Anti-VEGF Therapy for Diabetic Macular Edema

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a pivotal role in the development of diabetic macular edema (DME), the leading cause of vision loss among working-aged individuals. A decade of clinical trials demonstrated that drugs that bind soluble VEGF restore the integrity of the blood-retinal ba...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current diabetes reports 2014-08, Vol.14 (8), p.510-510, Article 510
Main Author: Stewart, Michael W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Angiogenesis Inhibitors - pharmacology
Angiogenesis Inhibitors - therapeutic use
Animals
Clinical Trials as Topic
Diabetes
Diabetic Retinopathy - drug therapy
Humans
Macular Edema - drug therapy
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Microvascular Complications—Retinopathy (JK Sun
Section Editor
Topical Collection on Microvascular Complications—Retinopathy
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - antagonists & inhibitors
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Summary:Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a pivotal role in the development of diabetic macular edema (DME), the leading cause of vision loss among working-aged individuals. A decade of clinical trials demonstrated that drugs that bind soluble VEGF restore the integrity of the blood-retinal barrier, resolve macular edema, and improve vision in most patients with DME. Four drugs (pegaptanib, ranibizumab, bevacizumab, and aflibercept) effectively treat DME when administered by intravitreal injections. Only ranibizumab has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for DME, but bevacizumab is commonly used off-label, and an FDA application for aflibercept is pending. Effective treatment requires repeated injections, although recent data suggest that the treatment burden diminishes after 1 year. Intravitreal therapy is generally safe, although the incidence of systemic thromboembolic events varies among trials.
ISSN:1534-4827
1539-0829
DOI:10.1007/s11892-014-0510-4