Geographic Atrophy Awareness Week: ‘An exciting time for research, treatment options’
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For the fourth consecutive year, Prevent Blindness has declared Dec. 2 to 8 as Geographic Atrophy Awareness Week and is offering free educational resources for both patients and eye care providers.
“This is an exciting time for research and treatment options for those with geographic atrophy,” Jeff Todd, president and CEO at Prevent Blindness, said in a press release. “We encourage patients to check out our various geographic atrophy resources and work directly with their eye doctor to put together the best treatment plan to help save sight.”
In recognition of the week, Healio has compiled our recent coverage on advancements in research and care in geographic atrophy and age-related macular degeneration.
AREDS2 supplement slows expansion of geographic atrophy, even in late-stage AMD
Taking a daily supplement with antioxidant vitamins and minerals may slow the progression of late-stage dry AMD and could help maintain central vision in affected patients, according to researchers at NIH.
The original Age-Related Eye Diseases Study (AREDS), published in 2001, found that a supplement formulated with antioxidants — including vitamins C, E and beta-carotene — as well as zinc and copper could slow progression of intermediate to late-stage AMD. More than a decade later, the AREDS2 trial published in 2013 determined that substituting the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin for beta-carotene could not only improve efficacy but also prevent some risks. Neither study examined further benefits once patients progressed to late-stage disease. Read more.
Pegcetacoplan associated with reduced growth rates of geographic atrophy biomarkers
Intravitreal pegcetacoplan was associated with delayed atrophy of retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors among patients with geographic atrophy secondary to AMD, according to research.
“This study demonstrates the potential importance of SD-OCT imaging for assessing growth and response to treatment of GA,” Dun Jack Fu, PhD, a lecturer at University College London and investigator at Moorfields Eye Hospital, and colleagues wrote in JAMA Ophthalmology. Read more.
Ocugen doses second cohort in trial of OCU410 for geographic atrophy
Ocugen has announced that dosing is complete in the second cohort of its phase 1/2 ArMaDa clinical trial to assess the safety of OCU410, a modifier gene therapy candidate for geographic atrophy.
“We are very enthusiastic about the potential of OCU410 as a one-time, gene-agnostic option for the treatment of GA,” Huma Qamar, MD, MPH, Ocugen’s chief medical officer, said in a company press release. “OCU410 regulates multiple pathways involved with the disease, including lipid metabolism, inflammation, oxidative stress and membrane attack complex (complement) with a single subretinal injection.” Read more.
Enrollment complete in phase 2b study of AVD-104 for geographic atrophy secondary to AMD
Aviceda Therapeutics has completed enrollment of its phase 2b SIGLEC study, which will compare the safety and efficacy of AVD-104 vs. Izervay in patients with geographic atrophy secondary to AMD.
“The current GA landscape contains a number of unmet needs,” David Callanan, MD, Aviceda’s chief medical officer, said in a company press release. “Based on our differentiated dual mechanisms of action and strong phase 2a results, we believe AVD-104 has the potential to meaningfully alter the course of GA progression by enabling tangible functional benefits and neuroprotection of retinal tissue.” Read more.
Oral geographic atrophy treatment misses primary endpoint in phase 3 study
Oral gildeuretinol acetate did not meet the primary endpoint of geographic atrophy lesion growth rate in a phase 3 study, according to a press release from Alkeus Pharmaceuticals.
“There is significant unmet need for an oral therapy to treat macular degenerative diseases, including GA secondary to AMD and Stargardt disease, where there are no approved oral treatments,” Seemi Khan, MD, MPH, MBA, chief medical officer of Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, told Healio. “These new data support our belief in the potential of gildeuretinol to transform the treatment landscape for patients suffering from debilitating eye diseases, such as in Stargardt and GA.” Read more.
Oral minocycline fails to slow rate of geographic atrophy enlargement in AMD
Oral minocycline was not associated with a reduction in geographic atrophy enlargement over 24 months vs. a 9-month run-in period among patients with AMD, according to a study in JAMA Ophthalmology.
“We continue to look for these elusive treatments to try and slow down geographic atrophy,” Tiarnán D. L. Keenan, MD, PhD, a Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator in the division of epidemiology and clinical applications at NIH’s National Eye Institute, told Healio. Read more.
Reference:
- Fourth annual Geographic Atrophy Awareness Week. https://preventblindness.org/geographic-atrophy-week-2024/. Published Nov. 26, 2024. Accessed Dec. 3, 2024.
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