Lejla Vajzovic, MD, FASRS
Healio spoke with Lejla Vajzovic, MD, FASRS, associate professor of ophthalmology, adult and pediatric vitreoretinal surgery and disease, Duke University Eye Center, about:
- the excitement of having treatment options for patients with inherited retinal diseases as new treatments emerge;
- developments highlighted at Hawaiian Eye and Retina 2023;
- how the only gene therapy currently FDA-approved to treat Leber congenital amaurosis has “sparked interest” into “diving deeper into genetic analyses” for retinal diseases;
- the 40+ clinical trials currently ongoing in the IRD space;
- the promise of gene therapy in “more common retinal diseases” like wet AMD and diabetic retinopathy;
- challenges of understanding subtle signs of vision changes early in patients;
- sharing with patients that genetic testing can help diagnose and treat conditions earlier; and
- comparing the role of genetic predispositions in IRD risk between the sexes.