Current Role of Anti-VEGF Therapies in Retinal Vascular Diseases

Welcome back to another AJMC Insights series. In this episode titled, “Current Role of Anti-VEGF Therapies in Retinal Vascular Diseases,” the panelists discuss the foundational role of anti-VEGF therapies in the management of exudative retinal diseases, including neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). The expert faculty highlight how anti-VEGF therapies have significantly transformed the treatment landscape over the past two decades by preserving vision and improving long-term visual outcomes for patients who historically faced progressive vision loss and blindness.

Throughout the discussion, the panel reviews how these therapies have changed the epidemiology of blindness globally by helping patients maintain functional vision over time. The expert faculty explain that while anti-VEGF agents have become foundational therapies across retinal vascular diseases, important challenges remain regarding durability, treatment burden, and long-term disease management. The conversation also emphasizes the importance of balancing efficacy with sustained disease control, particularly as clinicians seek therapies capable of maintaining visual outcomes while reducing the frequency of injections and office visits.

In addition, the panel discusses the evolving role of durable anti-VEGF therapies in improving adherence and optimizing real-world patient outcomes. The expert faculty also highlight the importance of ensuring patient access to therapy, given the significant impact these treatments can have on preserving independence, quality of life, and visual function for patients living with retinal vascular diseases.

In the next episode, “Role of Anti-VEGF Real-World Evidence in Retinal Vascular Diseases,” panelists will continue their discussion on retinal vascular diseases and highlight how real-world treatment patterns and durability compare with outcomes observed in clinical trials. The expert faculty also discuss how adherence, dosing frequency, and patient variability influence long-term outcomes in routine clinical practice.