title: Biologic Therapy in Inflammatory Eye Conditions (Ophtalmology): Safety Profile.
abstract: Non-infectious uveitis can be a potentially sight threatening disease. Very recently, therapeutic strategies have turned towards a new methodology, which includes biologic agents. The introduction of biologic drugs has started a Copernican revolution in ophthalmology: biologic therapies represent a revolutionary option for those patients who present non-responder, sight threatening uveitis. The availability of these therapies has improved the uveitis outcome. The present review shows the most relevant medical literature on biologic agents in ophthalmology, such as tumor necrosis factor blockers, anti-interleukins and other related biologics. Several papers reported the efficacy of biologic agents in a large number of refractory uveitides, which suggest a promising role of biologic drugs for selected cases. On the other hand, the medical literature does not have consistent numbers yet, which hopefully will validate the promising preliminary results. Biologic agents are not only promising drugs for the treatment of nonresponder uveitis, but also they show an apparently favourable safety profile, although several topics remain unsolved: it is still not clear when commencing the treatment, which agent to choose, and the length of biologic therapy. Moreover, the high costs and the still not clear safety profile have very often limited their use only for severe, non-responder uveitis in highly specialized uveitis centres.
authors.affiliation: Eye Clinic, Via conca 71, 60121 Ancona, Italy. p.neri@univpm.it.
authors.forename: Piergiorgio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: Ilir
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arapi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nicolai
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pirani
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saitta
authors.forename: Michele M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Luchetti
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giovannini
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mariotti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001691:Biological Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014605:Uveitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents