On behalf of the PHOTON study investigators, Texas Retina’s Ashkan M. Abbey, MD, delivered an on-demand presentation titled “Differential Anatomic Response to Aflibercept 8 mg vs 2 mg During Matched Dosing Phase of PHOTON in Patients with DME Who Later Met Shortening Criteria” for the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) 43rd Annual Scientific Meeting held July 30 – August 2, 2025, in Long Beach, California. On-demand presentations are recorded in advance and made available online for attendees to access whenever they choose.

The PHOTON study was a multicenter, randomized, double-masked study where patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) were randomized 1:2:1 to one of three treatment groups:

  1. Aflibercept 2 mg every 8 weeks after 5 initial monthly injections (AQ2)
  2. Aflibercept 8 mg every 12 weeks after 3 initial monthly injections (AQ12)
  3. Ablibercept 8 mg every 16 weeks after 3 initial monthly injections (AQ16)

The study’s primary endpoint was non-inferiority of the AQ12 and AQ16 groups to the AQ2 group in mean change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at week 48. Patients in the AQ12 and AQ16 groups were eligible for dose regimen modification starting at week 16 if they experienced a loss of more than 10 letters from week 12 due to worsening or persistent DME and a central retina thickness (CRT) increase of more than 50 microns from week 12.

Dr. Abbey’s ASRS presentation took a closer look at the outcomes of patients who met the dose shortening criteria. He shared the following key findings:

  • In patients who met the shortening criteria, the 8 mg dose of aflibercept provided relatively greater anatomic benefit with CRT improvement, more patients with no retinal fluid, and quicker time to CRT less than 300 microns compared to the 2 mg dose, with similar BCVA gains.
  • In patients who did not meet the shortening criteria, the 8 mg and 2 mg doses provided similar CRT reductions and BCVA gains, proportions with no retinal fluid, and time to CRT less than 300 microns.

“Our findings suggest that the 8 mg dose of aflibercept may provide additional anatomic benefits over the 2 mg dose in patients with DME who need more frequent dosing,” shares Dr. Abbey. “Additionally, the 8 mg dose may decrease treatment burden in those who do not require more frequent dosing.”

Click here to access a full list of Texas Retina’s current clinical trials.

About Ashkan Abbey, MD
Dr. Abbey serves as Texas Retina’s Director of Clinical Research for Dallas and cares for patients in our Dallas Main and Rockwall offices. You can learn more about him here.

About the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS)
ASRS is the largest organization of retinal specialists in the world, representing over 3,000 physicians in all 50 US states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 63 countries. The Society serves as a national advocate and primary source of clinical and scientific information and education for its members.