Updates on the Clinical Trials in Diabetic Macular Edema

DEMİREL S., Argo C., Agarwal A., Parriott J., Sepah Y. J., Do D. V., ...More

MIDDLE EAST AFRICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY, vol.23, no.1, pp.3-12, 2016 (ESCI) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 23 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2016
  • Doi Number: 10.4103/0974-9233.172293
  • Journal Name: MIDDLE EAST AFRICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.3-12
  • Keywords: Aflibercept, Bevacizumab, Clinical Trials, Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetic Macular Edema, Intravitreal Therapy, Ranibizumab, Retina, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR, DEXAMETHASONE INTRAVITREAL IMPLANT, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-TRIAL, ACETONIDE VITREOUS INSERTS, RANIBIZUMAB PLUS PROMPT, LONG-TERM-BENEFIT, VEGF TRAP-EYE, FLUOCINOLONE ACETONIDE, DEFERRED LASER, BEVACIZUMAB AVASTIN
  • Ankara University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

In this era of evidence-based medicine, significant progress has been made in the field of pharmacotherapeutics for the management of diabetic macular edema (DME). A number of landmark clinical trials have provided strong evidence of the safety and efficacy of agents such as anti-vascular endothelial growth factors for the treatment of DME. Decades of clinical research, ranging from the early treatment of diabetic retinopathy study to the present-day randomized clinical trials (RCTs) testing novel agents, have shifted the goal of therapy from preventing vision loss to ensuring a maximum visual gain. Systematic study designs have provided robust data with an attempt to optimize the treatment regimens including the choice of the agent and timing of therapy. However, due to a number of challenges in the management of DME with approved agents, further studies are needed. For the purpose of this review, an extensive database search in English language was performed to identify prospective, RCTs testing pharmacological agents for DME. In order to acquaint the reader with the most relevant data from these clinical trials, this review focuses on pharmacological agents that are currently approved or have widespread applications in the management of DME. An update on clinical trials presently underway for DME has also been provided.