{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:50:58Z","timestamp":1787028658132,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":15,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,10]],"date-time":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752105600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study aims to evaluate the real-world efficacy and safety of aflibercept 8 mg intravitreal injections (IVTs) in pretreated patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) throughout the first three IVTs. Background: Established anti-vascular-endothelial-growth-factor (anti-VEGF) therapies positively impact the progression of nAMD but require frequent administration, thus burdening patients and the healthcare system. Pivotal trials of the recently approved aflibercept 8 mg have demonstrated extended dosing intervals with comparable safety to standard treatments. However, real-world data is still scarce. Methods: A retrospective, single-center single-arm analysis was conducted on 22 eyes from 18 pretreated nAMD patients. Eyes were switched from other anti-VEGF agents to aflibercept 8 mg injections continuing a treat-and-extend regimen (no loading dose after switching). Treatment intervals and structural (central subfield thickness (CST); disease activity) and functional (best corrected visual acuity (BCVA)) outcomes were assessed at baseline (date of first aflibercept 8 mg injection) and at follow-up examinations until follow-up 3. Safety data, including intraocular pressure changes, were recorded. Results: Over a median follow-up of 16.6 weeks (IQR 15.1\u201327.0), patients switched to aflibercept 8 mg showed prolonged intervals between injections (5.5 weeks vs. 7 weeks, p &lt; 0.001, Wilcoxon signed-rank test), reduced disease activity, stable CST, and stable BCVA. One patient experienced transient intraocular pressure elevation, which resolved without intervention. No other adverse events were observed. Conclusions: Treatment with aflibercept 8 mg appears to provide effective disease control with prolonged treatment intervals in switched nAMD patients in routine clinical practice. These findings further indicate the potential for reducing treatment burden.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14144900","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,11]],"date-time":"2025-07-11T11:26:37Z","timestamp":1752233197000},"page":"4900","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Efficacy of Aflibercept 8 mg in Pretreated Age-Related Macular Degeneration"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7059-8210","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christiane","family":"Palm","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7431-1774","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sandrine Anne","family":"Zweifel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Felix","family":"Gabathuler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mariano","family":"Cozzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland"},{"name":"Eye Clinic, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Luigi Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, 20157 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0348-961X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Katrin","family":"Fasler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e106","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(13)70145-1","article-title":"Global prevalence of age-related macular degeneration and disease burden projection for 2020 and 2040: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"2","author":"Wong","year":"2014","journal-title":"Lancet Glob. 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BMC Ophthalmol., 24.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12886-024-03788-w"}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/14\/14\/4900\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T18:07:52Z","timestamp":1760033272000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/14\/14\/4900"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,10]]},"references-count":15,"journal-issue":{"issue":"14","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]}},"alternative-id":["jcm14144900"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm14144900","relation":{},"ISSN":["2077-0383"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2077-0383","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,10]]}}}