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NEI Research News

Thanks to the work of NEI scientists and grantees, we’re constantly learning new information about the causes and treatment of vision disorders. Get the latest updates about their work — along with other news about NEI.

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11 items

Early anti-VEGF treatment of diabetic retinopathy yields no benefit to visual acuity

February 7, 2023

While early treatment of diabetes-related eye disease slowed progression to severe disease, it did not improve visual acuity compared with treating more severe disease once it developed, according to a clinical study from the DRCR Retina Network.
Chirag Jhaveri, MD, examines the eyes of a patient.

A type of ‘step therapy’ is an effective strategy for diabetic eye disease

July 14, 2022

Clinical trial results from the DRCR Retina Network suggest that a specific step strategy gives results similar to starting off with the higher-priced drug.

Preventive treatment reduces diabetic retinopathy complications

March 30, 2021

Early treatment with anti-VEGF injections slowed diabetic retinopathy in a clinical study from the DRCR Retina Network (DRCR.net). However, two years into the four-year study its effect on vision was similar to standard treatment.

Surgical and drug treatment options lead to similar outcomes for diabetic eye disease

December 15, 2020

Surgical and injectable drug approaches are equally effective for treatment of bleeding inside the eye from proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), according to a National Eye Institute (NEI)-supported clinical study from the DRCR Retina Network .
Patient undergoes and eye exam. Courtesy National Eye Institute.

Eylea Outperforms Avastin for Diabetic Macular Edema with Moderate or Worse Vision Loss

February 25, 2016

A two-year clinical trial that compared three drugs for diabetic macular edema (DME) found that gains in vision were greater for participants receiving the drug Eylea (aflibercept) than for those receiving Avastin (bevacizumab).
NEI image using a slit lamp

New Treatment Options, Better Hope of Preventing Vision Loss from Diabetes

November 19, 2015

This National Diabetes Month, there is some good news for people with eye complications from diabetes.
Animation of abnormal blood vessels bleeding into the center of the eye due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Photo credit: National Eye Institute. Watch video.

Lucentis Effective for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

November 13, 2015

A clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health has found that the drug ranibizumab (Lucentis) is highly effective in treating proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Illustration showing the retina as seen through a dilated pupil.

Eylea outperforms other drugs for diabetic macular edema with moderate or worse vision loss

February 18, 2015

In an NIH-supported clinical trial comparing three drugs for diabetic macular edema (DME), Eylea (aflibercept) provided greater visual improvement, on average, than did Avastin (bevacizumab) or Lucentis (ranibizumab) when vision was 20/50 or worse.
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This National Diabetes Month, remember to keep an eye on your eyes

November 1, 2013

If you are one of more than 25 million Americans with diabetes, you may already know the importance of watching your diet and keeping track of your blood sugar. But did you know it’s also important to have regular eye exams?
NEI logo.

Comparative-Effectiveness Study Confirms New Treatment for Diabetic Macular Edema

April 27, 2010

Researchers have shown that ranibizumab eye injections, often in combination with laser treatment, result in better vision than laser treatment alone for diabetes-associated swelling of the retina.