Pharmacokinetics of Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Drugs in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
Laura García-Quintanilla, Andrea Luaces-Rodríguez, María Gil-Martínez, Cristina Mondelo-García, Olalla Maroñas, Víctor Mangas-Sanjuan, Miguel González-Barcia, Irene Zarra-Ferro, Pablo Aguiar, Francisco J Otero-Espinar, Anxo Fernández-Ferreiro
Author Information
Laura García-Quintanilla: Pharmacy Department, University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Andrea Luaces-Rodríguez: Pharmacology Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (FIDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. ORCID
María Gil-Martínez: Ophthalmology Department, University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Cristina Mondelo-García: Pharmacy Department, University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Olalla Maroñas: Genomic Medicine Group, Galician Public Foundation of Genomic Medicine, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (FIDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Víctor Mangas-Sanjuan: Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia, 46100 Valencia, Spain. ORCID
Miguel González-Barcia: Pharmacy Department, University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Irene Zarra-Ferro: Pharmacy Department, University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Pablo Aguiar: Nuclear Medicine Department, University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. ORCID
Francisco J Otero-Espinar: Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. francisco.otero@usc.es. ORCID
Anxo Fernández-Ferreiro: Pharmacy Department, University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. anxo.fernandez.ferreiro@sergas.es. ORCID
Intravitreal administration of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibodies has become the standard treatment for Age-Related Macular Degeneration; however, the knowledge of their pharmacokinetics is limited. A comprehensive review of the preclinical and clinical pharmacokinetic data that were obtained in different studies with intravitreal bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and aflibercept has been conducted. Moreover, the factors that can influence the vitreous pharmacokinetics of these drugs, as well as the methods that were used in the studies for analytical determination, have been exposed. These anti-VEGF drugs present different charge and molecular weights, which play an important role in vitreous distribution and elimination. The pharmacokinetic parameters that were collected differ depending on the species that were involved in the studies and on physiological and pathological conditions, such as vitrectomy and lensectomy. Knowledge of the intravitreal pharmacokinetics of the anti-VEGF drugs that were used in clinical practice is of vital importance.
