Intranasal Octreotide Delivery Explored for Refractory Diabetic Macular Edema Treatment

Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) is a primary cause of vision loss in working-age adults, often stemming from diabetic retinopathy (DR). Current first-line treatments, such as intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents, face significant limitations. A substantial proportion, over 30%, of patients with DME are refractory to anti-VEGF therapy, necessitating frequent injections and imposing a high treatment burden. This highlights a critical gap for alternative, effective, and less invasive therapeutic strategies. Octreotide, a synthetic somatostatin analog, has shown potential therapeutic benefits in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and DME via subcutaneous injection, suggesting its mechanism could offer a novel approach.