This Week in Ophthalmology: Week of August 11, 2024

Welcome to the latest edition of This Week in Ophthalmology, a video series highlighting some of the top articles featured on the Ophthalmology Times website.

In pipeline news, Sandoz this week announced it has received FDA approval for aflibercept-abzv 2 mg vial kit and pre-filled syringe for intravitreal injection.

According to a news release, aflibercept-abzv is indicated to improve and maintain visual acuity in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

According to the company, the FDA approval of aflibercept-abzv will advance its growth strategy by further extending its US ophthalmology portfolio.

Read More: Sandoz receives FDA approval for aflibercept-abzv for the treatment of nAMD

In this episode, we will revisit my interview with Dr. Sean D. Adrean of Retinal Consultants of Orange County. He discusses outcomes of patients with diabetic macular edema and data from the Phase 2/3 PHOTON study.

Watch Here: A post hoc analysis of the phase 2/3 PHOTON trial

And now, let’s look at some of the headlines this week on the Ophthalmology Times website.

Investigators from the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, reported that eye pain is the most frequent reason patients presented to ophthalmologists and emergency departments (EDs) according to first author Jeremy N. Shapiro, from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

The authors explained that estimating the number of such visits in the US may help guide research and clinical efforts to optimize outcomes.

Shapiro and his team conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2008 to 2019 to analyze a population-based sample of visits to outpatient clinics and emergency departments. The study included patients presenting with eye pain.

The data analysis showed that during the study period, there were 4.6 million outpatient and 1.0 million emergency department annual visits in which patients presented with eye pain visits.

Read More: Study reveals eye pain as leading cause of ophthalmology and ED visits in US

In other news, the National Institutes of Health supported a study that shows 6.5 million Medicaid enrollees (12%) live in states without coverage for routine adult eye exams; and 14.6 million (27%) reside in states without coverage for eyeglasses.

The study is based on 2022 to 2023 coverage policies, and was published in Health Affairs. It is among the first studies to provide a state-by-state analysis of adult Medicaid benefits for basic vision services in both fee-for-service and managed care.

For many visual conditions, an examination by an ophthalmologist or optometrist is the only way to diagnose eye diseases early, when treatment has the best chance to prevent permanent vision loss. Eye examinations also are key to getting a prescription for glasses to correct refractive error.

An analysis of 2020 Medicaid enrollee data, and 2022-2023 coverage policies, found that state-level coverage for adults varied widely. The gaps in coverage included:

In 20 states, fee-for-service Medicaid policies did not cover glasses at all; and in 12 of those states, eye exams were also not covered.

Seven states had no coverage for exams or glasses under both fee-for-service and managed care policies (Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming).

Thirty-five states did not cover low vision aids such as magnifiers and loupes.

Read More: Study finds Medicaid vision coverage for adults varies widely by state