Table 1.

Available anti-VEGF agents, mechanisms and indications

Anti-VEGF agent	Type	Mechanism	US FDA-approved indication
Pegaptanib Macugen, Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, Melville, NY/Pfizer, New York, NY61	Pegylated anti-VEGF aptamer	Competitively binds to the VEGF-A165 isoform at the heparin binding site	nAMD
Bevacizumab Avastin, Genetech, San Francisco, CA62	Recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody	Binds to the receptor binding site for all isoforms of VEGF-A	Glioblastoma, metastatic colorectal cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, metastatic kidney cancer; nAMD
Ranibizumab Lucentis, Genetech, San Francisco, CA63	Recombinant, humanized monoclonal antigen-binding fragment	Neutralizes all forms of VEGF-A	nAMD, macular edema following RVO, DME
Aflibercept Eylea, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, New York, NY53	Human recombinant fusion protein; combination of the second Ig domain of VEGFR-1 and third Ig binding domain of VEGFR-2 with the constant Fc portion of the IgG1	Soluble decoy receptor with high affinity for binding to VEGF molecules VEGF-A and PlGF	nAMD, macular edema following RVO, DME

Abbreviations: VEGF, antivascular endothelial growth factor; nAMD, neovascular age-related macular degeneration; RVO, retina vein occlusion; DME, diabetic macular edema; PIGF, placenta growth factor.