In this episode, Charles Wykoff, MD, PhD joins Dr. Sheth to provide insight into the recent landmark approval of pegcetacoplan injection (SYFOVRE™) for geographic atrophy, how clinical practice has changed as a result, and both the early struggles with and optimism for an ever-changing treatment landscape.
0:00 - Intro
2:40 - Approval of Pegcetacoplan
5:30 - The “ideal” patient
7:58 - Drug pipeline and upcoming approvals
9:50 - Trends in clinical trials
13:40 - Beyond traditional endpoints
16:21 - Wykoff’s early journey in medicine
18:50 - Where he expects to be in 10 - 15 years
20:30 - Systemic, structural issues
23:50 - Gene therapy in retina
28:00 - Conclusion
2023 has already proven to be a landmark year for the retina community.
The latest episode of New Insight with Veeral Sheth, MD features a conversation between Sheth, the Director of Clinical Trials at University Retina in Chicago, and Charles Wykoff, MD, PhD, the Director of Research at Retina Consultants of Texas, on the evolutions undergone in the treatment landscape that has occurred year after year, with the advent of new anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents to novel therapies changing patient lives.
This year, the most salient, according to our experts, was the approval of pegcetacoplan injection (SYFOVRE™) in February by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It represents the first-and-only treatment approved for geographic atrophy (GA), a leading cause of blindness that impacts more than one million people in the United States.
Without an available treatment before this approval, pegcetacoplan injection is a watershed moment for the field. Experts describe how the therapy has changed clinical practice since it became available and explain some of the early struggles in adapting to a paradigm shift in the care landscape.
Sheth and Wykoff share their optimism on where the landscape is heading in the near future and in the long term for patients faced with these diseases. They touch on the pipeline and other agents that could be nearing approval, as well as ongoing challenges in both the field of ophthalmology and challenges in clinical trial design. Experts express their ideas for solutions to address these issues, as well as structural issues that serve as a hindrance to bringing newer therapies to patients in need.
Lastly, Wykoff provides insight into his own personal journey, from where he expected himself to be when he began his career, to where he is now, and where he expects to be in the future.
Every episode of New Insight will be made available here on HCPLive.com, and listeners can also subscribe to our channel on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Watch the video version on our Youtube page here. Keep an eye out for more from New Insight!
