title: Updates on the Clinical Trials in Diabetic Macular Edema.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey; University of Nebraska Medical Center, Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirel
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute, Omaha, Nebraska, USA; College of Medicine, University of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: Colby
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Argo
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: Aniruddha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute, Omaha, Nebraska, USA; College of Medicine, University of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parriott
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: Yasir Jamal
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Sepah
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: Diana V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Do
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: Quan Dong
authors.initials: QD
authors.lastname: Nguyen
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C533178:aflibercept; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D000069579:Ranibizumab
keywords: Aflibercept; Bevacizumab; Clinical Trials; Diabetes Mellitus; Diabetic Macular Edema; Intravitreal Therapy; Ranibizumab; Retina; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor