Faricimab in the Treatment of Retinal Disease: A Narrative Review

Retinal and choroidal diseases, including diabetic macular edema, neovascular age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, remain a significant cause of visual impairment around the world, especially among elderly . Although anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy remains the standard of care, it is limited by its side effect profile, resistance, and high injection burden. This underscores the need for a more optimal and possible replacement. Faricimab is an emerging bispecific antibody targeting VEGF-A and angiopoietin-2, addressing both angiogenesis and vascular permeability by modulating the tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin-like domains-2 pathway. This literature review synthesizes information from preclinical studies and randomized controlled trials. It focuses on the molecular reasoning behind the use of faricimab and the safety profile compared with anti-VEGF monotherapy.