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DRCR.net continues to deliver milestone results from multiple studies
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VIENNA, Austria — The Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCR. net) continues to deliver positive results from clinical research to improve the care and management of diabetes-related eye conditions, according to a speaker here.
At the Advanced Retinal Therapy meeting, Lee M. Jampol, MD, summarized the outcomes of recent DRCR. net studies and outlined the objectives of ongoing protocols.
Lee M. Jampol
“Protocol I completely changed the paradigm of how we treat diabetic macular edema,” Jampol said.
The Protocol I study compared laser alone with immediate laser and anti-VEGF, anti-VEGF with deferred laser and laser plus intravitreal triamcinolone in a total of 691 patients enrolled at 52 sites.
“Five years of follow-up showed that anti-VEGF treatment as the initial strategy should be the gold standard. Subsequent laser can be given, but its value needs further research,” Jampol said. “The study also showed that fewer injections are needed in years 2 and 3 to sustain the visual gains observed during year 1.”
Protocol M aimed to determine whether glycemic control can be improved with personalized risk assessment by more intensive counseling and email follow-up; however, results were disappointing, according to Jampol.
“This approach did not result in HbA1c improvement compared to usual care at 1 year. Optimizing glycemic control remains a substantive challenge,” he said.
IOP elevation following intravitreal injections was the subject of another study, in which researchers came to the conclusion that multiple treatments might be associated with increased IOP in a relatively small percentage of patients.
“These data support the recommendation to regularly monitor IOP during anti-VEGF treatment,” Jampol said.
More studies are underway, and the results of Protocol T, which compares the safety and efficacy of ranibizumab, bevacizumab and aflibercept for DME, are highly anticipated, according to Jampol.
Disclosure: Jampol has no relevant financial disclosures.