Durability and Unmet Needs in Retinal Vascular Diseases

This episode, titled “Durability and Unmet Needs in Retinal Vascular Diseases,” features panelists discussing how second-generation anti-VEGF therapies are shaping treatment selection and long-term disease management across retinal vascular diseases, including AMD, diabetic macular edema (DME), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). The expert faculty examine the growing emphasis on initiating patients on the most durable and effective therapies earlier in the treatment journey to reduce treatment burden while maintaining visual outcomes.

Throughout the discussion, the panel explores how second-generation anti-VEGF agents may provide incremental improvements in retinal drying, durability, and injection frequency compared with first-generation therapies. The expert faculty also review real-world challenges associated with maintaining visual gains outside of clinical trials, noting that many patients receive fewer injections in practice than in controlled study settings. Panelists discuss how under-treatment remains a significant contributor to declining visual outcomes over time and emphasize the need for therapies that can provide longer-lasting disease control while minimizing patient burden.

The panel further highlights several ongoing unmet needs in retinal vascular disease management, including the need for greater durability, improved fluid control, and better long-term preservation of vision. In addition, the expert faculty discuss future therapeutic directions, including gene therapy, alternative molecular targets, and novel delivery approaches that may further extend treatment intervals. The conversation also addresses persistent complications such as fibrosis and retinal atrophy, which continue to limit long-term visual outcomes despite advances in current treatment options.

In the next episode, “Next-Generation Anti-VEGF Therapies in Retinal Vascular Diseases,” panelists will continue exploring how evolving anti-VEGF therapies are reshaping retinal vascular disease management. The expert faculty will discuss treatment durability, multi-targeted therapeutic approaches, and the growing role of second-generation agents in improving long-term disease control while reducing patient burden.