Anti-VEGF-Resistant Retinal Diseases: A Review of the Latest Treatment Options

• Main Authors: Josh O. Wallsh, Ron P. Gallemore
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: Cells
• Subjects: anti-VEGF; macular degeneration; diabetic retinopathy; resistant; retinal vein occlusion
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/10/5/1049

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy currently plays a central role in the treatment of numerous retinal diseases, most notably exudative age-related macular degeneration (eAMD), diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusions. While offering significant functional and anatomic benefits in most patients, there exists a subset of 15–40% of eyes that fail to respond or only partially respond. For these cases, various treatment options have been explored with a range of outcomes. These options include steroid injections, laser treatment (both thermal therapy for retinal vascular diseases and photodynamic therapy for eAMD), abbreviated anti-VEGF treatment intervals, switching anti-VEGF agents and topical medications. In this article, we review the effectiveness of these treatment options along with a discussion of the current research into future directions for anti-VEGF-resistant eyes.