Predicting the immediate impact of national lockdown on neovascular age-related macular degeneration and associated visual morbidity: an INSIGHT Health Data Research Hub for Eye Health report.

OBJECTIVE: Predicting the impact of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) service disruption on visual outcomes following national lockdown in the UK to contain SARS-CoV-2. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This retrospective cohort study includes deidentified data from 2229 UK patients from the INSIGHT Health Data Research digital hub. We forecasted the number of treatment-naïve nAMD patients requiring anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) initiation during UK lockdown (16 March 2020 through 31 July 2020) at Moorfields Eye Hospital (MEH) and University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB). Best-measured visual acuity (VA) changes without anti-VEGF therapy were predicted using post hoc analysis of Minimally Classic/Occult Trial of the Anti-VEGF Antibody Ranibizumab in the Treatment of Neovascular AMD trial sham-control arm data (n=238). RESULTS: At our centres, 376 patients were predicted to require anti-VEGF initiation during lockdown (MEH: 325; UHB: 51). Without treatment, mean VA was projected to decline after 12 months. The proportion of eyes in the MEH cohort predicted to maintain the key positive visual outcome of ≥70 ETDRS letters (Snellen equivalent 6/12) fell from 25.5% at baseline to 5.8% at 12 months (UHB: 9.8%-7.8%). Similarly, eyes with VA <25 ETDRS letters (6/96) were predicted to increase from 4.3% to 14.2% at MEH (UHB: 5.9%-7.8%) after 12 months without treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we demonstrate how combining data from a recently founded national digital health data repository with historical industry-funded clinical trial data can enhance predictive modelling in nAMD. The demonstrated detrimental effects of prolonged treatment delay should incentivise healthcare providers to support nAMD patients accessing care in safe environments. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00056836.

Feasibility Study of a Multimodal, Cloud-Based, Diabetic Retinal Screening Program in a Workplace Environment.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of capturing and interpreting retinal images in a workplace environment using a multimodal, cloud-based, diabetic retinal screening program combined with electronic self-reported questionnaires. The burden of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and other retinal conditions, healthcare utilization, and visual function were also assessed. Methods: A cross-sectional feasibility study was conducted at the Genentech, Inc., Campus Health Center. Eyes of participants were imaged using ultra-widefield (UWF) color fundus photography (CFP) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). A cloud-based platform was used for the automated, seamless transfer of images to a remote reading center for evaluation for DR and other retinal pathologies. Electronic surveys collected participants' self-reported medical histories, healthcare utilization, and visual function data. Results: Among 100 participants (mean age, 43.9 years; 44% male), 33% of them self-reported diabetes. Eye examinations within the past 12 months were reported by 71% of all participants (n = 71/100) and by 85% (n = 28/33) of those with self-reported diabetes. Among participants with complete screening images from both UWF-CFP and SD-OCT, 20% (n = 6/30) of those with self-reported diabetes and 8.5% (n = 5/59) of participants with no history of diabetes were unaware they had mild/moderate nonproliferative DR. Among all participants, 20% (20/100) had a retinal finding, on either UWF-CFP or SD-OCT, or both, which prompted a referral for further evaluation. Conclusions: A retinal screening program deployed via a secure, scalable, and interoperable cloud-based platform was feasible and conveniently integrated into the workplace. Translational Relevance: Cloud-based platforms could be used to promote a secure, scalable, and interoperable system for retinal screening in nontraditional environments.

End-of-Study Results for the Ladder Phase 2 Trial of the Port Delivery System with Ranibizumab for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

PURPOSE: To report the end-of-study results from the Ladder clinical trial of the Port Delivery System with ranibizumab (PDS) for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). DESIGN: Multicenter, randomized, active treatment-controlled phase 2 clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Patients diagnosed with nAMD with a documented response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment who received study treatment (N = 220). METHODS: Patients were randomized 3:3:3:2 to treatment with the PDS filled with ranibizumab 10-mg/ml, 40-mg/ml, and 100-mg/ml formulations or monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5-mg injections. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: End-of-study results for the time to first meeting refill criteria (first refill), mean change from baseline for best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT), and safety. RESULTS: At study end, the mean time on study was 22.1 months (range, 10.8-37.6 months) for all PDS patients. Median time to first refill was 8.7 months, 13.0 months, and 15.8 months, and 28.9%, 56.0%, and 59.4% of patients went 12 months or longer without meeting refill criteria in the PDS 10-mg/ml, 40-mg/ml, and 100-mg/ml treatment arms, respectively. At month 22, the observed mean BCVA change from baseline was ‒4.6 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters, ‒2.3 ETDRS letters, +2.9 ETDRS letters, and +2.7 ETDRS letters in the PDS 10-mg/ml, 40-mg/ml, 100-mg/ml, and monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5-mg treatment arms, respectively. At month 22, the observed mean CFT change from baseline was similar in the PDS 100-mg/ml and monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5-mg treatment arms. No new safety signals were detected during the additional follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Over a mean of 22 months on study, vision and anatomic outcomes were comparable between the PDS 100-mg/ml and monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5-mg arms, with a lower total number of ranibizumab treatments with the PDS. The Ladder end-of-study findings were consistent with the primary analysis, and the PDS generally was well tolerated throughout the entire study period. The PDS has the potential to reduce treatment burden in patients with nAMD while maintaining vision.

