Diabetic retinal disease remains a leading cause of blindness among working‐aged adults around the world. Until this decade, laser photocoagulation for both proliferative diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema had been the standard of care for millions of patients. The introduction of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (anti-VEGF) and subsequent clinical trials demonstrating their efficacy for treatment of diabetic eye disease have established a new standard in treatment of center-involved diabetic macular edema that is highly specific to the pathologic process and highly effective in preserving and improving vision. This review focuses on clinically relevant developments that led to the shift from focal/grid laser photocoagulation to anti-VEGF injections in the treatment of center-involved diabetic macular edema (DME), with an overview of the disease pathophysiology, clinical disease course, and available anti-VEGF agents. This article also reviews the scientific evidence exploring the use of anti-VEGF agents in nonproliferative and proliferative diabetic retinopathy.