VEGFA and diabetic retinopathy: The Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network’s Protocol I study was published in June of 2010 and was the first study to definitively show anti-VEGF injections (with or without supplemental laser) dramatically improved the visual acuity results for DME patients compared to laser alone.[16] The current study draws from a national sample to report how the care, treatment and health care resource utilization for DME has changed due to studies such as Protocol I and others that followed.