New Retina Radio By Eyetube

In this new podcast episode, John W. Kitchens, MD, interviews Kirk Packo, MD, FACS, around his triumphant career and his decision to retire from practicing medicine following an unexpected diagnosis. In part 1 of 2, Dr. Packo describes his early career goals, his experience with residency matching, his background in acting and directing, and his passion for educating.  This podcast is editorially independent.

The pipeline in retina is bursting! Which datasets shared at the ASRS 2021 meeting provided insights into the future of retina? Mark Barakat, MD, joins the podcast to discuss topline results from a study examining the suprachoroidal delivery of RGX-314 (RegenxBio). And Nancy Holekamp, MD, stops by to educate us on the potential for targeting C1q in the complement cascade in patients with geographic atrophy. What’s the latest with the phase 2 ARCHER study? Find out on this episode. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

The age of big data allows researchers to uncover how real-world patients with geographic atrophy (GA) behave. What did a deep dive into the IRIS Registry find? We spoke with Durga Borkar, MD, about her research team’s findings on which GA patients are most at risk to being lost to follow-up, which may inform treatment strategies once a drug is approved. And we sat down with M. Ali Khan, MD, whose meta-analysis of RISE/RIDE and three DRCR Retina Network studies explored possible visual outcomes gaps in Black and White patients with diabetic eye disease.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

We may be on the cusp of the next great era of wet AMD therapy. Which phase 3 data will guide physician decision-making if new technologies are approved by regulatory bodies? Chirag Jhaveri, MD, spoke with New Retina Radio about anatomic data collected in the phase 3 ARCHWAY study. How did patients who received the Port Delivery System with Ranibizumab (PDS, Genentech) differ from those on monthly ranibizumab (Lucentis, Genentech) in terms of fluctuation in central subfield thickness? And as FDA weighs the possible approval of faricimab for the treatment of wet AMD, we hear from Karl Csaky, MD, PhD, about the safety, efficacy, and durability of the drug for wet AMD in the TENAYA and LUCERNE studies.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

How can retina surgeons work with optometrists to create a framework that best manages the cases of patients with vitreous opacities? To answer this question, John Kitchens, MD, turns to Tarek Hassan, MD, and Walt Whitley, OD, MBA. The panel discusses how collaboration can transition patients smoothly to surgical consultation, the anatomy of a referral, and if some patients are better suited for surgery than others.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis continues to challenge retina specialists. Could use of CMV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes be an effective strategy in some patients? And if so, in whom? To answer these questions, Christina Weng, MD, MBA, is joined by study author Mrinali Gupta, MD, and panelists Brian Do, MD, and Dimitra Skondra, MD, PhD. During their discussion, we hear about the structure and findings of the study and learn about how these new data may affect treatment algorithms for patients with newly diagnosed CMV retinitis.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

In the next installment of the New Retina Radio miniseries "International Perspectives," moderator Jennifer Arnold (Australia) in joined by panelists Ramin Tadayoni (France) and Armin Wolf (Germany) to discuss the history and contemporary trends of RVO therapy.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

It isn't often that anterior segment and posterior segment surgeons discuss surgery. New Retina Radio, in a crossover episode with CRST: The Podcast, is changing that by initiating a conversation about surgery for vitreous opacities. John Kitchens, MD, invites retina specialist Maria Berrocal, MD, and anterior segment surgeon Elizabeth Yeu, MD, to chat surgical pearls, patient management tactics, and whether premium IOLs are exacerbating vitreous opacities. Stick around at the end of the episode for some compelling conversation that our editors salvaged from the cutting room floor.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

As retina inches closer to a therapy that is safe and effective for the treatment of GA in the presence of dry AMD, the VBS Journal Club meets to review a pair of papers on a pair of pipeline treatments undergoing phase 3 evaluations. Aleksandra Rachitskaya, MD, is joined by Emmanuel Chang, MD, PhD; Michael Klufas, MD; and Dmitra Skondra, MD, to review phase 2/3 GATHER1 study, which is evaluating the safety and efficacy of avacincaptad pegol (Zimura, IVERIC bio). They also discuss a post hoc evaluation of the phase 2 FILLY study to determine which factors may be linked to the development of exudative AMD in some study patients after treatment with pegcetacoplan (Apellis), which is underdoing phase 3 investigation in the DERBY and OAKS studies.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

Safety will ultimately drive decision-making for patients with wet AMD. What are the latest safety data in the MERLIN, ARCHWAY, OPTIC, RGX-314, and TENAYA/LUCERNE trials? Moderator Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA (United States), and panelists Justus G. Garweg, MD (Switzerland), Seenu M. Hariprasad, MD (United States), and Peter Kertes, MD, FRCSC (Canada), sift through the latest safety data to determine how concerns about safety could shape the future of wet AMD therapy.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

