In the July/August 2021 issue of Retina Specialist, Texas Retina Associates’ Ashkan Abbey, MD, published highlights from five compelling retina presentations at the recent Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2021 Annual Meeting held virtually in May. His article featured the following takeaways:

  • In-office pneumatic vitreolysis for symptomatic vitreomacular traction (VMT) resulted in a high rate of retinal tear or detachment. VMT occurs when vitreous in an aging eye doesn’t detach completely from the macula. This can damage the macula and cause vision loss. Pneumatic vitreolysis is an intravitreal injection of a gas that expands in an effort to relieve the VMT.
  • Two-year results of a clinical trial testing the use of aflibercept for moderate to severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy showed mixed results. Aflibercept, also known as Eylea, is an intravitreal injection already used to treat macular edema and age-related macular degeneration.
  • A randomized control trial found that half-dose photodynamic therapy seemed better than oral eplerenone for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR), a condition in which fluid accumulates under the retina. CSCR causes a small detachment under the retina, resulting in vision loss. Photodynamic therapy uses a photosensitive intravenous drug in combination with an infrared laser.
  • Allogenic human retinal progenitor cells (hRPC) showed potential for preserving photoreceptors in retinitis pigmentosa, a rare, inherited degenerative eye disease that severely impairs vision. Delivered via intravitreal injection, hRPC secrete neurotrophic factors that promote photoreceptor cell survival and function.
  • A bioresorbable tyrosine kinase inhibitor implant showed sustained efficacy signals for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). This emerging new treatment option is designed to reduce the burden on nAMD patients by extending the time between treatments.

You can read the full article here.

Dr. Abbey serves as our Director of Clinical Research in Dallas and cares for patients in our Dallas Main and Rockwall offices. You can learn more about him here.