Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections, laser panretinal photocoagulation and intravitreal corticosteroid implants are clinically used to resolve diabetic macular oedema (DMO), the most common cause of vision loss in diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients. However, these are only indicated for patients who have developed sight-threatening DR. They are not used prophylactically, do not reduce the risk of disease progression and may need to be repeatedly administered if oedema recurs. In the hope of discovering novel therapeutics to halt DR progression, several clinical trials are now underway. Metformin and fenofibrate, which are well-known diabetes medications, have shown encouraging clinical results in slowing DR progression.
Orally delivered drugs in clinical trials for DR: looking into the future