Development of Deep Learning Models to Predict Best-Corrected Visual Acuity from Optical Coherence Tomography.

Purpose: To develop deep learning (DL) models to predict best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from optical coherence tomography (OCT) images from patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods: Retrospective analysis of OCT images and associated BCVA measurements from the phase 3 HARBOR trial (NCT00891735). DL regression models were developed to predict BCVA at the concurrent visit and 12 months from baseline using OCT images. Binary classification models were developed to predict BCVA of Snellen equivalent of <20/40, <20/60, and ≤20/200 at the concurrent visit and 12 months from baseline. Results: The regression model to predict BCVA at the concurrent visit had R2 = 0.67 (root-mean-square error [RMSE] = 8.60) in study eyes and R2 = 0.84 (RMSE = 9.01) in fellow eyes. The best classification model to predict BCVA at the concurrent visit had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.92 in study eyes and 0.98 in fellow eyes. The regression model to predict BCVA at month 12 using baseline OCT had R2 = 0.33 (RMSE = 14.16) in study eyes and R2 = 0.75 (RMSE = 11.27) in fellow eyes. The best classification model to predict BCVA at month 12 had AUC = 0.84 in study eyes and AUC = 0.96 in fellow eyes. Conclusions: DL shows promise in predicting BCVA from OCTs in nAMD. Further research should elucidate the utility of models in clinical settings. Translational Relevance: DL models predicting BCVA could be used to enhance understanding of structure-function relationships and develop more efficient clinical trials.

Building on the success of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy: a vision for the next decade.

This article aims to identify key opportunities for improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of retinal disease, and describe recent innovations that will potentially facilitate improved outcomes with existing intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies and lay the groundwork for new treatment approaches. The review begins with a summary of the key discoveries that led to the development of anti-VEGF therapies and briefly reviews their impact on clinical practice. Opportunities for improvements in diagnosis, real-world outcomes with existing therapies, long-acting therapeutics and personalised health care are discussed, as well as the need to identify new targets for therapeutic intervention. Low-cost, remote patient screening and monitoring using artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies can help improve diagnosis rates and enable remote disease monitoring with minimal patient burden. AI-based tools can be applied to generate patient-level prognostic data and predict individual treatment needs, reducing the time needed to optimise a patient's treatment regimen. Long-acting therapeutics can help improve visual outcomes by reducing the treatment burden. When paired with AI-generated prognoses, long-acting therapeutics enable the possibility of vision loss prevention. Dual-acting drugs may help improve efficacy and/or durability beyond what is possible with anti-VEGF agents alone. Recent developments and ongoing innovations will help build upon the success of anti-VEGF therapies to further reduce vision loss owing to retinal disease while lowering the overall burden of care.

Macular Atrophy in the HARBOR Study for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

