Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2023

Pegcetacoplan was approved by the FDA to treat geographic atrophy (GA), providing a treatment option for patients who previously had none, explained Eleonora Lad, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology, Duke University.

While the current therapies are effective for treating branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), they are inadequate for long-term treatment in clinical practice, according to an analysis of real-world data.

Two studies looking at a higher dose of aflibercept found that an 8-mg dose can be maintained at longer dosing intervals with similar benefits and no additional safety signals compared with the 2-mg dose.

Much of the evidence that has been used to base current standard of care for diabetic eye diseases stems from studies performed by the DRCR Retina Network over the years.

The BUTTERFLEYE trial sought to determine if aflibercept, an anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy, was equivalent to laser photocoagulation, the gold standard to treat retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm babies.

Patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) who are responsive to anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy experienced visual gains with no additional injections in the 6 months after treatment with the gene therapy.

Home optical coherence tomography (OCT) has shown there is a wide degree of heterogeneity in fluid dynamics and treatment response that may not be clear during regular office visits and scans. Presenters reviewed the latest data in home OCT to manage wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

A review of data on 2 mitochondrial membrane stabilizers—risuteganib and elamipretide—has highlighted the potential to not just slow disease progression but actually reverse vision loss in patients with intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

For patients with geographic atrophy (GA) taking pegcetacoplan, the drug’s effect to slow disease progression increases over time as patients take the drug, said Eleonora Lad, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology, Duke University.

The Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2023 meeting will be held virtually with a program focused on understanding and treating neovascular, exudative, and degenerative diseases of the eye.

With no treatment options currently available for geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), pegcetacoplan could fill a huge unmet need, explained Eleonora Lad, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology, Duke University.