Panelists discuss how they explain treatment success to patients with geographic atrophy by emphasizing that although the disease will continue to progress, clinical trial data show that the therapy slows the rate of growth by 20% to 30% on average, acknowledging that individual patient responses vary along a bell curve and that preserving retinal tissue is inherently meaningful for visual function even without immediate measurable vision improvements.
Panelists discuss how they manage patients requiring both wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and geographic atrophy (GA) treatments by administering injections on separate days rather than on the same day to avoid workflow disruption, address the increased intraocular pressure from the larger 100-µL complement inhibitor dose by allowing patients time to acclimate in the chair with only a small percentage requiring pressure-relieving taps, and acknowledge that although this dual-therapy population represents a minority of their patients undergoing complement modulation, these experienced injection recipients are typically very accepting of additional treatments.
Panelists discuss how they present the modest efficacy of geographic atrophy (GA) therapies to patients by framing treatment as maintenance therapy that slows progression rather than providing improvement, using prior imaging to demonstrate disease advancement, acknowledging the inherent risk of developing wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) while emphasizing that this preexisting risk is increased with complement inhibitor therapy, and offering hope for more effective future treatments.
Panelists discuss how they approach therapy selection between the 2 FDA-approved geographic atrophy treatments by comparing pegcetacoplan’s potentially greater efficacy signals with avacincaptad pegol’s superior safety profile, with treatment choice often driven by individual patient factors such as motivation level, monocular status, and willingness to accept risk, while emphasizing that starting monthly dosing provides the best fallback position when patients experience treatment fatigue.
Panelists discuss how their management approach for geographic atrophy (GA) has evolved from a “come back in a year” mentality to actively offering treatment discussions within 2 to 3 months, with most patients showing interest in complement inhibitor therapy, particularly those with functional vision remaining who understand the progressive nature of their disease and have vision left to preserve.
Panelists discuss how conversations with patients with geographic atrophy have evolved to emphasize the urgency of early intervention, with clinicians now able to offer hope through available treatments that can slow disease progression, while helping patients understand that their current vision represents the best they will ever have and leveraging family history awareness to motivate treatment consideration.
Panelists discuss how geographic atrophy (GA) presentations show clinical variability across patients while remaining consistently progressive, requiring a combination of imaging modalities including fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence, and OCT for diagnosis and monitoring, with OCT being most practical for routine clinical visits despite fundus autofluorescence serving as the gold standard for clinical trials.
Dr. Gonzalez shares 126-week topline results from the REMAIN study, assessing optogenetic therapy MCO-010 (Nanoscope Therapeutics).
Dilsher S. Dhoot, MD, discusses how second-generation anti-VEGF agents like aflibercept 8 mg and faricimab demonstrate significant efficacy in treating diabetic macular edema (DME), allowing for extended treatment intervals of 9 to 10 weeks compared to monthly dosing with earlier agents, while improving anatomic outcomes and visual acuity.
Dilsher S. Dhoot, MD, discusses how newer anti-VEGF treatments, particularly aflibercept 8 mg, can provide improved anatomic outcomes and extended treatment intervals for patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration who show persistent subretinal fluid despite treatment with first-generation agents.
Ophthalmologist Dilraj Grewal explores cutting-edge clinical trials for uveitis treatment, highlighting new targeted therapies that aim to control inflammation and macular edema with fewer steroid-related side effects.
Lexitas Pharma Services' CMO discusses groundbreaking ophthalmology conference, emphasizing innovative clinical trials, emerging treatments for eye diseases, and the potential for transformative patient care strategies.
Retina specialist Priya Vakharia, MD, reveals promising ANX007 trial results, showing potential to prevent vision loss in geographic atrophy.
Ophthalmologist Tarek Hassan introduces new surgical approach for proliferative vitreoretinopathy, using precise small retinotomies instead of extensive retinal removal to improve patient outcomes.
Ultra-wide field imaging shows nonperfusion and leakage independently predict diabetic retinopathy progression, suggesting earlier treatment with anti-VEGF or photocoagulation may prevent complications.
Four-year study shows faricimab in treat-and-extend regimen maintains vision for diabetic macular edema patients with significantly fewer injections over time.
Kapil Mishra, MD, discusses an overview of radiation retinopathy and its challenges in treating uveal melanoma from his presentation "Radiation Retinopathy: Future Strategies,"
Duke professor Sharon Fekrat, MD, discusses AI-driven ophthalmology with smartphone diagnostics and robotic procedures, emphasizing global collaboration and innovative medical research.
According to Dr. Danzig, the DIAMOND trial demonstrates efficacy of OCS-01, a topical drop, in patients with diabetic macular edema.
Jennifer Lim, MD, FARVO, FASRS, discusses her ARVO presentation on sickle cell retinopathy, highlighting improvements in retinal surgery techniques and instrumentation.
The PRISM clinical trial assesses 4D-150 (4D Molecular Therapeutics) in adults with neovascular age-related macular degeneration, also known as wet AMD.
In an analysis of the IRIS database, investigators assessed almost 1,200 eyes that had been treated with faricimab.
A panelist discusses how a woman aged 77 years with bilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) demonstrated different responses to treatments between her eyes, showing a superior response to faricimab in her right eye compared with ranibizumab, highlighting how some patients may respond better to specific anti-VEGF agents.
A panelist discusses how a man aged 79 years with long-duration diabetes and treatment-naive diabetic macular edema (DME) responded well to aflibercept 8-mg therapy, progressing from 4-week loading doses to an extended 10-week interval with resolution of macular edema and improved vision from 20/60 to 20/30.
A panelist discusses how a woman aged 74 years with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) showed improved disease control and vision in her right eye after switching from ranibizumab to a high-dose aflibercept (8 mg) treatment that successfully extended intervals to 10 weeks.
Abby Markward, MBA, executive director of the ASCRS Foundation and the ASOA, provides a sneak peek of the posterior segment-focused event.
Panelists discuss how longer-acting treatments will enable extended intervals between visits while requiring careful adjustment of monitoring protocols and clinic workflows to balance reduced treatment burden with maintaining adequate disease surveillance.
