Evaluation of care with intravitreal aflibercept treatment for UK patients with diabetic macular oedema: DRAKO study 24-month real-world outcomes

Background/ ObjectivesDRAKO (NCT02850263) was a 24-month, prospective, observational, multi-centre cohort study that enrolled patients diagnosed with diabetic macular oedema (DMO) including central involvement. The study aimed to evaluate standard of care intravitreal aflibercept (IVT-AFL) treatment in the UK. This analysis describes the 12-month outcomes for patients with prior anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment for DMO other than IVT-AFL (C2), and 2-year outcomes for both anti-VEGF treatment-naive patients (C1) and C2 patients.MethodsStudy eyes were treated with IVT-AFL as per local standard of care. Mean changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in ETDRS letters and central subfield thickness (CST) were stratified by baseline factors. Changes in diabetic retinopathy assessments, glycated haemoglobin A(1c) levels and vision-related quality of life (QoL) were evaluated alongside numbers of injections administered and safety outcomes.ResultsFor C1, mean (SD) changes from baseline in BCVA of +0.7 (12.7) letters and CST of -123.3 (104.3) mu m were observed at Month 24. For C2, mean (SD) changes from baseline for BCVA of + 0.2 (10.2) letters and -0.3 (13.0) letters, and CST of -79.1 (137.6) mu m and -91.6 (132.9) mu m, were observed at 12 and 24 months, respectively. In Year 2, C1 and C2 patients received a mean of 3.7 and 4.3 injections, respectively.ConclusionsYear 2 results indicate that IVT-AFL is an effective treatment for DMO in real-world UK clinical practice, despite relatively low injection numbers. The high baseline visual acuity and QoL scores were maintained and there was further improvement in anatomical outcomes.

Automated summary

The DRAKO study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept (IVT-AFL) treatment for diabetic macular edema (DMO) in real-world clinical practice in the UK. The results showed that IVT-AFL is an effective treatment option, improving visual acuity and anatomical outcomes in patients with DMO.