Geographic Atrophy

Caroline Baumal, Chief Medical Officer at Apellis, spoke with Ophthalmology Times on the GALE extension study of pegcetacoplan for geographic atrophy, and shared insights on her career transition, emphasizing the significance of mentorship and a passion for one’s work at this year's American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in San Francisco.

This retrospective, multicenter, observational study examined Japanese patients with GA to determine the clinical characteristics and GA progression rate associated with AMD in an Asian population.

Results showed that IZERVAY met the primary objective of reducing the rate of geographic atrophy (GA) growth in patients treated monthly compared to sham-treated patients

The purpose of this investigation was 2-fold: to estimate the costs of treating GA with pegcetacoplan and to identify possible utility measures to compare treatments for GA.

New drugs are now in the pipeline to focus on treatment of the disease.

The authors of a case series say silicone oil droplets from silicone used to lubricate the McKesson syringes is the most likely cause of the droplets presumed to cause the floaters.

G6501 is a suspension of human allogeneic retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells currently in development for the treatment of GA secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The company announced preliminary US net revenues of about $74 million for the injection, approved by the FDA earlier this year.

‘Modern Family’ actor and his mother, Jamey, are sharing their family’s story of GA and AMD to raise awareness of the disease.

According to the company, GATHER-2 24-month results met the primary objective of reducing the rate of GA growth in patients treated with IZERVAY compared to sham.

Novartis acquired Gyroscope Holdings Limited from Syncona in February 2022.

Sustained delivery strategy is offering hope for patients diagnosed with the disease.

Researchers find gray GA lesions had the highest cross-modality differences

According to the company, it is anticipating cost savings of up to $300 million through 2024, which includes an estimated 25% reduction in current workforce and a reduction in external expenses.

The company believes the 19-gauge filter needles may be the culprit in the SYFOVRE injections.

According to the company, the MAA submission is based on data from the GATHER1 and GATHER2 Phase III clinical trials.

Staging AMD accurately and identifying clinical features that are linked with disease progression are key.

According to the company, the therapeutic is the only approved GA treatment with a statistically significant reduction in the rate of GA progression at the 12-month primary endpoint across two Phase 3 clinical trials.

Data from the 30 month GALE extension study indicated that continuous treatment with pegcetacoplan injection showed increasing beneficial effects over that timeframe in patients with geographic atrophy (GA).

The companies are partnering to advance a novel therapy with the goal of preserving sight for people living with blinding retinal disease.

In presentations at the American Society of Retina Specialists 41st Annual Meeting in Seattle, additional analyses support consistent protection from vision loss.

During presentations at the American Society for Retina Specialists 41st Annual Meeting in Seattle, the company noted that there was no indication that drug product or manufacturing issues contributed to rare events of retinal vasculitis.

According to the ASRS Research and Safety in Therapeutics Committee, ophthalmologists noted instances of intraocular inflammation (IOI) after the initial injection of pegcetacoplan.

The complement system identifies and eliminates pathogens and dying cells, 3 pathways can activate the complement system—classical, lectin, and alternative—and their activation results in similar functions of opsonization, inflammation, and cell lysis.

The company has completed evaluation on candidates and selected a single drug candidate to move forward into clinical trials.

CT1812 is an experimental, oral therapy for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to dry age-related macular edema.

Data supports ANX007 as the first complement therapy to preserve visual acuity, achieving statistically significant protection, but reduction in rate of geographic atrophy lesion growth did not reach statistical significance.

According to the company, topical administration is capable of delivering metformin to choroid, RPE, and retina.

Data demonstrate a reduction in the loss of retinal pigmented epithelial and photoreceptor cells.

Analysis signals up to 59% risk reduction in rate of vision loss compared with sham treatment at 12 months.