New data presented at American Society of Retina Specialists 2024 examines the benefits and adverse event profiles of two recently approved therapies to treat dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and geographic atrophy (GA) . These findings, along with early results of agents with novel mechanisms of action, are discussed by Dr. Arshad Khanani of the University of Nevada.

Dr. Khanani begins with the GALE study, which demonstrated that pegcetacoplan (PEG) provided a benefit on visual function on a predefined microperimetry criterion in patients treated for 3 years, this is the first time that GA treatment has demonstrated such a benefit.

He then turns to a real-world study of PEG in GA that examined practice patterns and risk of adverse events, including intraocular and retinal inflammation. vasculitis.

Next, it reports a post-hoc analysis of the GATHER trial that examined whether baseline ellipsoid zone (EZ) integrity characteristics can help predict AG growth rates; Patients in this study were treated with avacincaptad pegol. Identifying patients with faster GA growth rates could inform management decisions.

Dr. Khanani concludes by highlighting studies of two agents with novel mechanisms of action. AVD-104, a dual-inhibition therapy, has shown promise in reducing retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) loss after a single dose. A study of ANX007 showed reductions in total EZ loss and RPE loss in the central subfield, providing evidence for the protective effects of ANX007 on the central macular EZ.