Anat Loewenstein Discusses UNRAVEL Trial of Ranibizumab and Aflibercept

In a ranging interview at the Annual Meeting of the of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Anat Loewenstein, the Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Tel Aviv Medical Center discussed the results of the UNRAVEL trial, which assessed the influence of aflibercept and ranibizumab on levels of systemic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

The trial found “a statistically significant percent reduction in plasma free VEGF-A levels from baseline was observed at Month 3” in alfibercept as opposed to ranibizumab, but Loewenstein believes it is too early to know the exact clinical implications of the study.

“Both drugs have some influence on the level of VEGF in systemic circulation. Our study has shown that a decrease in systemic VEGF was greater in aflibercept as compared to ranibizumab…it does show that there is a difference between the drugs,” she says.