New Treatments & Clinical Trials for Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of vision loss in working-age adults. It develops when high blood sugar damages the blood vessels in the retina. Current treatment includes laser therapy, injections of VEGF inhibitors like ranibizumab and aflibercept, and vitrectomy surgery for advanced cases.

What's actually going on in research

Trials are testing longer-acting anti-VEGF drugs that reduce injection frequency, combination therapies that address inflammation alongside vessel leakage, gene therapy that delivers treatment from a single injection, and drugs that target different pathways like angiopoietin-2. Researchers are also studying artificial intelligence tools to detect retinopathy earlier and predict who will progress.

What to know before you search

Eligibility typically depends on retinopathy stage, amount of vision loss, prior treatments received, and how well diabetes is controlled.

What types of trials are currently open

• Anti-VEGF trials — Testing new drugs or longer-acting versions of existing drugs to reduce the number of eye injections needed each year.
• Combination therapy trials — Testing whether combining anti-VEGF drugs with steroid implants or other medications improves vision outcomes.
• Gene therapy trials — Testing one-time injections that deliver genetic instructions for the eye to produce its own anti-VEGF treatment.
• Prevention trials — Testing whether treating early retinopathy before vision loss occurs can prevent progression to advanced stages.
• Imaging studies — Studies using advanced retinal imaging and AI to detect diabetic retinopathy earlier and predict who needs treatment.