Combination therapies , reduce treatment burden & more personalized approach : That’s the way I like it for a very long time… « Around 15 years ago, vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) inhibitors revolutionized eye care by offering an effective way to treat certain retinal diseases, but we now understand more about the potential limits of this approach. For instance, not everyone achieves a good outcome with anti-VEGFs. It is plausible that these complex diseases cannot be treated by targeting only one cytokine. Additionally, we’re pushing up against something of an “efficacy ceiling” with anti-VEGF treatments. And that is something the team I work with are really laser-focused on: how can we break this status quo? It’s a significant challenge and one Roche is tackling from multiple angles. As a community, I do believe we are making great strides, and I’m optimistic that the next big breakthrough is on the horizon. Secondly, and perhaps with a more long-term perspective, I think it’s going to be critical to move beyond control of disease and towards more preventative and even regenerative treatment approaches. We all know our population is aging, and with that we expect to see significant increases in retinal diseases. We’re not there yet, but the science and the technology are definitely maturing and so my hope – my belief – is that we will be able to shift from treating vision loss towards reversing, and even curing it, in the not-too-distant future. How can combination therapies improve on the standard of care? Combination therapies are exciting as they have the potential to address the mechanisms that are driving retinal disease from multiple angles at once with several potential benefits. First and foremost, there is the potential for improvements in vision outcomes for patients. It may be the key to surpassing the efficacy ceiling we are currently seeing with anti-VEGF treatments. Additionally, combination therapies have the potential to reduce treatment burden by using lower doses of complementary therapies rather than relying on escalating doses of monotherapy. In the future, combination treatments could also provide a more personalized approach to care in retinal disease. If we can successfully develop a number of combination therapies targeted to different pathways, it would offer flexibility to tailor the treatment approach to individual patients. »
We Sit Down With… Sascha Fauser, Global Head of Ophthalmology of Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) and Vice President at Roche. 📰 Read the full interview below! https://lnkd.in/eRJR3iQg #ophthalmology #eyecare