Added benefit of Eylea over Lucentis in DME not proven, says IQWiG

The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has compared trial data on German pharma major Bayer’s (BAYN: DE) Eylea (aflibercept) and Swiss peers Roche (ROG: SIX) and Novartis' (NOVN: VX) Lucentis (ranibizumab) for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), concluding that there was no relevant difference between the two, neither in terms of how well patients could see nor in terms of side effects.

Since August 2014, Eylea has been available also for patients with visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema (DMO). The IQWiG examined in a dossier assessment whether this drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy for DME.

According to the findings, an added benefit in this therapeutic indication is not proven: The data showed no relevant differences between the treatment groups for patients in whom the fovea centralis is also affected. The drug manufacturer did not submit any data for other patients.