Angiogenesis, Exudation and Degeneration Meeting

MIAMI — Despite "vastly different methodology" in data capture between the clinical trial program for ocriplasmin as a treatment for symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion and the postmarketing analyses, which may be "woefully underreported," comparable frequencies of adverse events are seen between the two, Baruch D. Kuppermann, MD, said here. "We're trying to get a handle on adverse events. It's a new product. There are adverse events that are occurring. It is important for us to understand them so we can set both physician and patient expectations," Kuppermann said at the Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2014 meeting.

MIAMI — A study under way to evaluate safety and tolerability of subretinal transplantation of human embryonic stem cells in patients with dry age-related macular degeneration so far has yielded no “untoward pathologic reactions,” a speaker said here. “Human embryonic stem cells are a robust renewable source of terminally differentiated, young, healthy [retinal pigment epithelium] cells,” Ninel Z. Gregori, MD, told colleagues at the Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2014 meeting. “This is the first clinical trial transplanting hESC-derived RPE cells into human patients.”

MIAMI — Squalamine eye drops achieve trough concentrations in the choroid well in excess of its threshold level to inhibit angiogenesis, a speaker said here. “Squalamine has some very promising properties,” Lawrence J. Singerman, MD, FACS, FICS, said at the Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2014 meeting. “One is long retention time in the posterior ocular tissues. Another is high potency, and it has ability to inhibit multiple angiogenic growth factors.”

MIAMI — Geographic atrophy is part of the overall age-related macular degeneration disease process and was seen in more than half of eyes with wet AMD in one study, a speaker said here. “It’s not a different disease — it’s part of the disease,” Jason S. Slakter, MD, said at the Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2014 meeting. “We all know that CNV develops in patients with dry AMD — we’ve known that for years — but everyone is kind of shocked that we might get geographic atrophy in patients with CNV, although we probably shouldn’t have been surprised. In the past we just couldn’t see it.”

MIAMI — A new generation of antioxidants under pharmaceutical development is intended for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration in manufactured doses greater than what can be obtained over the counter, a speaker said here. In models in which “megadoses” of vitamin E were used, drusen formation was hindered, but the doses would have been toxic in humans, Scott W. Cousins, MD, said at the Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2014 meeting. “It’s not that the antioxidant mechanism of action is wrong; it’s that the nutraceutical is not performing the way a pharmaceutical would be,” Cousins said.

MIAMI — Phase 3 PHOENIX study data show a strong anatomic benefit of conbercept treatment, an anti-VEGF developed in China, a speaker said here.

MIAMI — There is no clear evidence that aspirin use has a harmful effect on age-related macular degeneration, according to a speaker here.

MIAMI — Vision remained stable in patients whose treatment was changed from ranibizumab to aflibercept, but vascularized pigment epithelial detachments continue to be difficult to treat, a researcher reporting 6-month results of the ROLL study said here.