Perspectives regarding surgery for vitreous opacities (VOs) have shifted in the past several years. How have innovations in surgical instrumentation, visualization, and IOL technology changed how surgeons approach VOs? John Kitchens, MD, sits down with S.K. Steven Houston III, MD, and Christina Weng, MD, MBA, to hear their perspectives on the modern state of VOs, learn about their surgical tactics, and establish how they determine when to send patients to surgery. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

The pipeline of wet AMD treatments is inspiring. What can retina specialists around the world expect when it comes to wet AMD therapy candidates KSI-301 (Kodiak Sciences), RGX-314 (RegenxBio), and ADVM-022 (Adverum Biotechnologies)? Join moderator Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA (United States), and panelists Justus G. Garweg, MD (Switzerland), Seenu M. Hariprasad, MD (United States), and Peter Kertes, MD, FRCSC (Canada), as they review early-phase data from some of the possible wet AMD drugs of the future.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

In this opening installment of the New Retina Radio miniseries "International Perspectives," moderator Patricio Schlottmann (Argentina) sits down with panelists Catherine Creuzot-Garcher (France) and Adnan Tufail (United Kingdom) to review their strategies for treating patients with diabetic macular edema. The group discusses government regulations regarding the use of particular therapies and reviews why, in many cases, anti-VEGF therapy is the most effective therapeutic option.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

If new treatment options for wet AMD are approved for treatment, retina specialists will have even more options to switch patients to a new therapy. Which drug candidates have phase 3 data and real-world data that could point toward upcoming action by regulatory bodies? Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA (United States), convenes an international panel comprised of Justus G. Garweg, MD (Switzerland), Seenu M. Hariprasad, MD (United States), and Peter Kertes, MD, FRCSC (Canada), to review data related to brolucizumab (Beovu, Novartis), the Port Delivery System with Ranibizumab (Genentech), and faricimab (Roche).  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

As the threat of COVID-19 subsides, scientists are working to make sense of the information that was gathered during the pandemic. Caroline Baumal, MD, asks M. Ali Khan, MD; Vlad Matei, MD; and Christina Weng, MD, MBA, to tackle two papers that analyze data collected during this time. First, they address the strengths and limits of a paper from the infectious disease realm that used history of AMD as a marker for complement inhibition in patients with COVID-19. Then, they parse the details of an article reviewing how real-world high-frequency patients with wet AMD fared when treatment intervals were increased during the height of the pandemic. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

Retina specialists around the world aim to reduce treatment burden while maximizing therapeutic outcomes in patients. How do global experts decide when to switch and to which therapy? Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA (United States), is joined by Justus G. Garweg, MD (Switzerland), Seenu M. Hariprasad, MD (United States), and Peter Kertes, MD, FRCSC (Canada), to discuss tactics for moving wet AMD patients to new therapies or regimens. Also, Prof. Garweg shares a case of a patient who benefited from a new treatment option approved for wet AMD.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

In the third episode of the Missing Link podcast series, Carl D. Regillo, MD, speaks with Carl Awh, MD, and Dante Pieramici, MD, about surgical options for neovascular AMD and how they might be applied in clinical practice. Although some of these options are still in the later stages of development, the panel looks forward to options that may truly change the treatment paradigm for the better. Click here to listen to this and other episodes in this series. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

In this roundtable moderated by Allen C. Ho, MD, experts in gene therapy discuss the latest data, clinical trial hurdles, and the promise these programs hold for patients being treated for wet AMD. Participants include Robert L. Avery, MD; Peter Campochiaro, MD, PhD; Jeffrey S. Heier, MD; Szilárd Kiss, MD; and Charles Wykoff, MD, PhD. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

Masks are effective in curbing transmission of COVID-19. But could they also direct bacteria toward the ocular region? Yoshi Yonekawa, MD, hears from two primary study investigators—Ajay Kuriyan, MD, and Jonathan Chang, MD—about their newly published studies, and invites Paula Pecen, MD, to evaluate the studies' designs, findings, and clinical relevance. After the break, all four doctors compare the two papers and review their respective masking protocols. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

In the second episode of the Missing Link podcast series, Carl D. Regillo, MD, speaks with Jennifer Lim, MD, and Charlie Wykoff, MD, PhD, about the challenges inherent to finding the best retreatment interval for each patient. The panel also shares thoughts on how clinical trials could be structured to deliver data that would help clinicians understand durability of existing and new and novel treatment options. Click here to listen to this and other episodes in this series. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.