Ocular adverse effects of therapeutic biologics

Abstract

Biological drugs, termed biologics, are medications that contain or are derived from a living organism (human, animal, or microorganism). With new biological agents being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) every year, clinicians need to know potential ocular adverse effects that are associated with these drugs. This review provides an overview of ocular adverse effects of biological medications used to treat both ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic diseases. We searched PubMed for relevant case reports, case series, reviews, and clinical trials reporting ocular adverse effects caused by biologics. This review was conducted in June 2021 and investigated the drugs listed in the most updated (April 2021) FDA Purple Book Database of Licensed Biological Products. This review focuses on monoclonal antibodies, interleukins, and receptor fusion proteins. We explore ocular side effects of 33 biological drugs, stating whether they are frequent, common, or rare.