Recent advances in uveitis therapy: focus on selected phase 2 and 3 clinical trials.

INTRODUCTION: Uveitis is a heterogeneous group of ocular conditions characterized by inflammation of the uveal tract. It is a leading cause of blindness in developed countries and exerts significant psychological, social, and economic impact on both patients and the larger society. While there are numerous pharmacotherapy options, posterior segment noninfectious uveitis remains a significant challenge to treat due to its severity, chronicity, and high recurrence rates.

AREAS COVERED: The index review highlights the unmet needs of uveitis pharmacotherapy and its research and the shortcomings of existing ocular and systemic therapeutic options for noninfectious uveitis. The more promising novel ocular drug delivery methods and therapeutic targets/drugs are discussed, and evidence from the clinical trials is evaluated.

EXPERT OPINION: There has been incredible growth in the number of treatment options available to uveitis patients today, especially with the new generation of biologic drugs. Available evidence suggests that these newer options may be superior to conventional immunosuppressive therapies in terms of efficacy and side effect profiles. Further high-quality research and additional clinical trials will be needed to clarify their roles in the stepladder treatment approach of noninfectious uveitis.