Comparative Effectiveness Study of Intravitreal Aflibercept, Bevacizumab, and Ranibizumab for Diabetic Macular Edema

Summary

Although multiple studies have suggested that treatment with ranibizumab is safe and efficacious and superior to focal/grid laser alone for patients with center-involved diabetic macular edema (DME), there may be barriers in place to widespread adoption of ranibizumab use given its high cost per dose and the need for multiple treatments over time. Prioritizing resources from a public health policy perspective could be easier if more precise estimates regarding the risks and benefits of other anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapies were available, especially when the difference in costs could be billions of dollars over just a few years. Thus, there is a clear rationale at this time to explore potential anti-VEGF alternatives to ranibizumab that might prove to be as or more efficacious, might deliver equally lasting or longer-lasting treatment effects, and cost substantially less. Of the potentially available alternative anti-VEGF agents for this trial, bevacizumab and aflibercept are the best candidates for a direct comparison study. Bevacizumab shares the most similar molecular structure, costs far less, and is widely available. Furthermore, there is already preliminary evidence to suggest that it may be efficacious in the treatment of DME and it is already being widely used for this indication. Although aflibercept has a similar cost per unit dose to ranibizumab, it has the potential to decrease treatment burden and associated cost. If results from a comparative trial demonstrate improved efficacy or suggest similar efficacy of bevacizumab or aflibercept over ranibizumab, this information might give clinicians scientific rationale to substitute either one of these drugs for ranibizumab in the treatment of DME, and might thereby have substantial implications for public policy in terms of future estimates of health care dollars and possibly number of treatments necessary for anti-VEGF treatment of diabetic macular disease. Because of its availability and lower cost, bevacizumab is already currently in widespread clinical use for treatment of DME despite the lack of FDA approval for this indication. Thus, a clinical trial that suggested whether bevacizumab could be used as a safe and efficacious alternative to ranibizumab could substantially impact nationwide practice patterns for treatment of DME by either validating the current use of bevacizumab or by demonstrating improved outcomes with ranibizumab or aflibercept treatment for DME. Study Objective The primary objective of the proposed research is to compare the efficacy and safety of (1) intravitreal aflibercept, (2) intravitreal bevacizumab, and (3) intravitreal ranibizumab when given to treat central-involved DME in eyes with visual acuity of 20/32 to 20/320.

