Comparative analysis of effectiveness research of ranibizumab and aflibercept

Summary. Intravitreal administration of anti-VEGF drugs is currently the main method of treatment for all types of exudative form of age-related macular degeneration (eAMD). However, most studies did not divide patients. Currently, there are two drugs with a long clinical history of use in Russia for the treatment of neovascular AMD, these are ranibizumab and aflibercept. Data regarding the binding affinity of ranibizumab and aflibercept to VEGF have been inconsistent in in vitro studies. To analyze the effectiveness of aflibercept and ranibizumab in real clinical practice over a three-year follow-up period. Material and methods. The clinical material of the study was the data of examination and treatment of 344 patients (344 eyes) aged 50 to 87 years with a diagnosis of exudative form of age-related macular degeneration on the basis of the Federal State Budget Scientific Institution “NIIGB. Results. During the first treatment, the difference between groups in BCVA (0.51 ± 0.25 for both groups) and CRT (403.3 ± 115.9 for ranibizumab and 364.2 ± 119.6 for aflibercept) during the first year was not noted (p > 0.05). During the third year of observation and treatment in both groups, the same number of IVIs was produced – 3.5. BCVA in the aflibercept group was 0.53 ± 0.30, in the ranibizumab group it was 0.41 ± 0.30 (p < 0.05). In our opinion, the main factor in the stabilization of visual functions in the aflibercept group is more thorough “disease control», while in the ranibizumab group, with a comparable number of injections, visual acuity was lower by the end of the 3rd year of observation, which we attribute to the negative effect of persistent edema, leading to to death of retinal cells. Keywords: age related macular degeneration, anti-VEGF therapy, aflibercept, ranibizumab