Open Access
04-11-2023 | Edema | ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Intravitreal Aflibercept for the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema in Routine Clinical Practice: Results from the 24-Month AURIGA Observational Study
Authors:
Simone Donati, Chang-Hao Yang, Xun Xu, Marco Mura, Audrey Giocanti-Aurégan, Hans Hoerauf, Helmut Allmeier, Tobias Machewitz, Kristian T. Johnson, Elina Santoro, On behalf of the AURIGA study investigators
AURIGA is the largest real-world study to date to evaluate intravitreal aflibercept (IVT-AFL) in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) or macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion in routine clinical practice. The 24-month outcomes in the DME cohort from across 11 participating countries are reported here.
Methods
AURIGA (NCT03161912) was a prospective observational study. The study enrolled eligible patients with DME for whom the decision to treat with IVT-AFL had previously been made by the attending physician. Patients were treated with IVT-AFL for up to 24 months at physician discretion according to local practice. The primary endpoint was mean change in visual acuity (VA; Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study [ETDRS] letters) from baseline to month 12 (M12). All statistical analyses were descriptive.
Results
In 1478 treatment-naïve and 384 previously treated patients with DME, the mean (95% confidence interval) change in VA from baseline was +6.7 (5.7, 7.6) and +7.4 (5.5, 9.4) letters by M12 and +5.9 (4.9, 6.9) and +8.1 (6.1, 10.1) letters by M24 (baseline [mean ± standard deviation]: 56.0 ± 19.8 and 50.8 ± 19.5 letters), respectively; 25.9% of treatment-naïve and 32.8% of previously treated patients achieved ≥ 15-letter gains by M24. The mean change in central retinal thickness from baseline to M24 was −110 (−119, −102) µm in treatment-naïve patients and −169 (−188, −151) µm in previously treated patients. By M6, M12, and M24, treatment-naïve patients had received 3.8 ± 1.7, 4.9 ± 2.8, and 5.7 ± 3.9 injections, respectively, and previously treated patients had received 3.9 ± 1.5, 4.9 ± 2.4, and 6.2 ± 3.6 injections, respectively. The safety profile of IVT-AFL was consistent with previous studies.
Conclusion
In AURIGA, treatment-naïve and previously treated patients with DME achieved clinically relevant functional and anatomic improvements following IVT-AFL treatment for up to 24 months in routine clinical practice. Even with the decreasing injection frequency observed, these gains were largely maintained throughout the study, suggesting long-term durability of the positive effects of IVT-AFL treatment. Infographic available for this article.
Intravitreal Aflibercept for the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema in Routine Clinical Practice: Results from the 24-Month AURIGA Observational Study
Authors
Simone Donati Chang-Hao Yang Xun Xu Marco Mura Audrey Giocanti-Aurégan Hans Hoerauf Helmut Allmeier Tobias Machewitz Kristian T. Johnson Elina Santoro On behalf of the AURIGA study investigators
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