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Background To assess the anatomical and functional outcomes in eyes with persistent diabetic macular oedema (pDME) on chronic anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy switched to intravitreal faricimab. Methods Patients with pDME on chronic anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy that were switched to faricimab and received at least three injections at our institution between April 2022 and May 2023 were included in this study. Patients were excluded if they had complete response to previous treatment but were switched to extend treatment intervals if they had steroid or laser treatment for DME within 6 months prior to switch. Clinical and imaging data were extracted from the electronic medical record. Central foveal thickness (CFT) and Snellen visual acuity (VA) were obtained before and after three intravitreal faricimab injections. Generalised estimating equations were used to analyse the change in CFT and VA. Result During the study period, 69 eyes of 53 patients met inclusion criteria. The mean age was 68.6±9.0 years. The mean number of injections prior to switch was 18.1±16.0. Pre-switch mean logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution VA was 0.40±0.30 (Snellen equivalent 20/50) and 0.38±0.27 (Snellen equivalent 20/48) after three faricimab injections (p=0.397). Mean CFT improved from 380±155 microns to 323±147 microns (p<0.001). No ophthalmic or systemic adverse events occurred during the study period. Conclusions Intravitreal faricimab can improve anatomic outcomes while maintaining visual acuity in eyes with pDME previously treated with anti-VEGF therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leber congenital amaurosis due to CEP290 ciliopathy is being explored by treatment with the antisense oligonucleotide (AON) sepofarsen. One patient who was part of a larger cohort (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03140969) was studied for 15 months after a single intravitreal sepofarsen injection. Concordant measures of visual function and retinal structure reached a substantial efficacy peak near 3 months after injection. At 15 months, there was sustained efficacy, even though there was evidence of reduction from peak response. Efficacy kinetics can be explained by the balance of AON-driven new CEP290 protein synthesis and a slow natural rate of CEP290 protein degradation in human foveal cone photoreceptors. Post hoc analyses and follow-up of a patient with Leber congenital amaurosis treated with the antisense oligonucleotide sepofarsen as part of a clinical trial indicates sustained improvement of vision 15 months after receiving a single dose of the drug., Author(s): Artur V. Cideciyan [sup.1] , Samuel G. Jacobson [sup.1] , Allen C. Ho [sup.2] , Alexandra V. Garafalo [sup.1] , Alejandro J. Roman [sup.1] , Alexander Sumaroka [sup.1] , [...]

BackgroundThe main objective of this study was to test Argus II subjects on three real-world functional vision tasks.DesignThe study was designed to be randomized and prospective. Testing was conducted in a hospital/research laboratory setting at the various participating centres.ParticipantsTwenty eight Argus II subjects, all profoundly blind, participated in this study.MethodsSubjects were tested on the three real-world functional vision tasks: Sock Sorting, Sidewalk Tracking and Walking Direction Discrimination task MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: For the Sock Sorting task, percentage correct was computed based on how accurately subjects sorted the piles on a cloth-covered table and on a bare table. In the Sidewalk Tracking task, an 'out of bounds' count was recorded, signifying how often the subject veered away from the test course. During the Walking Direction Discrimination task, subjects were tested on the number of times they correctly identified the direction of testers walking across their field of view.ResultsThe mean percentage correct OFF versus ON for the Sock Sorting task was found to be significantly different for both testing conditions (t-test, P

BackgroundThe purpose of this analysis is to report the change in quality of life (QoL) after treatment with the Argus II Epiretinal Prosthesis in patients with end-stage retinitis pigmentosa.MethodsThe Vision and Quality of Life Index (VisQoL) was used to assess changes in QoL dimensions and overall utility score in a prospective 30-patient single-arm clinical study. VisQoL is a multi-attribute instrument consisting of six dimensions (injury, life, roles, assistance, activity and friendship) that may be affected by visual impairment. Within each dimension, patients were divided into two groups based on how much their QoL was affected by their blindness at baseline (moderate/severe or minimal). Outcomes were compared within each dimension sub-group between baseline and the combined follow-up periods using the Friedman test. In addition, data from the six dimensions were combined into a single utility score, with baseline data compared to the combined follow-up periods.ResultsOverall, 80 per cent of the patients reported difficulty in one or more dimensions pre-implant. Composite VisQoL utility scores at follow-up showed no statistically significant change from baseline; however, in three of the six VisQoL dimensions (injury, life and roles), patients with baseline deficits showed significant and lasting improvement after implantation with Argus II. In two of the three remaining dimensions (assistance and activity), data trended toward an improvement. In the final VisQoL dimension (friendship), none of the patients reported baseline deficits, suggesting that patients had largely adjusted to this attribute.ConclusionPatients whose vision negatively affected them with respect to three VisQoL dimensions (that is, getting injured, coping with the demands of their life and fulfilling their life roles) reported significant improvement in QoL after implantation of the Argus II retinal prosthesis. Furthermore, the benefit did not deteriorate at any point during the 36-month follow-up, suggesting a long-term, durable improvement.

