Dosing Frequency Across Retinal Vascular Diseases

This episode, titled “Dosing Frequency Across Retinal Vascular Diseases,” features panelists discussing how clinicians determine dosing frequency and long-term treatment strategies for patients with retinal vascular diseases, including AMD, diabetic macular edema (DME), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). The expert faculty explore how loading doses, disease activity, retinal fluid recurrence, and patient-specific factors guide interval extension and maintenance therapy decisions in clinical practice.

Throughout the discussion, the panel highlights how many retina specialists continue to use treat-and-extend strategies with next-generation anti-VEGF therapies while gradually extending patients at two-week intervals based on OCT findings and disease control. The expert faculty discuss the importance of maintaining durable disease suppression while carefully balancing the risks of undertreatment and recurrent retinal fluid. In addition, the panel examines how newer long-term clinical trial data have increased clinician confidence in extending some patients to Q18- or Q20-week dosing intervals when disease activity remains well controlled.

The panel also explores the growing role of patient preference in treatment decision-making, particularly as direct-to-consumer advertising and awareness of extended-duration therapies continue to increase. The expert faculty discuss how patient expectations regarding durability and injection frequency must be balanced with real-world treatment outcomes and individualized disease behavior. In addition, the discussion highlights ongoing uncertainty surrounding treatment discontinuation strategies, including when maintenance therapy may be safely reduced or stopped across different retinal vascular diseases. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the importance of individualized treatment planning that considers both clinical findings and patient-centered goals in long-term retinal disease management.

In the next episode, “Safety Considerations in Retinal Vascular Diseases,” panelists will discuss how retina specialists monitor and manage safety considerations associated with anti-VEGF therapy, including intraocular pressure changes and glaucoma risk. The expert faculty will also highlight practical strategies used to minimize treatment burden while optimizing long-term patient safety and disease control.