Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: The Next Chapter in Reducing Treatment Burden for Exudative Retinal Diseases?

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) serve to inhibit the phosphorylation cascade that usually leads to abnormal processes such as vascular leakage and tumorigenesis. Within retinal diseases specifically, dysregulation of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases can lead to age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. These diseases have a growing prevalence and are leading causes of vision loss.

Longer-Term Anti-VEGF Therapy Outcomes in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Macular Edema, and Vein Occlusion-Related Macular Edema: Clinical Outcomes in 130 247 Eyes.

Purpose: The clinical practice visual acuity (VA) outcomes of anti-VEGF therapy for up to 5 years were assessed in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), branch retinal vein occlusion-related macular edema (BRVO-ME), and central retinal vein occlusion-related macular edema (CRVO-ME).

Design: A retrospective analysis was performed using the Vestrum Health Retina Database.

Participants: Treatment-naive patients with nAMD, DME, BRVO-ME, or CRVO-ME who received anti-VEGF injections between 2014 and 2019 and had follow-up data for ≥12 months.

KSI-301: an investigational anti-VEGF biopolymer conjugate for retinal diseases.

Introduction: KSI-301 is an intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agent in clinical trials for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema (DME), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Its antibody-biopolymer conjugate structure is designed to decrease clearance from the eye and increase the duration of the effect.

Areas Covered: This article briefly discusses the impact and mechanisms of nAMD, DME, and RVO and evaluates currently approved anti-VEGF therapies.