Rishi Singh, MD: Efficacy of Pegcetacoplan for GA Based on 24-Month Data

Complement inhibition has a basis for slowing the progression and growth of geographic atrophy (GA), with new data investigating the efficacy and safety of the approach.

In the randomized phase 3 DERBY and OAKS trials, investigators sought to determine the efficacy of pegcetacoplan, an investigational, targeted C3 therapy for GA secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

At the American Academy of Ophthalmology 2022 Annual Meeting, the 24-month data from DERBY and OAKS was presented by Rishi Singh, MD, Cleveland Clinic Florida.

In an interview with HCPLive, Singh discussed the signficance of the findings on pegcetacoplan, showing a signficant rate of GA growth reduction in both studies over the 24-month period.

"That's been an impressive result for patients especially for providers who really don't have any way of inhibiting this condition at this given time," Singh said. "It really offers a lot of promise to patients to preserve retinal function."

Singh noted that some side effects are worth considering, including a risk of converting to exudative macular degeneration, with the rate higher in monthly group versus the every-other-month group.

"This certainly will be a voice of caution during the time of of this drug potentially being approved and potentially being in our hands to utilize in populations," he added.

He went on to discuss the high burden patients with GA face, with low quality of life due to both the need for constant care and dependence on others in their daily lives.

"This drug potentially represents a way of reducing that burden of those patients," Singh said. "And it's really going to be I think, transformative for those patients who can receive this drug and receive it in a timely fashion."

He discussed how the agent may lead to better understanding of the importance of the complement pathway in preventing the progression of the disease.

"While this is the first of many therapies to come down that area that this is going to lead to hopefully more sustained therapies, more durable therapies, and potentially more effective therapies over time," he said.

Singh noted that the drug may even have greater effect in certain populations.

"We can be even more precise about how we deliver this drug to certain populations that may respond the best to it, and prevent the other side effects and other populations that may be most at risk," he said.

"Efficacy of Intravitreal Pegcetacoplan in GA: 24-Month Results From the Phase 3 DERBY and OAKS Trials," was presented at AAO 2022.