PURPOSE: To evaluate macular atrophy (MA) presence in the 24-month HARBOR study (NCT00891735) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). DESIGN: Post hoc analysis of a phase 3 multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-masked, active treatment-controlled clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Evaluable subjects (N = 1095) with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to neovascular AMD treated with ranibizumab 0.5 mg or 2.0 mg monthly or pro re nata (PRN). METHODS: Fluorescein angiograms (FAs) and color fundus photographs at baseline and months 3, 12, and 24 were retrospectively graded by masked graders for MA: well-defined areas of depigmentation with increased choroidal vessel visibility, diameter ≥250 µm, corresponding to flat areas of well-demarcated staining on FA, excluding atrophy associated with retinal pigment epithelium tears. Atrophy immediately within, adjacent, and nonadjacent to CNV lesions was included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Macular atrophy incidence, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). RESULTS: At baseline, MA was detected in 11.2% (123/1095) of study eyes. At month 24, 29.4% (229/778) of eyes without baseline atrophy had detectable MA. Eyes with and without baseline MA had significant mean BCVA gains from baseline at month 24 (letters [95% confidence interval]: +6.7 [4.1-9.3]; +9.1 [8.0-10.2], respectively). Among eyes with and without MA at month 24, mean month 24 BCVA was 62.0 [60.3-63.7] and 64.7 [63.2-66.3] letters, respectively. Baseline risk factors for month 24 MA presence included intraretinal cysts (hazard ratio [HR], 2.45 [1.76-3.42]) and fellow eye atrophy (HR, 2.02 [1.42-2.87]); subretinal fluid was associated with a lower MA risk (HR, 0.50 [0.33-0.74]). Ranibizumab dose was not associated with MA development. Monthly versus PRN treatment trended toward an association with MA (HR, 1.29 [0.99-1.68]), but was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: New MA was detected in 29% of study eyes after 24 months of treatment. Clinically significant BCVA gains were achieved with MA present over 24 months. Baseline subretinal fluid absence, intraretinal cyst presence, and fellow eye atrophy presence were associated with month 24 MA presence. With existing data, the benefits of ranibizumab for neovascular AMD outweighed the risk of MA development over 24 months in HARBOR, although outcomes >2 years were not evaluated.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for diabetic macular edema.

Diabetes mellitus is a serious health problem that affects over 350 million individuals worldwide. Diabetic retinopathy (DR), which is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes, is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in working-aged adults. Diabetic macular edema (DME) is an advanced, vision-limiting complication of DR that affects nearly 30% of patients who have had diabetes for at least 20 years and is responsible for much of the vision loss due to DR. The historic standard of care for DME has been macular laser photocoagulation, which has been shown to stabilize vision and reduce the rate of further vision loss by 50%; however, macular laser leads to significant vision recovery in only 15% of treated patients. Mechanisms contributing to the microvascular damage in DR and DME include the direct toxic effects of hyperglycemia, sustained alterations in cell signaling pathways, and chronic microvascular inflammation with leukocyte-mediated injury. Chronic retinal microvascular damage results in elevation of intraocular levels of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF), a potent, diffusible, endothelial-specific mitogen that mediates many important physiologic processes, including but not limited to the development and permeability of the vasculature. The identification of VEGF as an important pathophysiologic mediator of DME suggested that anti-VEGF therapy delivered to the eye might lead to improved visual outcomes in this disease. To date, four different inhibitors of VEGF, each administered by intraocular injection, have been tested in prospective, randomized phase II or phase III clinical trials in patients with DME. The results from these trials demonstrate that treatment with anti-VEGF agents results in substantially improved visual and anatomic outcomes compared with laser photocoagulation, and avoid the ocular side effects associated with laser treatment. Thus, anti-VEGF therapy has become the preferred treatment option for the management of DME in many patients.

Long-term outcomes of ranibizumab therapy for diabetic macular edema: the 36-month results from two phase III trials: RISE and RIDE.

