Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the effects and safety profile of aflibercept (alzitrap ziv) in patients diagnosticated with diabetic macular edema.
Recently in México, the use of Bevacizumab (Avastin) for retinal diseases was prohibited; this have an important impact on most of patients, specially those who can not affort Lucentis (ranibizumab) and Wetlya (aflibercept). As a result, the search for treating alternatives for these patients have emerge. The present study have the purpose to evaluate the effect and safety of aflibercept preparation (100mg/4ml) normally use in oncology, applied in diabetic macular edema.
Methods :
Patients with diabetic macular edema were treated with aflibercept (alzitrap ziv), as an alternative to other antiangiogenic agents; we report the results. Diabetic macular edema diagnosis was made on fundoscopy and documented with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (Optovue Inc, Fremont California) (SD-OCT). Aflibercept (Zaltrap ZIV 100mg/4ml Sanofi lab) was prepared in dose of 2mg(total volume 0.08ml) and injected with 30g needle at 3.5mm from limbus. Control visits were made at 1 week, 1 month in which SD-OCT was performed and then compared.
Results :
We included 18 eyes of 12 patients, 50% were male, mean age 63.7 years old(45-87 range), 55% did not have history of previous anti-VEGF treatment. Mean macular thickness at baseline was 346.66 microns (237-664microns); at 1 month visit the mean macular thickness was 311.83 microns (163-660microns range), with a mean 34.83 microns reduction (0-190microns range).
There were no complications or secundary effects due to the aplication of Zaltrap ZIV.
Conclusions :
Zaltrap ZIV (aflibercept) seems to be a safe and efective alternative of treatment for diabetic macular edema; long term and biggers studies (with more patients, and other statistics) are needed before establishing a day to day standard of care.
In countries were DME patients in need of treatment and their social security does not include ranibizumab (lucentis) and ablibercept (eyetlya) its definitely an option.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.