Eylea 8mg offers extended dosing intervals with improved visual outcomes: ophthalmologists

Bayer Korea hosted the 2024 POWER-PIONEER Symposium in Seoul on Oct. 11-12 to share the latest research findings and clinical utility of Eylea 8 mg (aflibercept), which was recently approved for reimbursement. The symposium was attended by approximately 130 Korean ophthalmologists.

The symposium focused on data from PULSAR and PHOTON, the two phase 3 studies of Eylea 8 mg, and discussed the latest insights and real-world prescribing practices for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). In particular, Eylea 8 mg garnered significant attention as it is the only anti-VEGF treatment in Korea that can be administered up to 20 weeks apart.

The first day's session was chaired by Professor Park Kyu-hyung of Ophthalmology at Seoul National University Hospital, and Lee Won-ki, director of Nune Eye Hospital. They discussed innovative changes in retinal disease management with Eylea 8 mg.

“Eylea 8 mg is changing the existing treatment paradigm through domestic approval and reimbursement,” said Chang Woo-hyuk, director of Chang’s Retina Clinic. “In particular, in the PULSAR study, the 12-week treatment group of nAMD patients improved their best corrected visual acuity by an average of 5.6 letters from baseline at 96 weeks, while the 16-week treatment group saw an improvement of 5.5 letters. These results are similar to those of the 8-week treatment group of Eylea 2 mg but with fewer doses required.”

“Over 96 weeks, more than 80% of patients maintained dosing intervals of 16 weeks or longer, with some achieving intervals of 24 weeks or more, raising expectations for the potential of extended dosing intervals,” said Chang. The PHOTON study in DME patients also confirmed anatomical improvements with Eylea 8 mg, including fewer recurrences of retinal fluid and longer periods without retinal fluid.

Eylea 8 mg provides more potent and sustained VEGF inhibition with a fourfold higher molar dose compared to 2 mg, significantly improving the convenience and efficiency of treatment, according to Dr. Kim Jae-hwi from Kim's Eye Hospital. He noted that in a two-year clinical study, the safety profile was similar to that of Eylea 2 mg, with no adverse events such as increased intraocular pressure or endophthalmitis identified. He emphasized that the extended dosing interval would reduce the treatment burden on patients and improve adherence, sharing real-world examples of patients who switched to 8 mg.

Professor Lee Joon-yup of ophthalmology at Asan Medical Center presented a sub-analysis of the PULSAR and PHOTON studies, demonstrating consistent visual acuity improvements in the Eylea 8 mg subgroup. 

He noted, “When we divided patients into groups based on best-corrected visual acuity, central retinal thickness, and choroidal neovascularization type, Eylea 8 mg reliably provided a strong therapeutic effect with a low number of doses. This is a breakthrough treatment option that confirms long-term visual improvement and retinal fluid reduction in patients with poor retinal health.”