Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: The Next Chapter in Reducing Treatment Burden for Exudative Retinal Diseases?

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) serve to inhibit the phosphorylation cascade that usually leads to abnormal processes such as vascular leakage and tumorigenesis. Within retinal diseases specifically, dysregulation of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases can lead to age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. These diseases have a growing prevalence and are leading causes of vision loss. The current standard of care requires repeated administration of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections, which poses a significant burden on patients. Novel TKIs provide an opportunity to reduce injection frequency by targeting a broader range of molecules involved in angiogenesis and exudation. This review will cover TKIs in development and how their use of different technologies and targets may enhance visual and anatomic outcomes for patients with exudative retinal disease.