Long-Term Insights with the High-Dose Anti-VEGF Agent Aflibercept 8 mg In AMD and DME Management

In this segment, Dr. Harit Bhatt and Dr. Deepak Sambhara analyze pivotal long-term data from the PULSAR (wet AMD) and PHOTON (DME) trials evaluating aflibercept 8 mg. Dr. Sambhara highlights how these studies demonstrated remarkable durability—patients successfully extending treatment intervals to 20–24 weeks while maintaining visual and anatomic stability. He underscores the rigorous study design, noting that extension criteria matched those for interval shortening, which adds confidence to the durability outcomes. Dr. Bhatt reflects on the clinical impact, emphasizing that such long intervals would have been unimaginable just a few years ago and that real-world experience now mirrors the trial data. Both physicians agree that these findings offer new flexibility in patient management, reducing treatment burden while preserving safety. They also discuss cautious optimism around extending visit intervals, balancing innovation with adherence, and how second-generation anti-VEGF agents are reshaping clinical confidence and patient outcomes.