TY - JOUR
T1 - Emerging drugs for diabetic macular edema
AU - Schwartz, Stephen G.
AU - Flynn, Harry W.
AU - Scott, Ingrid U.
N1 - Funding Information:
Career Development Awards to the University of Miami. The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has also received a grant from the Department of Defense (DOD Grant #W81xWH-09-0675). SG Schwartz has been a consultant for Bausch & Lomb and Santen and has received speakers’ fees from ThromboGenics. HW Flynn Jr has been a consultant for Santen and received speakers’ fees from Vindico. IU Scott has been a consultant for Alcon, Genentech, Santen and ThromboGenics and has received speakers’ fees from Genentech.
Funding Information:
The work has been partially supported by NIH Center Core Grant P30EY014801 and RPB Unrestricted Award and
PY - 2014/9
Y1 - 2014/9
N2 - Introduction: Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most common cause of visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy. The treatment of DME has recently undergone a paradigm shift. Traditionally, photocoagulation was standard treatment, but pharmacologic therapies are becoming increasingly used for this purpose. All currently available drug therapies for DME are either anti-VEGF agents or corticosteroids. Areas covered: The pathogenesis of DME involves angiogenesis, inflammation and oxidative stress. The scientific rationale to treat DME through the pharmacologic blockade of VEGF and other pro-angiogenic factors is discussed. The fluocinolone insert is approved for the treatment of DME in several European countries, but not in the US at this time. Some medications that are already approved for other retinal diseases, most prominently aflibercept and the dexamethasone delivery system, have recently obtained approval for DME in the US. Other compounds are being studied in earlier-phase clinical trials. Expert opinion: Pharmacologic treatment of DME will likely become increasingly used, especially for patients with edema involving the fovea. At this time, the two main classes of medication for treatment of DME are anti-VEGF agents and corticosteroids. As we continue to collect clinical trials data, the precise role of individual agents, and the continuing role for photocoagulation, will become more clear.
AB - Introduction: Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most common cause of visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy. The treatment of DME has recently undergone a paradigm shift. Traditionally, photocoagulation was standard treatment, but pharmacologic therapies are becoming increasingly used for this purpose. All currently available drug therapies for DME are either anti-VEGF agents or corticosteroids. Areas covered: The pathogenesis of DME involves angiogenesis, inflammation and oxidative stress. The scientific rationale to treat DME through the pharmacologic blockade of VEGF and other pro-angiogenic factors is discussed. The fluocinolone insert is approved for the treatment of DME in several European countries, but not in the US at this time. Some medications that are already approved for other retinal diseases, most prominently aflibercept and the dexamethasone delivery system, have recently obtained approval for DME in the US. Other compounds are being studied in earlier-phase clinical trials. Expert opinion: Pharmacologic treatment of DME will likely become increasingly used, especially for patients with edema involving the fovea. At this time, the two main classes of medication for treatment of DME are anti-VEGF agents and corticosteroids. As we continue to collect clinical trials data, the precise role of individual agents, and the continuing role for photocoagulation, will become more clear.
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U2 - 10.1517/14728214.2014.938048
DO - 10.1517/14728214.2014.938048
M3 - Review article
C2 - 25141904
AN - SCOPUS:84906806277
SN - 1472-8214
VL - 19
SP - 397
EP - 405
JO - Expert Opinion on Emerging Drugs
JF - Expert Opinion on Emerging Drugs
IS - 3
ER -