New Retina Radio By Eyetube

Researchers in the second pivotal study evaluating the safety and efficacy of avacincaptad pegol (Zimura, IVERIC bio) for the treatment of geographic atrophy have released 1-year results. New Retina Radio spoke with Arshad Khanani, MD, MS, about the GATHER2 study findings. How did the study results compare to the GATHER1 conclusions—and might the company move forward with a regulatory filing?

What is the effect of laser prophylaxis in patients with Stickler Syndrome, and just how effective are buckles in patients with GRT detachments? Yoshi Yonekawa, MD, PhD, is joined by Peter Campbell, MD; Karen Jeng-Miller, MD; and Prethy Rao, MD, to review two recent contributions to the literature, during which they probe the papers' findings and explore their limitations.

What changed in the most recent iteration of the International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity? And what do new data tell us about how ROP patients fare in adulthood? To find out, Yoshi Yonekawa, MD, PhD, is joined by Peter Campbell, MD; Karen Jeng-Miller, MD; and Prethy Rao, MD, to break down the latest literature, examine the papers' limitations, and offer pearls for surgical management of adults with history of ROP. 

Can a quantitative analysis of OCT images detect early diabetic retinopathy in patients without symptoms? New Retina Radio spoke with Jennifer Lim, MD, whose research team sought to learn whether imaging analyses of photoreceptor length and reflectivity parameters could serve as a biomarker for disease detection.  We also sat down with Lejla Vajzovic, MD, who shared data on a pair of phase 1 studies assessing the safety and efficacy of two gene therapies for achromatopsia. One of those two drugs will be going on for further study. Which one? Stick with us to find out. 

Retina specialists may wish to turn to the literature to learn more about multifocal, indolent, nonprogressive choroidal lesions. Let the New Retina Radio Journal Club with VBS help you out. Moderator Kyle Kovacs, MD, is joined by Cynthia Qian, MD, and David Xu, MD, to review two recent papers on this atypical presentation. 

Was treat-and-extend faricimab (Vabysmo, Genentech) an effective means of controlling DME in the YOSEMITE and RHINE studies? New Retina Radio spoke with John Kitchens, MD, whose ASRS presentation reviewed results from a pair of phase 3 studies that assessed, in part, 12- and 16-week dosing intervals of faricimab in patients with DME.  Also joining us is Michael Allingham, MD, PhD. He shared results from the phase 2b ZETA-1 study, which examined the safety and efficacy of APX3330 (Ocuphire Pharma), an oral medication for DR. What promise might this treatment hold? Tune in to learn more.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

Treat-and-extend regimens has been used for thousands of wet AMD patients. How does brolucizumab (Beovu, Novartis) stack up when compared with aflibercept (Eylea, Regeneron) in a matched treat-and-extend study? New Retina Radio spoke with Carl Regillo, MD, a member of the TALON study group, which sought to find out if brolucizumab was superior to aflibercept for extending treatment intervals in wet AMD patients.    We also spoke with Carl Danzig, MD, whose work on the TRUCKEE study illuminates real-world treatment dynamics when it comes to the use of faricimab (Vabysmo, Genentech) in wet AMD treatment. How are patients responding in the real world? 

How might two recent contributions to the literature deepen our understanding of recurrent rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD)? To find out, moderator Kyle Kovacs, MD, is joined by panelists Cynthia Qian, MD, and David Xu, MD, to review a pair of papers on the topic. After the break, the group tackles tamponade selection and use of scleral buckles in patients with RRD, and discusses tactics for bringing a patient back to the OR if RRD recurs. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

In this episode, John W. Kitchens, MD, speaks with Steve Charles, MD, FACS, FICS, FASRS, a vitreoretinal surgeon and founder of the Charles Retina Institute in Germantown, Tennessee, as well as clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. Known to many as the architect behind the ACCURUS and CONSTELLATION from Alcon, his career is wildly impressive, but Dr. Kitchens finds his life and career history even more fascinating. This podcast is editorially independent.

What are the latest findings regarding pentosan poloysulfate maculopathy (PPM)? Moderator Basil Williams, MD, invites panelists Karen Jeng-Miller, MD, MPH; M. Ali Khan, MD; and Katherine Talcott, MD, to review two recent publications seeking to better characterize the condition After the break, the discussion turns to the utility of imaging modalities in PPM management and an exploration into hospital-based policies that might lead to earlier detection of PPM in patients undergoing a new course of pentosan polysulfate sodium therapy. 