PURPOSE: To report 36-month outcomes of RIDE (NCT00473382) and RISE (NCT00473330), trials of ranibizumab in diabetic macular edema (DME). DESIGN: Phase III, randomized, multicenter, double-masked, 3-year trials, sham injection-controlled for 2 years. PARTICIPANTS: Adults with DME (n=759), baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) 20/40 to 20/320 Snellen equivalent, and central foveal thickness (CFT) ≥ 275 µm on optical coherence tomography. METHODS: Patients were randomized equally (1 eye per patient) to monthly 0.5 mg or 0.3 mg ranibizumab or sham injection. In the third year, sham patients, while still masked, were eligible to cross over to monthly 0.5 mg ranibizumab. Macular laser was available to all patients starting at month 3; panretinal laser was available as necessary. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The proportion of patients gaining ≥15 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters in BCVA from baseline at month 24. RESULTS: Visual acuity (VA) outcomes seen at month 24 in ranibizumab groups were consistent through month 36; the proportions of patients who gained ≥15 letters from baseline at month 36 in the sham/0.5 mg, 0.3 mg, and 0.5 mg ranibizumab groups were 19.2%, 36.8%, and 40.2%, respectively, in RIDE and 22.0%, 51.2%, and 41.6%, respectively, in RISE. In the ranibizumab arms, reductions in CFT seen at 24 months were, on average, sustained through month 36. After crossover to 1 year of treatment with ranibizumab, average VA gains in the sham/0.5 mg group were lower compared with gains seen in the ranibizumab patients after 1 year of treatment (2.8 vs. 10.6 and 11.1 letters). Per-injection rates of endophthalmitis remained low over time (∼0.06% per injection). The incidence of serious adverse events potentially related to systemic vascular endothelial growth factor inhibition was 19.7% in patients who received 0.5 mg ranibizumab compared with 16.8% in the 0.3 mg group. CONCLUSIONS: The strong VA gains and improvement in retinal anatomy achieved with ranibizumab at month 24 were sustained through month 36. Delayed treatment in patients receiving sham treatment did not seem to result in the same extent of VA improvement observed in patients originally randomized to ranibizumab. Ocular and systemic safety was generally consistent with the results seen at month 24. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Long-term effects of ranibizumab on diabetic retinopathy severity and progression.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effects of intravitreal ranibizumab on diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity over time in 2 phase 3 clinical trials (RIDE, NCT00473382; RISE, NCT00473330) of ranibizumab for diabetic macular edema. METHODS: Participants with diabetic macular edema (n=759) were randomized to monthly sham, 0.3-mg ranibizumab, or 0.5-mg ranibizumab intravitreal injections. Macular laser was available per protocol-specified criteria. Fundus photographs, taken at baseline and periodically, were graded by a central reading center; clinical examinations were performed monthly. The main outcome measures of this report are secondary/exploratory analyses including a 2-step or more and 3-step or more change on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study severity scale in the study eye and a composite DR progression outcome including photographic changes plus clinically important events such as occurrence of vitreous hemorrhage or need for panretinal laser. RESULTS: At 2 years, the percentage of participants with DR progression (worsening by ≥ 2 or ≥ 3 steps) was significantly reduced in ranibizumab-treated eyes compared with sham-treated eyes, and DR regression (improving by ≥ 2 or ≥ 3 steps) was significantly more likely. The cumulative probability of clinical progression of DR as measured by the composite outcome at 2 years was 33.8% of sham-treated eyes compared with 11.2% to 11.5% of ranibizumab-treated eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal ranibizumab reduced the risk of DR progression in eyes with diabetic macular edema, and many ranibizumab-treated eyes experienced improvement in DR severity. Because these results are exploratory, the use of intravitreal ranibizumab specifically to reduce DR progression or cause DR regression requires further study.

Ranibizumab for diabetic macular edema: results from 2 phase III randomized trials: RISE and RIDE.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab in diabetic macular edema (DME) patients. DESIGN: Two parallel, methodologically identical, phase III, multicenter, double-masked, sham injection-controlled, randomized studies. PARTICIPANTS: Adults with vision loss from DME (best-corrected visual acuity [BCVA], 20/40-20/320 Snellen equivalent) and central subfield thickness ≥275 µm on time-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). INTERVENTION: Monthly intravitreal ranibizumab (0.5 or 0.3 mg) or sham injections. Macular laser was available per-protocol-specified criteria. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of patients gaining ≥15 letters in BCVA from baseline at 24 months. RESULTS: In RISE (NCT00473330), 377 patients were randomized (127 to sham, 125 to 0.3 mg, 125 to 0.5 mg). At 24 months, 18.1% of sham patients gained ≥15 letters versus 44.8% of 0.3-mg (P<0.0001; difference vs sham adjusted for randomization stratification factors, 24.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 13.8-34.8) and 39.2% of 0.5-mg ranibizumab patients (P<0.001; adjusted difference, 20.9%; 95% CI, 10.7-31.1). In RIDE (NCT00473382), 382 patients were randomized (130 to sham, 125 to 0.3 mg, 127 to 0.5 mg). Significantly more ranibizumab-treated patients gained ≥15 letters: 12.3% of sham patients versus 33.6% of 0.3-mg patients (P<0.0001; adjusted difference, 20.8%; 95% CI, 11.4-30.2) and 45.7% of 0.5-mg ranibizumab patients (P<0.0001; adjusted difference, 33.3%; 95% CI, 23.8-42.8). Significant improvements in macular edema were noted on OCT, and retinopathy was less likely to worsen and more likely to improve in ranibizumab-treated patients. Ranibizumab-treated patients underwent significantly fewer macular laser procedures (mean of 1.8 and 1.6 laser procedures over 24 months in the sham groups vs 0.3-0.8 in ranibizumab groups). Ocular safety was consistent with prior ranibizumab studies; endophthalmitis occurred in 4 ranibizumab patients. The total incidence of deaths from vascular or unknown causes, nonfatal myocardial infarctions, and nonfatal cerebrovascular accidents, which are possible effects from systemic vascular endothelial growth factor inhibition, was 4.9% to 5.5% of sham patients and 2.4% to 8.8% of ranibizumab patients. CONCLUSIONS: Ranibizumab rapidly and sustainably improved vision, reduced the risk of further vision loss, and improved macular edema in patients with DME, with low rates of ocular and nonocular harm.

