Investigational plasma kallikrein inhibitors for the treatment of diabetic macular edema: an expert assessment.

Investigational plasma kallikrein inhibitors for the treatment of diabetic macular edema: an expert assessment. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2020 Jan 27;: Authors: Bhatwadekar AD, Kansara V, Ciulla T Abstract Introduction: Plasma kallikrein is a mediator of vascular leakage and inflammation. Activation of plasma kallikrein can induce features of diabetic macular edema (DME) in preclinical models. Human vitreous shows elevated plasma kallikrein levels in patients with DME. Because of the incomplete response of some patients to anti-VEGF agents, and the treatment burden associated with frequent dosing, there is still considerable need for VEGF-independent targeted pathways.Areas Covered: This review covers the role of plasma kallikrein in the pathogenesis of DME and the therapeutic potential of plasma kallikrein inhibitors . We discuss early clinical studies of DME and plasma kallikrein pathway modulation that is associated with some improvement in visual acuity but has limited improvement in macular edema. We also shed light on KVD001 which is furthest along the development pathway, THR-149 which has recently completed a phase 1 study and oral agents under development.Expert Opinion: Plasma kallikrein inhibitors have a potential role in the treatment of DME, with mixed functional/anatomic results in early clinical trials. Given the large unmet need in DME treatment, further studies are warranted. PMID: 31985300 [PubMed - as sup...
Source: Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Expert Opin Investig Drugs Source Type: research