On the HCPLive Ophthalmology page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into ophthalmic disease can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on eye disease research, treatment, and drug development.
February 6th 2025
The January 2025 ophthalmology month in review highlights the latest from the FDA, key updates to the ophthalmic pipeline, and the latest episode of New Insight.
January 31st 2025
Indomethacin Paired With Ranibizumab May Improve AMD Symptoms
Italian researchers found that supplementing ranibizumab treatment with the daily administration of an NSAID solution improved AMD symptoms better than ranibizumab alone, and believe over time greater statistical significance will emerge.
The Mediterranean Diet and Macular Degeneration
Does adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration? Portuguese researchers attempted to determine the AMD-preventative nature of the popular regional diet, which is commonly associated with fish, fruit, grains, and the occasional splash of wine.
In Diabetic Macular Edema Treatment, Addition of Diclofenac Reduced Central Macular Thickness
Although differences between treatment groups in best-corrected visual acuity were not statistically significant, combination treatment reduced central macular thickness and macular volume statistically significantly more than bevacizumab alone.
Aflibercept and Ranibizumab Produce Similar Improvement in Visual Acuity, According to Recent Study
A large observational study of results in routine clinical practice showed that visual acuity outcomes 12 months after Aflibercept or Ranibizumab treatment did not differ, and neither did the number of injections required for each agent.
Study Identifies Predictive Factors for Efficacy of Anti-VEGF Injections
The only factor that predicted visual outcomes one year after nAMD diagnosis was baseline visual acuity, which maintained its predictive ability five years after diagnosis. Visual acuity increased more frequently in women.
Resvega Improved Retinal Structure, Stabilized Visual Acuity in Neovascular AMD Case Study
In an 84-year-old woman with AMD and acute deterioration in vision, the oral antioxidant supplement Resvega led to regression of subretinal fluid and eliminated the need for intravitreal injection of an anti-VEGF agent over the course of 9 months.
An optical coherence tomography study found that, after three monthly treatments,aAflibercept was 7 times more effective than ranibizumab in resolving serous pigment epithelium detachment, though neither treatment improved visual acuity in these patients to a statistically significant degree.
Tissue Plasminogen Activator Yields Results for Wet AMD-Related Thick Subfoveal Hemorrhage
Vitrectomy plus subretinal injection of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) reduced scar area moreso than pneumatic displacement plus intravitreal injection of tPA. Visual acuity improved noticeably after both of these treatments, but not after treatment with pneumatic displacement alone.
End-Stage Renal Disease Elevates Risk of Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was 72% more likely to develop in end-stage renal disease patients than in control subjects and 74% more likely to develop in peritoneal dialysis patients than in hemodialysis patients.
In Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Lucentis and Eylea Yield Similar Injection Burden
After 12 months of follow-up, a Japanese team found a trend toward greater BCVA improvement in the Eylea group than in the Lucentis group but no statistically significant differences between groups in BCVA or central foveal thickness.
Seeking Solutions for DME Patients Who Respond Poorly to Anti-VEGF Agents
No difference in the superficial capillary plexuses was found in cases of diabetic macular edema that responded well to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor as opposed to those that didn't, but poor responders had more damage and microaneurysms in the deep capillary plexus.
Adalimumab: Efficacy and Adverse Effects for Patients with Active Noninfectious Uveitis
The authors say that for uveitis “there is a large unmet medical need" for identifying other therapies. Adalimumab is associated with decreased visual impairment and decreased risk of uveitic flare, but more adverse events, according the results from a recent multinational phase 3 trial.
Cases May Connect Bilateral Acute Simultaneous Onset Anterior Uveitis to Erlotinib
“These cases highlight a potential association between erlotinib therapy and bilateral, acute, simultaneous-onset anterior uveitis and suggest some patients may respond to topical corticosteroids, despite continued use of the drug.â€
Flying Eye Hospital Brings Invaluable Resources to Patients Worldwide
The treatment of various eye conditions can vary widely depending on where a patient lives. While some countries may have the best technology readily available others are lacking in not only equipment but training.
Golimumab Effective Against Uveitis Associated with Ankylosing Spondylitis
Retrospective study results indicate that golimumab may be a new and effective choice for maintaining remission and preventing recurrence of severe, recurrent anterior uveitis in patients with HLA-B27-positive ankylosing spondylitis.
Study Shows TNF Inhibitors Prevent Relapse of Uveitis in Most Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis
Adalimumab, infliximab, and etanercept, reduced the number of uveitis relapses in a retrospective, long-term study of uveitis patients with HLA-B27-positive ankylosing spondylitis who had taken one of these biological agents for at least 1 year.
Investigational Implant Halts Recurrence of Uveitis Inflammation, Improves Visual Acuity
A long-acting fluocinolone acetonide implant improved visual acuity and controlled intraocular inflammation for 2 years in 11 eyes of 11 patients with noninfectious intermediate uveitis, posterior uveitis, or panuveitis.
Howard Schatz: Moving from the Operating Room to the Dark Room
It was supposed to be just a one year sabbatical for Howard Schatz to take a break from his work as a retina specialist and enjoy what had become a growing hobby of photography. More than two decades later Schatz said he misses some parts of practice but is greatly enjoying what has become a second career.
In a post hoc statistical analysis of data from 61 consecutive patients diagnosed with intermediate uveitis, the central foveal thickness cut-off value for starting systemic corticosteroid treatment was determined to be 215.5 μm. This value was found to have a sensitivity of 62.5% and a specificity of 96.4%.