A case of prolonged disease-free survival in a patient with choroidal metastasis from breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: A 57-year-old woman presented with distorted vision and decreased visual acuity (finger count only) in her left eye, 6 years after she had undergone a lumpectomy, lymph-node dissection, and radiation therapy for a 1.1 cm infiltrating ductal carcinoma of her right breast. A year before this presentation, she had completed 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen therapy. INVESTIGATIONS: Physical examination, including a thorough ophthalmologic evaluation; laboratory investigations, ocular fluorescein angiography, ocular ultrasonography, head CT, chest X-ray, abdominal ultrasonography, bone scan, and bilateral mammography. DIAGNOSIS: Choroidal metastasis from breast carcinoma, with no other evidence of disease recurrence. MANAGEMENT: Radiation therapy to the left eye followed by ongoing hormonal therapy with oral letrozole 2.5 mg daily for the past 9.5 years.

A pilot study of Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography of retinal dystrophy patients.

PURPOSE: To characterize the macular anatomy of retinal dystrophy eyes using high-speed, high-resolution, Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT). DESIGN: Case-control study. METHODS: Retinal dystrophy patients and normal age- and gender-matched controls underwent FD-OCT imaging using the RTVue (Optovue Inc., Fremont, California, USA). Vertical and horizontal 8-mm scans of 1024 lines/cross-section were obtained. Based on boundaries manually drawn on computer displays of OCT cross-sections, the thicknesses of the retina, inner retinal layer (IRL), and outer retinal layer (ORL) were averaged over both 5-mm (macular) and 1.5-mm (foveal) regions centered at the fovea. The IRL was the sum of nerve fiber layer (NFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), and inner plexiform layer (IPL) thicknesses. Total retinal thickness (RT) was measured between the internal limiting membrane (ILM) and the retinal pigment epithelium. ORL thickness was calculated by subtracting IRL thickness from RT. RESULTS: Fourteen patients (three retinitis pigmentosa, two cone-rod degeneration, two Stargardt disease, and seven normal controls) underwent FD-OCT imaging. Mean foveal RT was 271.3 +/- 23.3 microm for controls and 158.4 +/- 47.1 microm for retinal dystrophy patients (P < .001). Mean macular RT was 292.8 +/- 8.1 microm for controls and 199.1 +/- 32.6 microm for retinal dystrophy patients (P < .001). Mean macular ORL was 182.9 +/- 4.7 microm for controls and 101.3 +/- 18.7 microm for retinal dystrophy patients (P < .001); mean macular IRL was 109.9 +/- 6.4 microm for controls and 97.9 +/- 20.7 microm for retinal dystrophy patients (P = .06). CONCLUSION: Eyes with retinal dystrophy had a small (11%) decrease in macular IRL and severe (45%) decrease in macular ORL compared to normal controls.

Canadian consensus guidelines for the management of cytomegalovirus disease in HIV/AIDS.

BACKGROUND: The management of HIV-infected patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease has changed significantly with the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). OBJECTIVES: These updated guidelines are intended to provide practical help to physicians managing HIV-positive patients with or at risk for CMV disease. METHODS: The 10 members of the Canadian CMV Disease in HIV/AIDS Consensus Group were infectious disease specialists, a primary care physician and ophthalmologists with expertise in HIV and CMV infection. Financial support by Hoffmann-La Roche Canada Ltd was unrestricted, and was limited to travel expenses and honoraria. The consensus group met in June and October 2002. Key areas to be considered were identified, and group members selected, reviewed and presented relevant recent literature for their assigned section for the group's consideration. Evidence was assessed based on established criteria, which were expert opinions of the members. Draft documents were circulated to the entire group and modified until consensus was reached. The final guidelines represent the group's consensus agreement. The guidelines were approved by the Canadian Infectious Disease Society. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The guidelines address symptom monitoring, screening for early detection and prevention, and treatment using oral, intravenous and intraocular anti-CMV therapies in conjunction with HAART.