Clinical Burden and Emerging Anti-VEGF Therapies in Retinal Vascular Diseases

Welcome back to another AJMC Insights series. In this episode titled, “Clinical Burden and Emerging Anti-VEGF Therapies in Retinal Vascular Diseases,” the panelists discuss the significant burden associated with retinal vascular diseases, including neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). The discussion highlights how these chronic retinal conditions can lead to irreversible vision loss, reduced quality of life, and loss of long-term patient independence if not managed appropriately. The expert faculty explain how undertreatment and high treatment burden in real-world clinical practice continue to contribute to worse visual outcomes compared with those observed in clinical trials.

The panel further explores the evolution of the anti-VEGF treatment landscape, emphasizing the emergence of next-generation therapies designed to improve durability and reduce injection burden. The discussion reviews how newer agents, including aflibercept 8 mg and faricimab, are helping to extend dosing intervals while maintaining visual acuity outcomes comparable to earlier-generation therapies. In addition, the panel examines the importance of treatment adherence, real-world durability, and patient-centered care when selecting therapies for retinal vascular diseases.

Throughout the conversation, the panelists discuss how advances in anti-VEGF therapies may help optimize long-term disease management, improve patient quality of life, and reduce the burden associated with frequent injections and ongoing retinal care.

In the next episode, “Treatment Goals and Disease Management in Retinal Vascular Diseases,” panelists will continue their discussion on retinal vascular diseases and highlight how treatment goals, disease control, and injection burden differ across AMD, DME, and RVO. The expert faculty also examine how next-generation anti-VEGF therapies are reshaping long-term disease management through improved durability and extended dosing intervals.