Real-world use of faricimab to treat DME patients in the UK

Purpose (463 characters)Faricimab, a bispecific antibody inhibiting Angiopoietin-2 (Ang2) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)-A, was approved in the UK on May 17, 2022 for the treatment of DME. A multicenter real-world data study is being conducted to evaluate faricimab uptake, patient characteristics, treatment frequency and visual acuity (VA) outcomes over time. We report preliminary data on faricimab utilization in DME patients at three ophthalmology centers in the UK. Methods (680 characters)This is a retrospective observational study evaluating the real-world utilization and outcomes of faricimab from 2022-2024. Patients who receive faricimab for the treatment of DME at participating National Health Service sites using the Medisoft ophthalmic electronic medical record system will be included. Site recruitment is currently underway and preliminary data up to January 09, 2023 are presented. All analyses are descriptive. Further evaluation of patient demographics, faricimab treatment intervals, anti-VEGF treatment history and the change in VA following faricimab treatment is ongoing; results will be available for presentation at the 2023 ASRS annual conference.Results (954 characters)As of January 9, 2022, three sites were recruited into the study, where 258 DME patients (345 patient-eyes) received at least one faricimab injection. 249 (72%) patient-eyes were switched from another anti-VEGF treatment; 88% from aflibercept, 10% from ranibizumab and the remaining from other anti-VEGF treatments. Previously-treated eyes had a mean (SD) follow-up of 2.2 (1.5) months on faricimab, during which they received a mean (SD) of 2.3 (1.2) injections per eye. Eyes without a recorded history of anti-VEGF treatment (treated as “naive” eyes) had a similar mean (SD) duration of follow-up of 2.2 (1.5) months, during which they received a mean (SD) of 2.5 (1.2) injections. A total of 71 (21%) patient-eyes had at least 4 months of follow-up on faricimab. Among these, previously-treated eyes (n=51) received a mean (SD) of 3.5 (1.0) injections and naive eyes (n=20) received 3.5 (0.9) injections per eye during the first 4 months of treatment.Conclusions (377 characters)Preliminary data show that a majority of the faricimab patient-eyes with DME were switched from another anti-VEGF treatment, primarily aflibercept. Previously-treated and naive eyes received a comparable number of injections in the early months of initiating faricimab treatment. Future results from this study will describe the utilization and outcomes of faricimab over time.<br/

Are intravitreal injections essential during the COVID-19 pandemic? Global preferred practice patterns and practical recommendations

Tertiary outpatient ophthalmology clinics are high-risk environments for COVID-19 transmission, especially retina clinics, where regular follow-up is needed for elderly patients with multiple comorbidities. Intravitreal injection therapy (IVT) for chronic macular diseases, is one of the most common procedures performed, associated with a significant burden of care because of the vigorous treatment regimen associated with multiple investigations. While minimizing the risk of COVID-19 infection transmission is a priority, this must be balanced against the continued provision of sight-saving ophthalmic care to patients at risk of permanent vision loss. This review aims to give evidence-based guidelines on managing IVT during the COVID-19 pandemic in common macular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macula edema and retinal vascular disease and to report on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected IVT practices worldwide. To illustrate some real-world examples, 18 participants in the International Retina Collaborative, from 15 countries and across four continents, were surveyed regarding pre- and during- COVID-19 pandemic IVT practices in tertiary ophthalmic centers. The majority of centers reported a reduction in the number of appointments to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19 with varying changes to their IVT regimen to treat various macula diseases. Due to the constantly evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the uncertainty about the normal resumption of health services, we suggest that new solutions for eye healthcare provision, like telemedicine, may be adopted in the future when we consider new long-term adaptations required to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.Medicine, Faculty ofNon UBCOphthalmology and Visual Sciences, Department ofReviewedFacultyResearche

Recognising contributions to work in research collaboratives: Guidelines for standardising reporting of authorship in collaborative research

Background: Trainee research collaboratives (TRCs) have been revolutionary changes to the delivery of high-quality, multicentre research. The aim of this study was to define common roles in the conduct of collaborative research, and map these to academic competencies as set out by General Medical Council (GMC) in the United Kingdom. This will support trainers and assessors when judging academic achievements of those involved in TRC projects, and supports trainees by providing guidance on how to fulfil their role in these studies. Methods: A modified Delphi process was followed. Electronic discussion with key stakeholders was undertaken to identify and describe common roles. These were refined and mapped to GMC educational domains and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors authorship (ICJME) guidelines. The resulting roles and descriptions were presented to a face-to-face consensus meeting for voting. The agreed roles were then presented back to the electronic discussion group for approval. Results: Electronic discussion generated six common roles. All of these were agreed in face-to-face meetings, where two further roles identified and described. All eight roles required skills that map to part of the academic requirements for surgical training in the UK. Discussion: This paper presents a standardised framework for reporting authorship in collaborative group authored research publications. Linkage of collaborator roles to the ICMJE guidelines and GMC academic competency guidelines will facilitate incorporation into relevant training curricular and journal publication policies.</p