Comparative Effectiveness of Anti-VEGFs for DME

In this interview from ASRS 2017, Dr. Susan Bressler discusses findings from a preplanned secondary analysis of the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network’s (DRCR.net) Protocol T trial. The study compared changes in diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity in patients randomized to aflibercept, bevacizumab, or ranibizumab. After 2 years, there were no apparent differences in outcomes among eyes with nonproliferative DR. However, aflibercept was associated with significantly better DR improvement at 1 and 2 years in a small subgroup of participants with proliferative disease. Overall, all 3 anti-VEGF treatments were associated with low rates of DR worsening. Future studies will assess if these improvements translate to better visual outcomes.