At the annual American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) meeting in Long Beach, Calif., ophthalmologist Roger A. Goldberg, M.D., MBA, of Bay Area Retina Associates shared new insights into the safety of Syfovre (pegcetacoplan) based on data from the GALE extension of the OAKS and DERBY trials.
Syfovre, a complement C3 inhibitor, is used to treat geographic atrophy (GA) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Safety concerns have followed the drug since its approval, especially regarding the risk of intraocular inflammation and conversion to wet AMD. According to Goldberg, long-term results from GALE reinforce earlier trial data.
“The GALE safety tends to mimic the safety that we saw in DERBY and OAKS,” Goldberg said. “So, you know, very low rates of intraocular inflammation, of endophthalmitis—the random case of ischemic optic neuropathy. We’re not seeing any acceleration there.”
He added that wet AMD development remains steady over time, without signs of increasing risk the longer patients are on therapy. The conversion rate appears to stay within the single digits annually.
In addition, Goldberg noted that vision loss does not seem to worsen when wet AMD does occur in patients already receiving Syfovre. Because these patients are under regular monitoring and care, any new cases of wet AMD are managed promptly with anti-VEGF therapy in addition to the complement inhibitor.
“These patients are able to be managed with concurrent anti-VEGF agents and complement inhibitors, and that seems to be stable for their vision,” he shared.
The GALE extension data supports continued confidence in Syfovre’s safety profile over time, especially when used with ongoing care and monitoring.
These findings are likely to encourage providers and patients concerned about the long-term use of the treatment in managing geographic atrophy due to AMD.