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ICYMI: Top Content From AAO 2022
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Coverage of the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) included interviews with experts on thyroid eye disease and anti–vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, as well as breaking research.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Conference was held from September 30 to October 3, 2022, in Chicago, Illinois. The conference included research focused on macular degeneration, gene therapy, diabetic retinopathy, and the role of artificial intelligence in diagnosing these diseases, among others.
Here are the highlights of AAO 2022.
Dr Rona Silkiss Details the Use of Biologics to Treat Thyroid Eye Disease
Rona Silkiss, MD, FACS, an oculoplastic surgeon, spoke with AJMC.com about how biologic therapies can treat thyroid eye disease. Silkiss said that the pharmaceutical industry is beginning to take interest in using biologics to treat this eye disease, with about a dozen drugs being tested for effectiveness. She said she hopes that the biologics field will become more crowded so that access to treatment is affordable and equitable for all patients.
High-Dose, Extended Duration Aflibercept Injections Benefit Patients with DME, nAMD
The PHOTON and PULSAR trials, whose results were shared during the AAO conference, revealed that an 8-mg dose of aflibercept every 12 to 16 weeks was successful in patients with diabetic macular edema and neovascular age-related macular degeneration. This dosing contrasted with the more traditional dose of 2 mg every 8 weeks. Both trials found that the patients’ best corrected visual acuity score increased with the new dosage. Most patients (93%) were also able to maintain their dosing intervals.
Dr Paul Hahn Highlights Shifting Trends Among Retina Specialists
Anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs are beginning to be used more often for treating retinal diseases, according to Paul Hahn, MD, a vitreoretinal surgeon. Hahn said that anti-VEGF treatment may be used in the future for retinal diseases that were not previously treated, such as severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, instead of only monitoring the progression of the disease. He discussed a survey that aims to capture whether there has been a change in these prescriptions or if clinicians will stick with current treatment habits.
