A Study to Learn About the Blood Levels of Aflibercept When High-dose Aflibercept is Injected in Both Eyes of Participants With Diabetic Macular Edema or Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration

NCT ID: NCT06591598

Last Updated: 2025-11-03

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE4
• Total Enrollment: 51 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-09-02
• Study Completion Date: 2025-10-14

Brief Summary

Researchers are looking for a better way to treat participants who have diabetic macular edema (DME) or neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

DME is a diabetes-related eye disorder. In DME, the macula swells up due to fluid leakage from damaged blood vessels, resulting in vision problems. DME is a leading cause of vision loss in working age adults. nAMD is an eye disorder that causes vision loss due to the growth of abnormal blood vessels that leak blood or retinal fluid into the macula (the central part of the retina). nAMD is a leading cause of vision loss for people aged 50 and older.

The study treatment Aflibercept (also called BAY 86-5321) is a drug that blocks a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which causes abnormal growth and leakage of blood vessels at the back of the eye.

The main purpose of this study is to to collect more information on the blood levels of aflibercept when 8 mg aflibercept is injected in both eyes of participants with DME or nAMD.

For this, the researchers will analyze Maximum observed concentration (Cmax): the highest amount of aflibercept in participants' blood will be measured after multiple doses of aflibercept during the study.

Participants will receive 8 mg aflibercept as injections into the vitreous cavity (jelly-like substance that fills the centre of the eye) of both eyes.

Participants will be divided into three groups and will receive initial and maintenance injections of 8 mg aflibercept in both eyes. Researchers will closely monitor the health of the participants during the study.

During the study, the doctors and their study team will:

• take blood and urine samples
• do physical examinations
• examine heart health using electrocardiogram (ECG)
• check vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature
• ask the participants questions about how they are feeling and what adverse events they are having.

An adverse event is any medical problem that a participant has during a study. Doctors keep track of all adverse events, irrespective if they think it is related or not to the study treatments.

Conditions

Diabetic Macular Edema; Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Regimen 1

15 participants will be assigned to Regimen 1. Regimen 1 participants will be administered 8 mg aflibercept injections according to the Regimen 1 dosing schedule.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Aflibercept (BAY86-5321, Eylea)

Intervention Type: DRUG

8 mg, intravitreal injection

Regimen 2

Up to 15 participants will be assigned to Regimen 2. Regimen 2 participants will be administered 8 mg aflibercept injections according to the Regimen 2 dosing schedule.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Aflibercept (BAY86-5321, Eylea)

Intervention Type: DRUG

8 mg, intravitreal injection

Regimen 3

Up to 15 participants will be assigned to Regimen 3. Regimen 3 participants will be administered 8 mg aflibercept injections according to the Regimen 3 dosing schedule.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Aflibercept (BAY86-5321, Eylea)

Intervention Type: DRUG

8 mg, intravitreal injection

Interventions

Aflibercept (BAY86-5321, Eylea)

8 mg, intravitreal injection

Intervention Type: DRUG

Other Intervention Names

BAY86-5321, Eylea HD

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Men or women ≥18 years of age (or country's legal age of adulthood if the legal age is >18 years).
• Participants (treatment naïve or previously treated) requiring intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment in both eyes in the opinion of the investigator.
• Participants with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus and DME in both eyes with active central involvement (CI-DME) in at least one eye with central retinal thickness (CRT) ≥300 µm (or ≥320 µm on Spectralis) as determined by the investigator at the screening visit, OR diagnosis of nAMD in both eyes with active subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in at least one eye with intraretinal fluid (IRF) and/or subretinal fluid (SRF) on OCT as determined by the investigator at the screening visit.
• Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letter score of 78 to 24 (approximate Snellen equivalent of 20/32 to 20/320) in eyes with active disease and decreased vision determined to be primarily the result of DME or nAMD.
• A female participant is eligible to participate if she is not pregnant or breastfeeding. Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) or men who are sexually active with partners of childbearing potential must agree to use highly effective contraception prior to the initial dose/start of the first treatment, during the study, and for at least 4 months after the last administration of study intervention.

Exclusion Criteria

• Evidence of macular edema due to any cause other than diabetes mellitus in patients with DME or neovascular age-related macular degeneration in patients with nAMD in either eye.
• Active proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR) in either eye.
• Panretinal laser photocoagulation (PRP) or macular laser photocoagulation in either eye with CI-DME or active nAMD within 12 weeks (84 days) of the screening visit.
• Prior treatment with intravitreal (IVT) 2 mg aflibercept (EYLEA) in either eye within 12 weeks (84 days) of the screening visit or with IVT 8 mg or HD aflibercept in either eye within 24 weeks (168 days) of the screening visit.
• Prior treatment with any other approved IVT agent with anti-VEGF effect (e.g. ranibizumab, bevacizumab, brolucizumab, faricimab, pegaptanib sodium or biosimilars) in either eye within 4 weeks (28 days) of the screening visit.
• Prior treatment with any ocular gene or cell therapy treatment in either eye.
• Previous use of intraocular or periocular corticosteroids in either eye within 16 weeks (112 days) of the screening visit, or OZURDEX® implant within 180 days of the screening visit or ILUVIEN® or RETISERT® implant at any time

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Bayer

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Fakultní nemocnice Královské Vinohrady - Urologická klinikay

Prague, , Czechia

Axon Clinical, s.r.o.

Prague, , Czechia

Budapest Retina Associates

Budapest, , Hungary

Debreceni Egyetem Klinikai Kozpont

Debrecen, , Hungary

Univerzitna nemocnica Bratislava, Nem. Sv. Cyrila a Metoda

Bratislava, , Slovakia

Fakultna nemocnica s poliklinikou Zilina

Žilina, , Slovakia

Countries

Czechia; Hungary; Slovakia

Related Links

https://clinicaltrials.bayer.com/study/22578

Click here to find further information and, after study completion, the study results according to Bayer's transparency standards.

Other Identifiers

2024-511665-11-00

Identifier Type: REGISTRY

Identifier Source: secondary_id

22578

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id