Ophthalmology

At ARVO 2023, Caroline Baumal, MD, chief medical officer of Apellis Pharmaceuticals, discussed new phase 3 functional analyses of pegcetacoplan injection, the future of the GA treatment landscape, and the next unmet need in ophthalmology.

An analysis of the STATUS program suggests the percentage of patients that received an annual eye exam increased from 65.2% to 72.8% in the clinics utilizing the IDx-DR system.

An analysis of the AlzEye study presented at ARVO 2023 suggests a deep-learning model showed promise in predicting three-year incident MACE using OCT.

An analysis of 118 infant eyes in India suggests the biosimilar is safe and effective in treating ROP, with about one-third of eyes requiring reinjection at 7 weeks after the first dose.

An analysis of an ethnically diverse cohort in London found African Caribbean people experienced a 39% greater risk of sight-threatening DR, independent of traditional risk factors.

The proportion of premature infants diagnosed with ROP increased from 4.4% in 2003 to 8.1% in 2019, particularly among underserved populations.

A retrospective analysis of more than 3 million patients who received the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine found no association between vaccination and newly diagnosed RVO.

According to Horizon Therapeutics, the updated indication language reinforces the importance of access for patients across the full spectrum of TED activity or duration.

From a novel topical gene therapy to a multi-pathway targeting HF drug, the second quarter of 2023 is laden with interesting regulatory decisions.

An analysis of 3 nationally representative data sets found that SDOH across domains of economic stability, educational attainment, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social context were significant predictors of poor vision.

The Gold Standard Pathway Study noted statistically significant reductions in mean IOP and mean medication count from baseline was observed in both treatment arms at all visits.

The ESSENCE-2 study reported superiority of the water-free cyclosporine ophthalmic solution to vehicle in tCFS score at day 29, confirming results from ESSENCE-1.

The reduced dosing of azithromycin supports its use as an alternative to doxycycline for at least 6 weeks in patients with moderate to severe meibomian gland dysfunction.

New trial results suggest the overall DONFL score was similar between a temporal inverted ILM flap technique and conventional ILM peeling in macular hole surgery.

Three-year results from the CIRTED trial reported no clear evidence of benefit for the addition of azathioprine to high dose oral steroid in individuals with moderate to severe TED.

An entire population gradually loses their vision, impeding everyday activities like driving in the dark, while investigators explore gene therapies in a race against the clock.

Smokers with TED showed less improvement in diplopia, proptosis, and overall clinical activity score compared to non-smokers.

The second pivotal Phase 3 trial reported NOV03 consistently met primary endpoints for signs and symptoms of DED associated with meibomian gland dysfunction.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 studies reveal the prevalence of DR in pediatric T2D increased significantly more than 5 years after diagnosis.

Perfluorohexyloctane eye drops demonstrated significantly superior improvements in tCFS and eye dryness scores at day 57 compared with saline.

An economic analysis suggests Medicare reimbursement for complex cataract surgery fails to cover increased costs required for the procedure and may affect practice patterns.

A new study supports an individualized treatment plan for aflibercept, showing its improved efficacy with fewer injections over 2 years.

Eyes with DRIL were associated with more visual function loss and retinal blood circulation alterations compared to those with subfoveal ellipsoid zone loss only.

Baseline SRF was associated with rapid resolution of macular edema in both DME and RVO, but improvement in visual acuity was associated with SRF only in DME.

Nonacceptance of statin therapy was prevalent among women and could contribute to known sex disparities in the treatment of high cholesterol.

Most trial participants were identified as White and from high-income countries, stressing the need for action from the research community to increase representativeness.

A new analysis suggests the prevalence of myopia among children decreased and mean SER returned to the pre-pandemic levels after the lift of home confinement in China.

Findings from a recent study indicate a correlation between actual values of visual function and estimated values with a deep learning model using ultra-widefield FAF images.

The FDA assigned a PDUFA date of September 28, 2023 for the phentolamine ophthalmic solution 0.75%.

A 0.18-mg implant may be an effective option in managing noninfectious uveitis affecting the posterior segment.