Cost-effectiveness of Aflibercept vs Bevacizumab-First Therapy for Diabetic Macular Edema
March 28, 2025 • Retinal Diseases Content Hub
Starting diabetic macular edema treatment with bevacizumab and switching to aflibercept if needed offers nearly identical vision outcomes to aflibercept monotherapy, but at a far lower cost. A cost-effectiveness analysis from the DRCR Retina Network found that aflibercept’s slight advantage in quality-adjusted life years does not justify its high price, which exceeds $800,000 per QALY gained.
