New Retina Radio By Eyetube

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.

This story started in the early days of VEGF's isolation in the 1970s and brought us to the discovery of ranibizumab and bevacizumab in the mid 2000s. The data revealed at the ASRS meeting in 2005 would change retina forever-and usher in a new competitor with a chance to disrupt the landscape yet again. Don't miss the final episode of this fascinating and important story told by those that lived it. We're bringing back some of the voices you've heard before, and some new ones, too. John D. Pitcher III, MD, invites Bob Avery, MD; David Brown, MD; Jeffrey Heier, MD; Nancy Holekamp, MD; Kirk Packo, MD; Phillip Rosenfeld, MD, PhD; and Bob Vitti, MD, to tell the latest chapter of anti-VEGF's biography. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

New Retina Radio continues its biography of anti-VEGF. John D. Pitcher III, MD, picks up the story where we left off: in a world where pegaptanib was the only intravitreal injection approved for treating wet AMD. But a deep dive into the literature and a few calculations on the back of a napkin are about to change retina practice forever. Guests in this episode include Bob Avery, MD; Dave Brown, MD; Anne Fung, MD; Jeffrey Heier, MD; Andrew Moshfeghi, MD, MBA; Kirk Packo, MD; and Philip Rosenfeld, MD, PhD. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

Recently, the first refillable, intraocular device that enables continuous delivery of therapy was FDA approved for nAMD. John Kitchens, MD sits down with one of the investigators, Dante Pieramici, MD, to learn more about his experiences with the clinical development program and this innovative drug delivery system. This special episode of New Retina Radio is supported by Genentech USA, Inc., which is responsible for its content.

In this roundtable moderated by Allen C. Ho, MD, and Robert L. Avery, MD, experts discuss the frustration of postoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy and strategies to minimize its incidence in the clinic.  Panelists include Dean Eliott, MD; Avni P. Finn, MD, MBA; Ajay Kuriyan, MD, MS; and M. Ali Khan, MD. This podcast is editorially independent.

Many young retina specialists have always known retina as an anti-VEGF world. But how did this happen? John D. Pitcher III, MD, joins Scott and Ranna in studio to deliver the first part of the tale of anti-VEGF in retina, taking the story back to the 1970s to tell the story of the discovery of VEGF, the creation of pegaptanib, and the struggles that early anti-VEGF encountered in retina. There are a lot of guests for this one, but the major players for this episode are Tony Adamis, MD; Bob Avery, MD; Jeff Heier, MD; and Kirk Packo, MD. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

Innovation often drives surgeons to adopt new techniques and surgical approaches. Join John Kitchens, MD, Carl Awh, MD, and Aleksandra Rachitskaya, MD as they discuss their experiences with a new refillable, intraocular device that enables continuous delivery of therapy for patients with nAMD. Listen as they provide their insights on learning the implant and refill- exchange procedures as well as their perspectives on the training program for the device. This special episode of New Retina Radio is supported by Genentech USA, Inc., which is responsible for its content.

In the culmination of this case-based series discussing who is best suited for which types of wet AMD therapy, John Kitchens, MD, invites Murtaza Adam, MD, and Aleksandra Rachitskaya, MD, to the program to showcase two real-world patient files. After they are done with case discussions, Drs. Adam, Kitchens, and Rachitskaya examine how patient lifestyle details may affect treatment strategies.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

In the second installment of this ongoing series covering wet AMD, Lisa Faia, MD, and Sumit Sharma, MD, submit to host John Kitchens, MD, a set of real-world patient cases in which treatment challenges necessitated a change in therapy. After revealing which treatment option is best suited for their respective patients, Drs. Faia and Sharma parse which patient types are eligible for long-duration treatment and which types are better matched for more traditional approaches.  This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

Changes to the uveitis treatment landscape after years of stagnation warrant a reset on what is approved, what the latest data are, and which developments are in the pipeline. Glenn Jaffe, MD, summarized his state of the union on uveitis therapy, reviewing data from the most recently approved innovations in the field. Nicole Koulisis, MD, joins the program to review data on ocular injuries linked to social unrest in the summer of 2020. What were the causes linked to ocular injuries, how severely was vision affected, and what were final outcomes for these patients? This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

In the first of this three-part series reviewing topics in wet AMD, Carl Regillo, MD, and Adrienne Scott, MD, join moderator John Kitchens, MD, to submit a pair of real-world patient cases illustrating how the need to reduce the burden of care may drive treatment decisions in patients with wet AMD. After they reveal how they managed their respective patient cases, Drs. Regillo and Scott join Dr. Kitchens for a review of how the latest innovations in retina could improve patients’ lives by alleviating treatment burden. This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

As more data are published regarding medical intervention for macular hole closure, retina specialists want to know which patients are best suited for this approach and in which cases it may be most effective. Christina Weng, MD, MBA, invites Brian Do, MD; Mrinali Gupta, MD; and Dimitra Skondra, MD, PhD, to summarize and respond to a pair of retrospective case series that explored the safety and efficacy of drop regimens for macular hole closure. The group discusses the papers’ findings and comments on their own experience with medical management of macular holes.   This editorially independent podcast is supported with advertising.

In this roundtable moderated by Allen C. Ho, MD, IRD experts discuss their experiences treating patients with voretigene neparvovec (Luxturna, Spark), tips and tricks for subretinal delivery, and the nuances of genetic testing. Participants include Mark E. Pennesi, MD, PhD; Jacque L. Duncan, MD; Andreas Lauer, MD; Aaron Nagiel, MD, PhD; and Artur V. Cideciyan, PhD. To read the article, click here.  This podcast is editorially independent.