ALLERGIC REACTION UPON INTRAVITREAL ADMINISTRATION OF ANTI-VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR AGENTS.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To describe the patient's allergic response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs after receiving intravitreal bevacizumab for choroidal neovascularization. METHODS: Clinical case report. RESULTS: Formal allergy evaluation revealed hypersensitivity to bevacizumab and ranibizumab, but not to pegaptanib or aflibercept. CONCLUSION: Bevacizumab and ranibizumab are derivatives of murine monoclonal antibodies, whereas pegaptanib is an aptamer and aflibercept is a fusion protein of human origin. These chemical origins may allow patients to receive pegaptanib or aflibercept despite having allergy to bevacizumab or ranibizumab.