Bayer has revealed results from its Phase IV ALTAIR study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of Eylea (aflibercept).
The study found, when using two different Treat and Extend (T&E) dosing regimens in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), At Week 96 up to 60% of patients were able to receive three-monthly or more injections, with more than 40% able to receive four-monthly injections.
Allowing greater flexibility of injections in year one, and extension to intervals up to 16 weeks could “provide significant benefits for patients and their carers, including fewer medical appointments, reduced waiting lists and an improvement in the overall burden associated with this treatment experience,” said Dr Jackie Napier, medical director of ophthalmology at Bayer.
Dr Napier continued, “As well as ensuring that patients receive the level of care that suits the need of each individual, these results could contribute to relieving capacity pressures and treatment costs for overstretched NHS services”.
Wet AMD is a serious and debilitating sight-threatening condition, with approximately 39,800 new cases diagnosed each year in the UK. As a leading cause of vision loss in the elderly, the condition requires ongoing treatment to prevent the worsening of symptoms.
Bayer says that under a T&E regimen, clinicians will be able to adjust the treatment schedule to the individual needs of every patient and reduce the burden of injections for people with wet AMD.
Results of the ALTAIR study were published in the journal Advances in Therapy.
