AMD: Examining the Evidence and Implementing Effective Treatment Strategies into Practice

Sponsorship Statement: This continuing medical education activity is sponsored by

Title: AMD: Examining the Evidence and Implementing Effective Treatment Strategies into Practice

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this activity participants should be able to:

• Discuss VEGF activity as it occurs in normal physiology and in disease states such as AMD.
• Identify emerging monotherapy and combination treatment strategies for age-related macular degeneration.

Course Chair:
Carmen A. Puliafito, MD, MBA
Retina/Vitreous Section Editor
Ocular Surgery News®
Dean, Keck School of Medicine
Professor of Ophthalmology
and Health Management
May S. and John Hooval Dean’s Chair in Medicine
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Faculty:
Scott W. Cousins, MD
Robert Machemer, MD Professor of Ophthalmology and Immunology
Vice Chair for Research
Department of Ophthalmology
Director, Duke Center for Macular Diseases
Duke University
Durham, NC

Title: Controversies in the Use of Anti-VEGF for Neovascular AMD: Utilization Patterns and Safety Issues

Victor H. Gonzalez, MD
Private Practice
McAllen, TX

Title: Applying the Results from Recent Clinical Trials to Everyday Practice

Continuing Medical Education Information:
Vindico Medical Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Vindico Medical Education designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This enduring material is approved for 1 year from the date of original release, April 14, 2011 to April 13, 2012.

How To Participate in this Activity and Obtain CME Credit:
To participate in this CME activity, you must read the objectives, answer the Pretest questions, watch and listen to the presentations, complete the Posttest, and complete the evaluation. Provide only one (1) correct answer for each question. A satisfactory score is defined as answering 2 out of 2 of the Posttest questions correctly. Upon receipt of the completed materials, if a satisfactory score on the Posttest is achieved, Vindico Medical Education will issue an AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM certificate.

Faculty:
Carmen A. Puliafito, MD, MBA
Scott W. Cousins, MD
Victor H. Gonzalez, MD

Peer Reviewer:
William Lloyd, MD

Disclosures:
In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education’s Standards for Commercial Support, all CME providers are required to disclose to the activity audience the relevant financial relationships of the planners, teachers, and authors involved in the development of CME content. An individual has a relevant financial relationship if he or she has a financial relationship in any amount occurring in the last 12 months with a commercial interest whose products or services are discussed in the CME activity content over which the individual has control. Relationship information appears on this page and the next page.

The authors disclose that they do have significant financial interests in any products or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this activity, including research support.

Faculty members report the following relationship(s):
Carmen A. Puliafito, MD, MBA
Consultant: Zeiss Meditec

Scott W. Cousins, MD
Salary: Duke
Consulting Fees: Eyetech, Inc., Genentech

Victor H. Gonzalez, MD
Consulting Fees: Eyetech, Inc., Genentech, Regeneron
Fees for Non-CME Services: Eyetech, Inc., Genentech, ISTA Pharmaceuticals
Contracted Research: Eyetech, Inc., Genentech, Regeneron

Peer reviewer reports the following relationship(s):
William Lloyd, MD (an employee of Vindico Medical Education)
No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Vindico Medical Education staff report the following relationship(s):
No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Signed disclosures are on file at Vindico Medical Education, Office of Medical Affairs and Compliance.

Overview: Anti-VEGF medications have been shown to be effective in stopping progression, and in some cases improve vision, in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration. There is increasing evidence that these agents may also be effective in treating diabetic macular edema. Clinicians will discuss current clinical trials and other data showing the efficacy of this class of medications, as well as lay out the theory and data on combining these agents with other treatment modalities to take advantage of multiple mechanisms of action.

Target Audience: The intended learners for this activity are vitreoretinal specialists, comprehensive ophthalmologists, and other healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of patients with vitreoretinal disorders.

Unlabeled and Investigational Usage:
The audience is advised that this continuing medical education activity may contain references to unlabeled uses of FDA-approved products or to products not approved by the FDA for use in the United States. The faculty members have been made aware of their obligation to disclose such usage. All activity participants will be informed if any speakers/authors intend to discuss either non-FDA approved or investigational use of products/devices.

Copyright Statement:
Created and published by Slack Incorporated®, 6900 Grove Road, Building 100, Thorofare, NJ 08086-9447. Telephone: 856-848-1000; Fax: 856-848-6091. Printed in the USA. Copyright© 2011 Slack Incorporated®. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The material presented at or in any of Vindico Medical Education continuing medical education activities does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Vindico Medical Education. Neither Vindico Medical Education, nor the faculty endorse or recommend any techniques, commercial products, or manufacturers. The faculty/authors may discuss the use of materials and/or products that have not yet been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. All readers and continuing education participants should verify all information before treating patients or utilizing any product.