PurposeThe Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System (Second Sight Medical Products, Inc, Sylmar, CA) was developed to restore some vision to patients blind as a result of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) or outer retinal degeneration. A clinical trial was initiated in 2006 to study the long-term safety and efficacy of the Argus II System in patients with bare or no light perception resulting from end-stage RP.DesignProspective, multicenter, single-arm clinical trial. Within-patient controls included the nonimplanted fellow eye and patients' native residual vision compared with their vision with the Argus II.ParticipantsThirty participants in 10 centers in the United States and Europe.MethodsThe worse-seeing eye of blind patients was implanted with the Argus II. Patients wore glasses mounted with a small camera and a video processor that converted images into stimulation patterns sent to the electrode array on the retina.Main outcome measuresThe primary outcome measures were safety (the number, seriousness, and relatedness of adverse events) and visual function, as measured by 3 computer-based, objective tests. Secondary measures included functional vision performance on objectively scored real-world tasks.ResultsTwenty-four of 30 patients remained implanted with functioning Argus II Systems at 5 years after implantation. Only 1 additional serious adverse event was experienced after the 3-year time point. Patients performed significantly better with the Argus II on than off on all visual function tests and functional vision tasks.ConclusionsThe 5-year results of the Argus II trial support the long-term safety profile and benefit of the Argus II System for patients blind as a result of RP. The Argus II is the first and only retinal implant to have market approval in the European Economic Area, the United States, and Canada.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this analysis was to compare observer-rated tasks in patients implanted with the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System, when the device is ON versus OFF.MethodsThe Functional Low-Vision Observer Rated Assessment (FLORA) instrument was administered to 26 blind patients implanted with the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System at a mean follow-up of 36 months. FLORA is a multi-component instrument that consists in part of observer-rated assessment of 35 tasks completed with the device ON versus OFF. The ease with which a patient completes a task is scored using a four-point scale, ranging from easy (score of 1) to impossible (score of 4). The tasks are evaluated individually and organised into four discrete domains, including 'Visual orientation', 'Visual mobility', 'Daily life and 'Interaction with others'.ResultsTwenty-six patients completed each of the 35 tasks. Overall, 24 out of 35 tasks (69 per cent) were statistically significantly easier to achieve with the device ON versus OFF. In each of the four domains, patients' performances were significantly better (p < 0.05) with the device ON versus OFF, ranging from 19 to 38 per cent improvement.ConclusionPatients with an Argus II Retinal Prosthesis implanted for 18 to 44 months (mean 36 months), demonstrated significantly improved completion of vision-related tasks with the device ON versus OFF.

Photoreceptor ciliopathies constitute the most common molecular mechanism of the childhood blindness Leber congenital amaurosis. Ten patients with Leber congenital amaurosis carrying the c.2991+1655A>G allele in the ciliopathy gene centrosomal protein 290 (CEP290) were treated (ClinicalTrials.gov no. (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03140969)) with intravitreal injections of an antisense oligonucleotide to restore correct splicing. There were no serious adverse events, and vision improved at 3 months. The visual acuity of one exceptional responder improved from light perception to 20/400. RNA antisense oligonucleotide therapy to restore normal splicing of a ciliopathy gene shows promising safety and efficacy results in a clinical trial to treat a form of childhood blindness., Author(s): Artur V. Cideciyan [sup.1] , Samuel G. Jacobson [sup.1] , Arlene V. Drack [sup.2] , Allen C. Ho [sup.3] , Jason Charng [sup.1] , Alexandra V. Garafalo [sup.1] , [...]