Timeline

Start

2012-08

Primary completion

2014-10

Completion

2019-04-18

Publications

• Background Wells JA, Glassman AR, Jampol LM, Aiello LP, Antoszyk AN, Baker CW, Bressler NM, Browning DJ, Connor CG, Elman MJ, Ferris FL, Friedman SM, Melia M, Pieramici DJ, Sun JK, Beck RW; Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network. Association of Baseline Visual Acuity and Retinal Thickness With 1-Year Efficacy of Aflibercept, Bevacizumab, and Ranibizumab for Diabetic Macular Edema. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2016 Feb;134(2):127-34. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2015.4599.
• Background Wells JA, Glassman AR, Ayala AR, Jampol LM, Bressler NM, Bressler SB, Brucker AJ, Ferris FL, Hampton GR, Jhaveri C, Melia M, Beck RW; Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network. Aflibercept, Bevacizumab, or Ranibizumab for Diabetic Macular Edema: Two-Year Results from a Comparative Effectiveness Randomized Clinical Trial. Ophthalmology. 2016 Jun;123(6):1351-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.02.022. Epub 2016 Feb 27.
• Background Jampol LM, Glassman AR, Bressler NM. Comparative Effectiveness Trial for Diabetic Macular Edema: Three Comparisons for the Price of 1 Study From the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2015 Sep;133(9):983-4. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2015.1880. No abstract available.
• Background Jampol LM, Glassman AR, Bressler NM, Wells JA, Ayala AR; Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network. Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Comparative Effectiveness Trial for Diabetic Macular Edema: Additional Efficacy Post Hoc Analyses of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2016 Dec 1;134(12):10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2016.3698. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2016.3698.
• Background Ross EL, Hutton DW, Stein JD, Bressler NM, Jampol LM, Glassman AR; Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network. Cost-effectiveness of Aflibercept, Bevacizumab, and Ranibizumab for Diabetic Macular Edema Treatment: Analysis From the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network Comparative Effectiveness Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2016 Aug 1;134(8):888-96. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2016.1669.
• Background Wells JA 3rd, Glassman AR, Jampol LM. Targeting the Effect of VEGF in Diabetic Macular Edema. N Engl J Med. 2015 Jul 30;373(5):481-2. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1505684. No abstract available.
• Background Bressler NM, Glassman AR, Hutton DW. Controversies in Using Off-Label Intravitreous Bevacizumab for Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema-Reply. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2017 Mar 1;135(3):291-292. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2016.5686. No abstract available.
• Background Bressler SB, Liu D, Glassman AR, Blodi BA, Castellarin AA, Jampol LM, Kaufman PL, Melia M, Singh H, Wells JA; Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network. Change in Diabetic Retinopathy Through 2 Years: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Aflibercept, Bevacizumab, and Ranibizumab. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2017 Jun 1;135(6):558-568. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2017.0821.
• Background Bressler NM, Beaulieu WT, Glassman AR, Blinder KJ, Bressler SB, Jampol LM, Melia M, Wells JA 3rd; Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network. Persistent Macular Thickening Following Intravitreous Aflibercept, Bevacizumab, or Ranibizumab for Central-Involved Diabetic Macular Edema With Vision Impairment: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2018 Mar 1;136(3):257-269. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2017.6565.
• Background Glassman AR, Liu D, Jampol LM, Sun JK; Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network. Changes in Blood Pressure and Urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio in a Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Aflibercept, Bevacizumab, and Ranibizumab for Diabetic Macular Edema. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2018 Mar 1;59(3):1199-1205. doi: 10.1167/iovs.17-22853.
• Background Jampol LM, Glassman AR, Liu D, Aiello LP, Bressler NM, Duh EJ, Quaggin S, Wells JA, Wykoff CC; Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network. Plasma Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Concentrations after Intravitreous Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy for Diabetic Macular Edema. Ophthalmology. 2018 Jul;125(7):1054-1063. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2018.01.019. Epub 2018 Mar 7.
• Background Bressler NM, Beaulieu WT, Maguire MG, Glassman AR, Blinder KJ, Bressler SB, Gonzalez VH, Jampol LM, Melia M, Sun JK, Wells JA 3rd; Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network. Early Response to Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Two-Year Outcomes Among Eyes With Diabetic Macular Edema in Protocol T. Am J Ophthalmol. 2018 Nov;195:93-100. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2018.07.030. Epub 2018 Aug 2.
• Background Bressler SB, Odia I, Maguire MG, Dhoot DS, Glassman AR, Jampol LM, Marcus DM, Solomon SD, Sun JK; Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network. Factors Associated With Visual Acuity and Central Subfield Thickness Changes When Treating Diabetic Macular Edema With Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy: An Exploratory Analysis of the Protocol T Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2019 Apr 1;137(4):382-389. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2018.6786.
• Background Bressler NM, Odia I, Maguire M, Glassman AR, Jampol LM, MacCumber MW, Shah C, Rosberger D, Sun JK; DRCR Retina Network. Association Between Change in Visual Acuity and Change in Central Subfield Thickness During Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema in Participants Randomized to Aflibercept, Bevacizumab, or Ranibizumab: A Post Hoc Analysis of the Protocol T Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2019 Sep 1;137(9):977-985. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2019.1963.
• Background Wells JA, Glassman AR, Ayala AR, Jampol LM. Reply. Ophthalmology. 2017 Jan;124(1):e5-e6. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.04.032. No abstract available.
• Background Wells JA, Glassman AR, Jampol LM, Ayala A, Bressler NM. Reply. Ophthalmology. 2017 Mar;124(3):e26-e27. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.07.001. No abstract available.
• Background Wells JA, Glassman AR, Bressler NM, Ayala AR, Jampol LM. Reply. Ophthalmology. 2017 Apr;124(4):e38-e39. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.08.032. No abstract available.
• Background Glassman AR, Duh EJ, Liu D, Jampol LM. Reply. Ophthalmology. 2018 Nov;125(11):e82. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2018.05.004. No abstract available.
• Results Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network; Wells JA, Glassman AR, Ayala AR, Jampol LM, Aiello LP, Antoszyk AN, Arnold-Bush B, Baker CW, Bressler NM, Browning DJ, Elman MJ, Ferris FL, Friedman SM, Melia M, Pieramici DJ, Sun JK, Beck RW. Aflibercept, bevacizumab, or ranibizumab for diabetic macular edema. N Engl J Med. 2015 Mar 26;372(13):1193-203. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1414264. Epub 2015 Feb 18.
• Talcott KE, Valentim CCS, Hill L, Stoilov I, Singh RP. Baseline Diabetic Retinopathy Severity and Time to Diabetic Macular Edema Resolution with Ranibizumab Treatment: A Meta-Analysis. Ophthalmol Retina. 2023 Jul;7(7):605-611. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2023.02.003. Epub 2023 Feb 10.
• Pawloff M, Bogunovic H, Gruber A, Michl M, Riedl S, Schmidt-Erfurth U. SYSTEMATIC CORRELATION OF CENTRAL SUBFIELD THICKNESS WITH RETINAL FLUID VOLUMES QUANTIFIED BY DEEP LEARNING IN THE MAJOR EXUDATIVE MACULAR DISEASES. Retina. 2022 May 1;42(5):831-841. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000003385.
• Roberts PK, Vogl WD, Gerendas BS, Glassman AR, Bogunovic H, Jampol LM, Schmidt-Erfurth UM. Quantification of Fluid Resolution and Visual Acuity Gain in Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema Using Deep Learning: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2020 Sep 1;138(9):945-953. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.2457.

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Indications