ziv-aflibercept is a medication used to treat certain types of cancer, specifically metastatic colorectal cancer and advanced-stage ovarian cancer. It works by inhibiting the growth and spread of cancer cells by preventing the formation of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow and survive.
ziv-aflibercept is a recombinant fusion protein that binds to and neutralizes vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that promotes the growth of new blood vessels. By neutralizing VEGF, ziv-aflibercept prevents the formation of new blood vessels, limiting the supply of nutrients and oxygen to cancer cells and preventing them from growing and spreading.
In addition to its use in cancer treatment, ziv-aflibercept has been approved to treat certain eye diseases, such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). In these conditions, ziv-aflibercept works by blocking VEGF and preventing the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the eye, which can cause vision loss.
