2024 in the rearview: The top GA takeaways
Brush up your geographic atrophy knowledge with our 2024 content highlights.
Image credit: AdobeStock/yana136
2024 has kept retina specialists busy. With new treatments hitting the markets and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) prevalence rising, it is more important than ever for optometrists to do their part to identify and refer patients in need of therapy. Plus, early detection and diagnosis can make a world of a difference in preserving vision.
This year, optometrists have been working to find ways to streamline their care for patients with geographic atrophy (GA). Among a sea of information and advice, the Optometry Times team has compiled some of the top GA stories of 2024 to simplify your search and help ring in 2025.
Coupling of clinical trial recruitment and AI eases the burden of GA studies
Artificial intelligence (AI) is finding its niche in medical research, with more and more applications being explored. A team of researchers in the United Kingdom (UK) are exploring AI to simplify appropriate patient recruitment in trials focused on geographic atrophy (GA) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).1
First authors and PhD candidates Dominic J. Williamson and Robbert R. Struyven point out that developing new treatments is expensive, can take decades, and relies heavily on data from clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the new treatments. “Today, challenges in recruiting participants stand as a significant obstacle in clinical trials.Time taken to fully recruit a trial adds significantly to the cost and can lead to delays, with up to 86% of trials not finishing on schedule,”2-5 the researchers write. Williamson and Struyven are from the National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust in London, UK, and the Centre for Medical Imaging Computing at University College London.
Contemporary care in GA: Practice patterns are evolving
With newly available treatment options for slowing the progression of geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), optometrists have an essential role to play in ensuring appropriate patients receive timely care. Although optimal patient selection and therapeutic best practices continue to evolve, what is certain is that early identification is the key to preserving visual function. With timely treatment, we can help patients see for as long as possible.
Consensus guidelines on GA diagnosis and management
With the current focus on stopping the progression to geographic atrophy (GA) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), physicians and researchers are fine-tuning the identification of the various disease stages, management scenarios, and treatment considerations for this patient population.
Carl Regillo, MD, from Mid Atlantic Retina, Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, was the first author of a report issued by an expert panel of optometrists, comprehensive ophthalmologists, and retina specialists, and published in Clinical Ophthalmology.1
Infrared imaging is an aid for patient education about GA
In sister publication Ophthalmology Times’ Case of the Quarter series, Katherine Talcott, MD, shares 2 cases of geographic atrophy (GA) and highlights the importance of multimodal imaging to diagnose and monitor GA progression. Talcott is an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Cole Eye Institute at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in Ohio.
Inflammasome Therapeutics announces first patient dosed in Phase 1 trial evaluating Kamuvudine-8 treatment in patients with GA
Inflammasome Therapeutics announced its first patient has been dosed in the company’s first-in-class clinical trial for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).1 The non-randomized, open label, safety and efficacy study will evaluate Kamuvudine-8 (K8) for the treatment of patients with geographic atrophy (GA).2
“This marks the second trial underway with our Kamuvudines in ophthalmology,” said Paul Ashton, PhD, president and CEO of Inflammasome Therapeutics, in the release.
