Progressive Bilateral Retinal Pigment Epithelium Atrophy Associated With SBP-101 (Ivospemin) for Pancreatic Cancer: A Case Report

This report presents a rare case of rapidly progressive retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy in a patient with no prior history of retinal disease, following treatment with the investigational drug SBP-101 (Ivospemin) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. A 63-year-old male patient presented with complaints of bilateral vision loss, glare, and nyctalopia 2 months after completing a course of chemotherapy. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma with hepatic metastases and had participated in a 3-month clinical trial receiving nab-paclitaxel, gemcitabine, and SBP-101. Prior to and during the trial, the patient experienced no visual symptoms. However, at a 2-month follow-up visit, he exhibited RPE alterations, including progressive atrophy affecting the posterior pole. Ocular complications arising from the use of novel chemotherapeutic agents are often overlooked due to their relative infrequency and lack of life-threatening risk. However, careful monitoring of RPE changes in oncology patients is crucial, as the progression of such changes can be unpredictable.