Aflibercept, sold under the brand names Eylea and Zaltrap, is a medication used to treat wet macular degeneration and metastatic colorectal cancer. It was developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and is approved in the United States and the European Union.It is an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Medical uses
It is used for the treatment of wet macular degeneration and is administered as an intravitreal injection, that is, into the eye. For cancer treatment, is given intravenously in combination with the other cancer drugs 5-fluorouracil and irinotecan and the adjuvant folinic acid.On 27 August 2014, Eylea was also indicated for the treatment of people with visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema, according to the updated summary of product characteristics. In May 2019 FDA expanded the indication for aflibercept to include all stages of diabetic retinopathy. Contraindications
Eylea is contraindicated in patients with infections or active inflammations of or near the eye, while Zaltrap has no contraindications. Adverse effects
Common adverse effects of the eye formulation include conjunctival hemorrhage, eye pain, cataract, vitreous detachment, floaters, and ocular hypertension.Zaltrap has adverse effects typical of anti-cancer drugs, such as reduced blood cell count (leukopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia), gastrointestinal disorders like diarrhoea and abdominal pain, and fatigue. Another common effect is hypertension (increased blood pressure). Interactions
No interactions are described for either formulation. Mechanism of action
In wet macular degeneration, abnormal blood vessels grow in the choriocapillaris, a layer of capillaries in the eye, leading to blood and protein leakage below the macula.
To avoid confusion with the version that is injected into the eye, the FDA assigned a new name, ziv-aflibercept, to the active ingredient.In November 2012, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved aflibercept (Eylea) for the treatment of wet macular degeneration.In February 2013, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved aflibercept (Zaltrap) for the treatment of adults with metastatic colorectal cancer for whom treatment based on oxaliplatin has not worked or the cancer got worse. Aflibercept (Zaltrap) is used with FOLFIRI, which is a treatment combining the medicines irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil, and folinic acid. Economics
On 12 March 2015, aflibercept was one of a group of drugs delisted from the UK Cancer Drugs Fund. In 2017, injections of aflibercept (HCPCS code J0178) were responsible for the most billing to Medicare Part B, at $2.36 billion. References
External links
"Aflibercept". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Ziv-aflibercept Injection". MedlinePlus.