Advancing Geographic Atrophy Care: Early Detection, Imaging Innovations, and Evolving Treatment Strategies

In this segment, the expert faculty provides a comprehensive overview of current approaches to geographic atrophy (GA), emphasizing advances in early detection, imaging, and management. They highlight the central role of autofluorescence imaging for diagnosing GA and tracking its progression, particularly its value in identifying high-risk autofluorescence patterns. The panel also underscores OCT and OCTA as key tools for assessing retinal layer integrity, monitoring photoreceptor and RPE changes, and screening for neovascularization prior to initiating therapy.

The discussion reveals considerable variability in how clinicians decide when to initiate treatment—ranging from waiting for measurable visual decline to acting earlier based on functional impairment. Treatment frequency (monthly vs every-other-month) similarly varies, reflecting the need to balance efficacy with patient burden.

The faculty reviews the benefits and limitations of pegcetacoplan and avacincaptad, noting they slow, but do not reverse, GA progression. Despite procedural and inflammation-related risks, experts agree these therapies represent a meaningful milestone for a disease