Aflibercept in Diabetic Retinopathy

ith the growing prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the USA, diabetic retinopathy (DR) cases are expected to increase.Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) is considered standard of care for the treatment of DR, but it can be associated with vision impairment secondary to tissue destruction.Recently, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents emerged as a promising alternative to PRP.They have been proven safe and superior to PRP in treating DR.The most recently developed anti-VEGF agent, aflibercept, which has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, is a recombinant fusion protein with antiangiogenic activity in multiple pathways.Several clinical trials, summarized here, highlight aflibercept's advantages when used in DR treatment.