- Showed visual function and quality-of-life benefits in patients with extrafoveal lesions
- Slowed the loss of retinal pigmented epithelial and photoreceptor cells, both of which are required for visual function
- Eight abstracts, including three oral presentations, highlighted at ARVO annual meeting
WALTHAM, Mass., April 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: APLS), a global biopharmaceutical company and leader in complement, today announced post hoc analyses from
the 24-month, Phase 3 OAKS and DERBY studies evaluating SYFOVRE (pegcetacoplan injection) for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The
analyses were reported during oral presentations at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting taking place April 23-27 in New Orleans.
SYFOVRE showed visual function and quality-of-life benefits in patients with extrafoveal lesions (≥0.25 mm from the foveal center). Additionally, SYFOVRE showed a meaningful reduction in the loss
of photoreceptor and retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells, which are both required for vision. These analyses utilized data from patients with SPECTRALIS optical coherence tomography (OCT)
images, which allowed for artificial intelligence (AI)-based automated segmentation of the photoreceptor and RPE layers as well as determination of the amount of the central foveal region covered
by the GA lesion (foveal occupancy).
SYFOVRE showed visual function and quality-of-life benefits in patients with extrafoveal lesions
In the 24-month analysis, SYFOVRE-treated patients compared to sham demonstrated:
- Preservation of 5.6 letters, equivalent to more than one line of vision on an ETDRS chart, as measured by best corrected visual acuity (BCVA).
- A 4.1-point benefit in vision-related quality-of-life outcomes, as measured by the NEI-VFQ-25. The questionnaire assesses outcomes, such as social function, driving, and dependency on others.
Four points is considered clinically meaningful.1
“Vision loss caused by GA can profoundly impact a person’s independence and well-being, so it is vital that SYFOVRE has shown slower vision loss and better quality of life compared to sham in this
post hoc analysis. These data also support earlier treatment with SYFOVRE,” said Allen Chiang, M.D., presenting author and associate professor of ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital, Mid Atlantic
Retina, and Thomas Jefferson University. “As the first and only approved medicine for GA, SYFOVRE represents a new treatment era for this devastating disease.”