. The microneedle was inserted 1-2 mm posterior to the limbus and 5 microliters of test article was injected into the suprachoroidal space. Rats were treated with either saline or aflibercept (Eylea 40 mg/mL, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals). Eyes were examined using fluorescein angiography 3 weeks after laser treatment and images were obtained for quantitative analysis. Area of neovascularization was quantified for each laser spot using computer software. Statistical analysis was performed using a Mann Whitney t-test.
Results :
Saline treated animals exhibited approximately 4862 ± 192 pixels2 while aflibercept treated animals showed approximately 3318 ± 353 pixels2 based on evaluation of neovascular leak area. The difference between these measurements represents a statistically significant (p<0.001) reduction in neovascularization on comparing the aflibercept treated group to the saline treated group.
Conclusions :
Suprachoroidal injection of aflibercept lead to a significant reduction in neovascular area in this 21 day model of laser induced choroidal neovascularization model in rats. This 3-week treatment effect with a favorable reduction in neovascular area is the first reported evidence provided for duration of treatment following suprachoroidal dosing with a soluble biological agent (Eylea). Further, these results indicate that suprachoroidal injection of an anti-VEGF agent may provide another treatment option for diseases such as wet age related macular degeneration.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.