VEGF Antagonist Dosing Regimen for PDR Treatment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current treatments for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) require frequent injections of VEGF antagonists, such as EYLEA and LUCENTIS, and often involve invasive laser therapy, which is not ideal for reducing injection frequency or providing better anatomical responses.

Innovation Solution

Administering a VEGF antagonist, like brolucizumab, in a loading phase with three doses at 6-week intervals followed by a maintenance phase with doses every 12 weeks, with the option to adjust the dosing frequency based on disease activity assessments to extend or shorten the treatment interval up to 24 weeks, thereby reducing the frequency of injections and minimizing the need for laser therapy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If frequent dosing of VEGF antagonist is administered, then effective treatment of PDR is maintained, but injection frequency burden increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment effectivenessVSAvoidinjection frequency burden
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by administering a loading phase of three doses at 6-week intervals before transitioning to extended maintenance dosing. This preliminary intensive treatment establishes therapeutic effect that allows subsequent extension to q12w or q24w intervals, thereby maintaining treatment effectiveness while reducing long-term injection frequency burden

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by allowing flexible adjustment of dosing intervals based on individual patient response and disease activity. The treatment protocol transitions from fixed frequent dosing to dynamic extended intervals (q12w or q24w), enabling optimization between treatment effectiveness and injection burden for each patient

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If invasive laser therapy is used, then anatomical response is improved, but treatment invasiveness and patient burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanatomical responseVSAvoidtreatment invasiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies mechanics substitution by replacing invasive mechanical laser therapy with pharmacological VEGF antagonist injection. This substitution achieves comparable or superior anatomical response through biochemical mechanism rather than thermal/mechanical laser action, thereby reducing treatment invasiveness and patient burden while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20240052024A1Methods for treating ocular diseases
Publication Date: 2024.02.15 NOVARTIS AG

AI summary

A method is provided for treating a patient having a neovascular ocular disease.