Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Arshad M. Khanani, MD, discusses results from the phase 1 OPTIC trial of ADVM-022 intravitreal injection gene therapy (Adverum Biotechnologies) for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration presented at the virtual Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.

Researchers identified three potential subgroups for geographic atrophy based on genotype and specific fundus features, which could lead to better approaches to treating the disease, according to a speaker at the virtual Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.

New interim data for the OPTIC phase 1 dose-ranging clinical trial of ADVM-022 intravitreal injection gene therapy for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration showed robust efficacy in each cohort, long-term durability in cohort 1 and the potential for fewer adverse events in cohort 3, according to a press release from Adverum Biotechnologies.

Simultaneous neutralization of Ang-2 and VEGF-A with faricimab has the potential to reduce vascular destabilization in age-related macular degeneration, achieving sustained efficacy with a significantly lower frequency of administration as compared with ranibizumab.

by Robert S. Fox, OD, FCOVD, FCSO

Between 2006 and 2015, nearly 125,000 patients in the U.S. have received nearly a million injections of anti-VEGF medicines for the treatment of retinal disease, according to Parikh and colleagues. Nearly two-thirds of the injections have been for wet age-related macular degeneration.

The first patient in cohort 4 has been dosed in the ongoing phase 1 OPTIC trial of ADVM-022, according to a press release from Adverum Biotechnologies.

According to an ongoing phase 1/2a trial of RGX-314 gene therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration, six participants who have reached 2-year follow-up have experienced long-term, durable treatment effects and improvements in vision.

Reading the news and listening to reports of friends and loved ones being affected by the pandemic can be concerning. The calls from local and national health authorities to stay apart to stop the spread while trying to maintain a normal lifestyle can be difficult. And then seeing stories of patients young and old losing their lives to this virus can make us feel defeated and lost.

EyePoint Pharmaceuticals has reorganized its operations and will downsize its workforce in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a press release.