Anti-VEGF Therapy in Ophthalmology

Abstract

Angiogenesis is when the growth of new blood vessels occurs from the pre-existing vasculature, occurring in both healthy and pathological conditions.Usually, there is a balance maintained between angiogenesis regulators (angiogenesis promoting factors and angiogenesis inhibiting factors), but when this balance is lost, there is either too much or too little angiogenesis. VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor) and its receptor (VEGFR) are critical regulators of angiogenesis that promote it.It has been seen that it plays a significant role in the regeneration mechanism of blood vessels,  inflammation of body tissues, cancer states, and wound healing. Various pathological conditions show increased VEGF activity.Nowadays, there has been increased use of anti-VEGF drugs, which target the vascular endothelial growth factor and slow down its action. The application of this therapy in ophthalmology is also becoming wider and wider. The implications of anti-VEGF dungs are cancers, rheumatological disorders,  macular edema, various retinopathies, glaucoma, etc.  Anti-VEGF treatment comprises of three main drugs, namely-Avastin, Lucentis, and Eylea. Their efficiency has been proven to be equal with varying manufacturing costs, packaging, and associated risks.These are the brand names for bevacizumab, ranibizumab, aflibercept, respectively, which have helped us achieve different milestones in treating all kinds of retinal diseases. Several other diseases like iris neovascularization, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), corneal diseases also have been treated using anti-VEGF drugs. Like all drugs,  anti-VEGF drugs also have some limitations and side effects, including short half-life, systemic side effects; therefore, the development of new drugs still goes on.