Dexamethasone Implant Shows Promise for Diabetic Macular Edema
A retrospective analysis reveals positive outcomes for patients with diabetic macular edema who switched to a dexamethasone intravitreal implant after a suboptimal response to anti-VEGF treatment.
The Challenge of Anti-VEGF Resistance
Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a leading cause of vision loss in people with diabetes.Anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) injections are a common treatment, but some patients don’t respond well. This raises the question: what’s the next step?
A New Hope: Dexamethasone Implant
At the Retina World Congress, baruch D. Kuppermann, MD, PhD, presented data on the dexamethasone intravitreal implant as a potential solution. The study focused on patients who hadn’t achieved optimal results with anti-VEGF therapy.
The retrospective analysis included 167 patients. We either continued them on standard-of-care anti-VEGF injections or DEX implant was initiated,
Dr. Kuppermann explained. The evaluation was of how they did over a 12-week period after that initial treatment with DEX implant vs.continuing standard of care with anti-VEGF therapy.
Key Findings: Vision and Thickness Improvements
The results were encouraging. According to Dr. Kuppermann, the switch to the dexamethasone implant led to improvements in both vision and central subfield thickness.
The ERLYDEX Study
The data presented came from the ERLYDEX study. This research specifically examined the effectiveness of the dexamethasone implant in patients with persistent DME.
Results of the ERLYDEX study for the treatment of persistent diabetic macular edema.
Baruch D. Kuppermann, MD, PhD, retina World Congress, May 8-11, 2025, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Financial Disclosures
It is important to note that Dr. Kuppermann reports consulting for Allergan.