Could an 8-mg dose intensify the therapeutic effect of aflibercept (Eylea, Regeneron) in patients with wet AMD? The phase 2 CANDELA study sought to explore the safety and efficacy of high-dose aflibercept in this patient population. What did Dave Brown, MD, and his research colleagues observe?  And 96-week data from ARCHWAY are in. Did the complete study, which reached its primary endpoint after 40 weeks, reveal new data that could affect clinical decision-making when it comes to real-world use of the Port Delivery System with Ranibizumab (Susvimo, Genentech)? Hear our interview with Robert Mittra, MD, to find out.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

Could RPE cell replacement therapy be the future of GA treatments? Retina Today’s Chief Medical Editor Allen C. Ho, MD, joined us to discuss observations from a phase 1/2a study evaluating the safety and efficacy of OpRegen (Lineage Cell Therapeutics), a suspension of allogenic RPE cells implanted in the subretinal space. How well was this therapy tolerated, and were there any signs of vision improvement?   Elsewhere in the GA pipeline, researchers are exploring whether the gene therapy GT005 (Gyroscope Therapeutics) might be a safe and effective one-time treatment for GA via upregulation of complement factor I. How does complement factor I affect the course of GA, and what are the latest data from a phase 1/2 study? Check out this episode to hear on conversation on that topic with Jared Nielsen, MD, MBA.   This podcast is editorially independent, supported with advertising.

Could photobiomodulation soon be a therapeutic option for patients with dry AMD? Researchers in the LIGHTSITE III study are working toward finding out. We spoke with Marion Munk, MD, PhD, about the details from a study that evaluated the Valeda Light Delivery System (LumiThera) in patients with dry AMD. Were patients able to safely realize any improvement to visual function?  And we checked in with Roger Goldberg, MD, MBA, who detailed the 18-month findings of the DERBY and OAKS studies, a pair of phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of pegcetacoplan (APL-2, Apellis Pharmaceuticals) in patients with geographic atrophy. The studies’ primary endpoint was at 1 year. What did they find after an additional 6 months? Stick here to find out. 

Anti-VEGF therapy has been a game changer for patients with AMD; now, the treatment toolbox is getting an overhaul with two new approvals and, hopefully, more on the way. Allen C. Ho, MD, sat down with Robyn Guymer AM, MBBS, PhD, FRANZCO, FAHMS; Charles C. Wykoff, MD, PhD; and Diana V. Do, MD, to discuss how these new treatments are going to change clinical practice and how to educate patients on the pros and cons of each option.

How has reimbursement for common vitreoretinal procedures changed from 2011 to 2020? To find out, moderator Eric Nudleman, MD, PhD, hears from panelists John Miller, MD; Thanos Papakostas, MD; and Priya Vakharia, MD, as they discuss a recent piece on the topic published in the journal Ophthalmology. After reviewing the findings, the panel discusses the implications for reduced reimbursement in an era of improved efficiency and asks whether future innovation will allow patients to receive the same level of care even as reimbursement declines. 

Do the demographics of patients enrolled in clinical trials accurately reflect the patient populations their drugs intend to treat? Moderator Basil Williams, MD, is joined by panelists Karen Jeng-Miller, MD, MPH; M. Ali Khan, MD, and Katherine Talcott, MD, to summarize a pair of papers exploring this topic. After summarizing the papers' findings, the group reviews a phase 4 trial seeking to enroll underrepresented patients and asks which barriers to enrollment may be linked to shortcomings in demographic diversity. 

Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and pneumatic retinopexy (PnR) are both commonly employed to repair rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). What does the literature have to say about the safety and outcomes of these two procedures? Moderator Eric Nudleman, MD, PhD, asks panelists John Miller, MD; Thanos Papakostas, MD; and Priya Vakharia, MD, to break down the PIVOT and ALIGN studies, both of which were recently published in the journal Ophthalmology Retina. What were these studies’ findings—and how accurately do they reflect clinical experience?

Have innovations in therapy actually led to a paradigm shift when it comes to encountering patients with newly diagnosed wet AMD? In the season finale of “The Art of Drug Choice,” moderator Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA, is joined by panelists Lejla Vajzovic, MD, and Joseph M. Coney, MD, to review strategies for treating new wet AMD patients, to discuss where new technologies fit into a treatment algorithm, and to examine the best time to switch patients to a new therapeutic option. After the break, Dr. Khanani updates the panel on a patient case shared in previous seasons of this series, which involves a patient with a 12-year treatment history who experienced significant vision loss following a change in therapy. How did Dr. Khanani manage the case—and what happened after inflammation was brought under control?   This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

How do retina specialists decide which wet AMD patients are best suited for extended duration therapy and which patients should continue with more traditional intervention? In the second episode of this season of “The Art of Drug Choice,” moderator Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA, asks Lejla Vajzovic, MD, and Joseph M. Coney, MD, about which factors they weigh most heavily when determining if a patient could be a good candidate for a change in treatment strategy, and discuss how gene therapy may play a role in wet AMD treatment. After the break, Dr. Vajzovic reviews the case of a patient who has undergone treatment with three different anti-VEGF agents. Why and when did she switch this patient to a different therapy? This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

How have the most recent advances in wet AMD therapy changed the treatment landscape for clinicians? In this debut episode of the third season of “The Art of Drug Choice,” moderator Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA, is joined by Lejla Vajzovic, MD, and Joseph M. Coney, MD, for a discussion about choosing patients who are best suited for the recently approved therapies, and for a preview of how biosimilars could affect treatment decisions. After the break, Dr. Coney shares the case of a patient whose need to extend treatment intervals was addressed by switching to a new anti-VEGF agent. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.