Recap: The latest data and innovations from the 2023 EURETINA congress

Retina specialists from around the globe attended the 23rd annual EURETINA congress, held this year in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 5 – 8 October. The meeting’s in-person and virtual components enabled attendees in Europe and beyond to learn about the latest advancements in retina care, through case studies, exclusive poster presentations and cutting-edge symposia. This year’s congress included the inaugural EURETINA Innovation Spotlight (EIS), a 6-hour event that brought attention to industry leaders through a series of panel discussions and networking events, along with the robust programme of presentations and papers.

To cover this year’s meeting, Ophthalmology Times Europe teamed up with Modern Retina. Here are a few of the highlights from the 2023 EURETINA congress.

Emerging therapies for exudative AMD

The landscape of retinal care is constantly changing. One area where new treatments are rapidly emerging is exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA, FASRS, provided an overview of his presentation, “Emerging Therapies for Exudative AMD.”

Dr Ali Erginay speaks about advancements in ultrawidefield imaging

Dr Ali Erginay spoke with our team about his presentation, titled “Introducing optomap® Ultra-widefield Colour Red-Green-Blue Multimodal Imaging.” He had plenty to say about what’s so exciting about this field right now, and what practitioners can expect in the coming months.

Samsung Bioepis presents a post hoc analysis of the phase 3 clinical study results for SB15

Samsung Bioepis presented a post hoc analysis of the phase 3 clinical study results for SB15, a proposed biosimilar to aflibercept (Eylea). In these new data, switching to SB15 from aflibercept maintained comparable clinical efficacy and safety when treating patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), confirming biosimilarity between these agents before and after switching.

Positive phase 3 DIAMOND trial results for OCS-01 in DME unveiled

Ramin Tadayoni, MD, PhD, presented positive results from stage 1 of the phase 3 DIAMOND trial (NCT05066997) of OCS-01 in patients with diabetic macular oedema on behalf of Oculis. The trial met its primary end point, showing a statistically significant improvement in best corrected visual acuity in patients treated with OCS-01 versus vehicle-treated patients at week 6, which was sustained through week 12.

Safety and efficacy through week 48 in the phase 2a STARLIGHT clinical trial

We spoke with Michael Singer, MD, who provided an overview of his work with Nanoscope Therapeutics. He also shared details on his EURETINA presentation, “MCO-010 Optogenetic Therapy to Treat Stargardt Disease: Safety and Efficacy through Week 48 in the Phase 2a STARLIGHT Clinical Trial.” In this podcast, Dr Singer discusses applications of an adeno-associated virus type 2 vector for patients with Stargardt disease.

LEAD study: Reducing AMD progression rates with subthresold nanosecond laser in eyes with no pseudodrusen

Data from an earlier study prompted the question: could a nonthermal (very short pulse) laser targeting the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) be designed to specifically trigger a rejuvenating response in the RPE? Investigators from the LEAD study reported that subthreshold nanosecond laser (SNL) may reduce the rate of progression to late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as long as no reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) is present.

Dr Varun Chaudhary discusses posturing after macular hole surgery

Ahead of the meeting, Varun Chaudhary, MD, provided an overview of his presentation, ”Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis in Macular Hole RCTs – Posturing after Macular Hole Surgery.“ Here's what he had to say about the meeting and the research that may change a common postsurgical practice.