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Novel Therapies in Development for Diabetic Macular Edema

Current Diabetes Reports volume 15, Article number: 75 (2015) Cite this article

Abstract

Diabetic macular edema (DME) secondary to diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause for functional visual loss in the developed world. Laser photocoagulation has been used for decades in the treatment of DME. However, the advent of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) has revolutionized the treatment of DME. Three important anti-VEGF agents whose efficacy has been well established via phase III clinical trials include ranibizumab, bevacizumab, and aflibercept. However, even in the era of anti-VEGF therapies, there are some challenges that retina specialists have to confront in managing patients with DME. These include the need for frequent treatment and an unpredictable response to therapy. There is evidence to suggest that pathways other than the VEGF pathway may be playing a role in the development of DME. Thus, extensive research is focused on development of novel agents that target these pathways. This review focuses on novel therapeutic agents in development, which may be used as a monotherapy or in combination with anti-VEGF agents, for the management of DME in the future.

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Conflict of Interest

Aniruddha Agarwal, Rubbia Afridi, Muhammad Hassan, Mohammad Ali Sadiq, and Yasir J. Sepah declare that they have no conflict of interest. Diana V. Do serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards for Genentech and Regeneron. Quan Dong Nguyen serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards for Genentech, Regeneron, and Santen.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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  1. Ocular Imaging Research and Reading Center (OIRRC), Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Aniruddha Agarwal, Rubbia Afridi, Muhammad Hassan, Mohammad Ali Sadiq, Yasir J. Sepah, Diana V. Do & Quan Dong Nguyen

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  1. Aniruddha Agarwal
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  2. Rubbia Afridi
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  3. Muhammad Hassan
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  4. Mohammad Ali Sadiq
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  5. Yasir J. Sepah
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  6. Diana V. Do
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  7. Quan Dong Nguyen
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Correspondence to Quan Dong Nguyen.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Microvascular Complications—Retinopathy

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Agarwal, A., Afridi, R., Hassan, M. et al. Novel Therapies in Development for Diabetic Macular Edema. Curr Diab Rep 15, 75 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-015-0652-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-015-0652-z

Keywords

  • Diabetic macular edema
  • Clinical trials
  • Anti-VEGF
  • Diabetic retinopathy
  • DARPin
  • VAP-1
  • Stem cell therapy