GALE study quantifies tissue, RPE cells saved by pegcetacoplan
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SEATTLE — Based on the amount of retinal tissue preserved, pegcetacoplan saves 5,000 to 9,000 retinal pigment epithelium cells over a period of 2.5 years and up to 15,000 in extrafoveal lesions, according to a study presented here.
“And, as we know, each RPE cell protects a lot of photoreceptors,” Sunir J. Garg, MD, FACS, FASRS, said at the American Society of Retina Specialists annual meeting.
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Geographic atrophy is a relentlessly progressive disease, and it progresses by about 1 mm2 every 6 months, he said. The DERBY, OAKS and GALE studies showed efficacy of pegcetacoplan administered monthly or every other month in slowing disease progression, with increasingly beneficial effect over time. The 30-month GALE data showed that this translates into preservation of 1.16 mm2 of tissue with monthly dosing and 1.03 mm2 with every other month dosing.
How does this translate into retinal cells saved? Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell density varies throughout the macula within an individual and across individuals, ranging between 5,000 cells/mm2 and 7,700 cells/mm2, Garg said.
“So, if we save 1.16 mm2 with pegcetacoplan monthly, we are saving between 6,000 and 9,000 RPE cells. And if you look at pegcetacoplan in the every other month group, we are saving between 5,000 and 8,000 RPE cells,” he said.
In extrafoveal lesions, results are even more impressive. On average, patients treated with pegcetacoplan monthly are saving nearly 2 mm2 of tissue, just slightly less than half a disc area, and 1.62 mm2 with treatment every other month.
“That translates into 10,000 to 15,000 RPE cells saved in the monthly group and 8,000 to 12,500 cells in the every other month group,” Garg said.
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Garg S, et al. Retinal tissue preservation with intravitreal pegcetacoplan in patients with geographic atrophy. Presented at: American Society of Retina Specialists annual meeting; July 28-Aug. 1, 2023; Seattle.
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