Assuring Optimal Implant Insertion of Port Delivery Systems for Anti-VEGF

Approximately 15 years into the era of anti-VEGF therapies for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the field is set for a significant advancement.

Later this month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will weigh on the application ranbizumab, delivered via port delivery system (PDS), for the treatment of neovascular AMD (nAMD). The indication for the therapy—which has supporting phase 2 and 3 evidence for efficacy, safety, and tolerability in the patient population—would provide clinicians and patients a more manageable long-term solution to anti-VEGF adherence.

But with that progression may come a learning curve—specifically speaking, the implementation of PDS in patients will be a new trick of the retina care trade.

In an interview with HCPLive during the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) 2021 Scientific Meeting, Veeral S. Sheth, MD, MBA, discussed PDS implant insertion strategies that are vital to optimize long-term care through the novel drug delivery system.

Most notably, Sheth, Director of Clinical Research at University Retina and Macular Associates, discussed his ASRS 2021 presentation on the importance of proper conjunctiva and Tenon’s capsule handling in patients during PDS implantation.

“These are skills we probably picked up earlier on in our residences, but day to day when we’re doing vitrectomies, we don’t use a lot of these techniques,” Sheth explained. “I think it’s really re-introducing some of these concepts and talking about practices and pearls that have been picked up along the way in clinical trials.”

Sheth also discussed the observed clinical impact of optimized PDS implantation, as well as the effect a would-be approval for ranibizumab PDS from the FDA would mean macular degeneration care overall.

“Every day, we encounter patients who are tired of their injections,” Sheth said. “They’ll say, ‘When will this be over?’ or ‘How long do I have to do this for?’ For years, we really couldn’t give them a good answer, but now with this on the horizon, it’s giving patients hope that they can ease that burden.”

The study, “Key Pearls of Conjunctival and Tenon’s Capsule Handling During the Implant Insertion Procedure for the Port Delivery System With Ranibizumab (PDS),” was presented at ASRS 2021.