Welcome to another edition of the Ophthalmology Times EyePod Week in Review Podcast, featuring the latest news headlines

Oculis enrolls first patient in LEOPARD trial of OSC-01 eye drops for treatment of CME

Oculis has announced enrollment of the first patient in the LEOPARD trial evaluating OSC-01 eye drops for the treatment of cystoid macular edema (CME).

OSC-01 is a novel, high concentration preservative-free topical OPTIREACH formulation of dexamethasone, according to a press release from the company.

Oculis states that the goal of the LEOPARD trial is to “evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of OCS-01 eye drops in the management of two different forms of CME: Uveitic Macular Edema and Post-Surgical Macular Edema.

‘Eggsplosions’ and eyes don’t mix

Putting a hard-boiled egg in the microwave is making users popular on TikTok, but that fame could come with a hefty price and lead to a visit to an ophthalmologist’s office.

According to a Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan news release, the TikTok trend involves microwaving hard-boiled eggs and then slicing them, causing them to explode.

According to Grace Wang, MD, PhD, an ophthalmologist at Michigan Medicine, the explosion can prove dangerous as flying egg debris and steam can impact a large area, and possibly injure people in its vicinity.

Wang says anyone who tries the trend, or those who accidentally microwave a hard-boiled egg without knowing it can explode, should seek medical attention if they are injured.

However, Wang said it is important for individuals to avoid any social media trends that can lead to eye injuries, regardless of any potential social media clout.

Pegcetacoplan shows increasing beneficial effects after 30 Months of Continuous treatment for geographic atrophy

Apellis Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the results from the GALE extension study that indicated that continuous treatment with Pegcetacoplan injection for 30 months continued to show increasing beneficial effects over that timeframe in patients with geographic atrophy. Pegcetacoplan is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for GA associated with age-related macular degeneration.

The company announced the data at the 2023 annual meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists in Seattle

The top-line results of the GALE study were that:

• Pegcetacoplan reduced the growth of non-subfoveal GA lesions by up to 45% between treatment months 24 to 30 compared to the projected sham arm in the GALE long-term extension study.
• the safety profile of Pegcetacoplan during the GALE study was consistent with the previously reported clinical data.

The patients in the GALE study were from the phase 3 OAKS and DERBY trials and had been treated for 24 months before transitioning to the extension trial. More than 80% of the patients who completed the OAKS and DERBY studies entered the GALE study.

The safety profile of Pegcetacoplan in the GALE study was consistent with the phase 3 data. The rate of exudative AMD was consistent with the phase 3 studies, ie, 7.5 and 7.2 events with monthly treatment and 3.9 and 3.6 events with every-other-month treatment per 100 patient years at months 24 and 30, respectively.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center participates in national study to test eye drops for myopia

Vanderbilt University Medical Center and 11 other hospitals and practices across the United States have teamed up to conduct a study that demonstrates the use of low-dose atropine eyedrops, commonly used in a higher dose to treat lazy eye, was no better than a placebo at slowing myopia progression and elongation of the eye among children treated for two years.

According to a VUMC news release, the first randomly assigned controlled trial of its kind aimed at identifying an effective way to manage myopia was published last week. It was conducted by the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group and funded by the National Eye Institute.

Dr. Lori Ann Kehler, an associate professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, chief of the Optometry Service and the Vanderbilt site principal investigator for the study, noted that there was no difference in the use of 0.01% atropine and placebo in treating these children who ranged in age from 5 to 12.

Going forward, eye specialists should have a frank discussion with parents of children with myopia about the conflicting data between the Asian studies and the new US study