A review of emerging tyrosine kinase inhibitors as durable treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Current treatment for age-related macular degeneration poses a large burden on patients and the inability of patients to adhere to this immense burden can lead to worse visual outcomes. Novel treatments have been proposed to extend treatment intervals and reduce visit burden.

Areas covered

This review article summarizes phase I and phase II clinical trials of tyrosine kinase inhibitors as durable treatment options for patient with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Expert opinion

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors have shown substantial promise in reducing treatment burden while maintaining visual acuity and anatomic outcomes with favorable safety profiles. Several platforms have shown positive outcomes in initial trials and are currently moving toward phase III clinical trials.

KEYWORDS:

• Tyrosine kinase inhibitor
• durable
• age-related macular degeneration
• AMD
• implant
• suprachoroidal

Article highlights

• Neovascular AMD is the most common cause of blindness in developed countries and requires frequent treatment. This condition is often undertreated in real-world settings which may lead to vision loss.

• In this review, we discuss clinical trial data of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the treatment of nAMD.

• Several phase I and II clinical trials evaluating the reduction in treatment burden with tyrosine kinase inhibitors have shown positive results. Some of these platforms may achieve regulatory approval in the near future and provide a novel durable treatment option for patients.

Declaration of interest

R P Singh reports personal fees from Eyepoint, Ocular Therapeutix, Genentech/Roche, Alcon, Novartis, Regeneron, Asclepix, Gyroscope, Bausch and Lomb, Apellis. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

A reviewer on this manuscript has disclosed receiving lecture fees and honoraria for consultation from Abbvie, Apellis, Bayer, Novartis, and Roche. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no other relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.