Use of Ranibizumab for evaluating focal laser combination therapy for refractory diabetic macular edema patients: an exploratory study on the RELAND trials

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy is the first-line treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME), but is less effective in some patients. We conducted a prospective study to determine whether laser combination therapy with anti-VEGF was more effective than Ranibizumab monotherapy in anti-VEGF-resistant DME patients. There was no significant difference in the improvement of the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between the laser combination therapy and Ranibizumab monotherapy groups (3.2 letters and -7.5 letters, p = 0.165). BCVA did not significantly change between visits 1 and 7 (the laser combination group, 64.3 letters 70.3 letters, respectively, p = 0.537; the Ranibizumab monotherapy group, 72.3 letters and 64.8 letters, respectively, p = 0.554), with no significant improvements in central foveal retinal thickness (the laser combination therapy group, 9.3%: the Ranibizumab monotherapy groups, − 7.3%; p = 0.926). There was no significant difference in the number of Ranibizumab intravitreal therapy (IVT) sessions between the groups (laser combination therapy, 5.2; ranibizumab monotherapy, 6.0; p = 0.237). This study did not show that laser combination therapy was significantly more effective for anti-VEGF-resistant DME than anti-VEGF monotherapy alone. Therefore, for anti-VEGF-resistant DME, alternative therapeutic approaches beyond combined laser therapy may be considered.