Diabetic Macular Edema: Rethinking Response and Revising Treatment With Corticosteroid Therapy

0.50CME

30MINS

Overview

Provider Statement

This continuing education activity is provided by

Support Statement

This activity is supported by an educational grant from AbbVie Inc.

Activity Description

Despite major therapeutic advances, diabetic macular edema (DME) remains a leading cause of vision loss in adults with diabetes, with delayed diagnosis, treatment burden, and suboptimal responses continuing to challenge real-world outcomes. Although intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy is the established first-line standard of care, many patients experience persistent or refractory DME, and long-term visual gains in routine practice often fall short of results seen in clinical trials due to undertreatment and adherence challenges. Early identification of inadequate treatment response and timely therapy modification are critical, as untreated or insufficiently treated DME can result in significant, irreversible vision loss. Emerging evidence supports the use of newer anti-VEGF agents with extended dosing intervals, as well as the early integration of corticosteroid implants for patients with suboptimal responses. Corticosteroid therapies offer broad anti-inflammatory benefits and have demonstrated meaningful visual and anatomical improvements, particularly when introduced earlier in the disease course. In this CE Snips activity, expert faculty assess how to recognize when patients with DME demonstrate insufficient response to anti-VEGF therapy and when to integrate corticosteroid therapy based on current clinical evidence and real-world data.

Target Audience

The intended audience for this activity includes retina specialists and ophthalmologists involved in the management of patients with DME.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

Recognize when patients with DME demonstrate an insufficient response to anti-VEGF therapy based on current clinical criteria.
Integrate corticosteroid therapy into the management of patients with DME based on current clinical evidence and real-world data.

Activity Chair

Diana V. Do, MD
Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs
Professor of Ophthalmology
Byers Eye Institute
Stanford University School of Medicine
Palo Alto, CA

Faculty

Deepak Sambhara, MD, FASRS
Partner and Medical Director of Research
Eye Clinic of Wisconsin
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Medical College of Wisconsin
Wausau, WI

Rishi P. Singh, MD, FASRS
Chair of Ophthalmology
Mass Eye and Ear, Mass General Brigham
Boston, MA

Medical Writer

Amy E. Cyr, MD

Planner/Reviewer

Ronald A. Codario, MD, EMBA, FACP, FNLA, RPVI, CHCP

Accreditation

ACCME Jointly accredited In support of improving patient care, Vindico Medical Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credit Designation

Vindico Medical Education designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This enduring material is approved for 1 year from the date of original release, March 31, 2026, to March 30, 2027.

How to Participate in This Activity and Obtain CE Credit

To participate in this activity, you must read the objectives, answer the polling and pretest questions, view the content, and complete the posttest and evaluation. Provide only one (1) correct answer for each question. A satisfactory score is defined as answering 100% of the posttest questions correctly. If a satisfactory score on the posttest is achieved, Vindico Medical Education will issue an AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ certificate.

In addition to providing a downloadable certificate, CME Providers accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) have the ability to transmit CME credit data for all US physicians to an online repository, the ACCME Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS). CME credit data submitted to PARS can be viewed, managed, and tracked by US physicians in "CME Passport," a free, centralized web application. US Physicians who opt-in by providing their medical license number, state of licensure, and date of birth will have their credits automatically reported to the ACCME.

Disclosures

Vindico Medical Education adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Individuals in a position to control the content of a continuing education activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others, are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

Relationship information is accurate at the time of content development.

Activity Chair and Faculty report the following relevant financial relationship(s)

Diana V. Do, MD
Consultant: Bayer, Kodiak, Ocular Therapeutix, Regeneron, Regenxbio
Independent Research Contractor: Ocular Therapeutix, Regeneron, Regenxbio
Stock Options: Kodiak

Deepak Sambhara, MD, FASRS
Advisor: 4DMT, AbbVie, Alcon, EyePoint, Genentech, Ocular Therapeutix, Opthea, Regeneron
Consultant: 4DMT, AbbVie, EyePoint, Genentech, Ocular Therapeutix, Regeneron
Speaker Contracted by Ineligible Company: Regeneron
Independent Research Contractor: 4DMT, Kodiak, Ocular Therapeutix

Rishi P. Singh, MD, FASRS
Consultant: Alcon, Aviceda, Bausch + Lomb, EyePoint, Genentech, Olin, Outlook, Regeneron, Topcon
Independent Research Contractor: Janssen
Stock Options: Aviceda, Olin, Sanro
Individual Stocks (publicly traded): Outlook

Medical Writer reports the following relevant financial relationship(s)

Amy E. Cyr, MD
No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Reviewer/Planner reports the following relevant financial relationship(s)

Ronald A. Codario, MD, EMBA, FACP, FNLA, RPVI, CHCP
No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Vindico Medical Education staff report the following relevant financial relationship(s)

No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Signed disclosures are on file at Vindico Medical Education, Office of Medical Affairs and Compliance.

Unlabeled and Investigational Usage

The audience is advised that this continuing education activity may contain references to unlabeled uses of FDA-approved products or to products not approved by the FDA for use in the United States. The faculty members have been made aware of their obligation to disclose such usage. All activity participants will be informed if any speakers/authors intend to discuss either non–FDA-approved or investigational use of products/devices.

Accessibility

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Participants who require additional accommodation, alternative formats, or assistance accessing content are encouraged to contact us at CME@VindicoCME.com. Vindico will make all reasonable efforts to provide appropriate support in a timely manner.

Copyright Statement

Created and published by Vindico Medical Education, 6900 Grove Road, Building 100, Thorofare, NJ 08086-9447. Telephone: 856-994-9400; Fax: 856-384-6680. Printed in the USA. Copyright © 2026 Vindico Medical Education. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The material presented at or in any Vindico Medical Education continuing education activity does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Vindico Medical Education. Neither Vindico Medical Education nor the faculty endorse or recommend any techniques, commercial products, or manufacturers. The faculty/authors may discuss the use of materials and/or products that have not yet been approved by the FDA. All readers and continuing education participants should verify all information before treating patients or utilizing any product.