Advertisement feature; Paper session and special interest group session to focus on diabetic macular edema management.
Funded by Alimera Sciences. Contains promotional information. Please click here to view the prescribing information and adverse event reporting information.
This year’s Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting takes place from 3—7 May, at the Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado, USA.1
ARVO is the largest gathering of eye and vision researchers in the world, attracting over 11,000 delegates from more than 75 countries.1 The 2015 meeting will include around 6000 posters, four symposia, eight major lectures given by ARVO awardees and recipients of the prestigious Champalimaud Vision Award, (special interest group) SIG sessions, workshops, and extensive networking opportunities. The theme of this year’s meeting is “Powerful connections: vision research and online networking”, with the overall aim of exploring the increasing importance of online networking for exchanging ideas, promoting scientific discourse, sharing discoveries, building global collaborations, and advancing careers.1
ARVO 2015 includes two sessions focusing on DME management. The first of these is a paper session on Tuesday May 5, from 11:00—12:45 in the Four Seasons Ballroom. This session will include the presentation and discussion of data from the following DME-associated abstracts:2
- (11:00—11:15) “Durability of diabetic retinopathy improvement and impact of delayed therapy with ranibizumab (RBZ) during the RIDE/RISE open-label extension (OLE)”, presented by Jenifer Sun from the Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA
- (11:15—11:30) “BEVORDEX—a multicentre randomized clinical trial of intravitreal dexamethasone versus intravitreal bevacizumab for persistent diabetic macular edema”, presented by Mark Gillies from the University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- (11:30—11:45) “Long-term improvements in vision and diabetic retinopathy achieved and maintained with PRN ranibizumab therapy in the RIDE and RISE trials”, presented by Michael Elman from the Elman Retina Group, Baltimore, MA, USA
- (11:45—12:00) “Intravitreal aflibercept for the treatment of diabetic macular edema: evaluating the impact on diabetic retinopathy”, presented by Paul Mitchell from the University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- (12:00—12:15) “Five year outcomes in eyes with diabetic macula edema randomly assigned to ranibizumab with prompt or deferred laser or laser with or without triamcinolone with very deferred ranibizumab”, presented by Susan Bressler from the Wilmer Eye Institute, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MA, USA
- (12:15—12:30) “Real-world outcomes of ranibizumab treatment for diabetic macular oedema”, presented by Namritha Patrao, NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
- (12:30—12:45) “A randomized 36-week crossover trial comparing ranibizumab and bevacizumab for diabetic macular edema”, presented by Henry Wiley from the National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
The paper session is followed, on Wednesday May 6, from 13:00—14:30 in the Mile High Ballroom, by a SIG discussing the abstract “Managing patients with diabetic macular edema, neovascular age-related macular degeneration, or retinal vein occlusion: how to best utilize data from clinical trials”, by Quan Dong Nguyen et al. from the Stanley M Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.2 The aim of the SIG is to focus on a specific question or issue and consists of an introduction to the issue, questions being posed, with the floor then opened for debate. Delegates are able to pose questions or present specific points by contacting the organizers prior to the SIG session.1
Posters presenting DME data include those by Ali Eringay, from Hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, Université Paris, France (“Real-life experience following the usage of 0.2 µg/day fluocinolone acetonide implant in diabetic macular edema patients”, poster No. A0182; May 4, 11:00—12:45), and Aymeric Duvivier, from Alimera Sciences (“Comparison of the methodologies of diabetic macular edema clinical trials”, poster No. A0211; May 4, 11:00—12:45).2
For further details regarding the ARVO meeting itinerary, visit the online planner at www.arvo.org/Online_Planner.2 For more information about the ARVO annual meeting, visit www.arvo.org/Annual_Meeting. For more information on ILUVIEN® (fluocinolone acetonide), visit Alimera Sciences at booth #1803. Look out for DME content developed by Alimera Sciences on this website throughout 2015. We hope it supports your knowledge of DME and ILUVIEN, and if you would like to contribute material for publication, please send your materials to dmecontenthub@hayward.co.uk, we’d be very happy to consider your contributions. All ARVO images are reprinted with permission from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
REFERENCES
1. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Available at www.arvo.org. Accessed March 2015.
2. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology annual meeting online planner. Available at www.arvo.org/Online_Planner. Accessed March 2015.
UK-ILV-MMM-0168
Date of preparation: April 2015
ILUVIEN® Prescribing Information Refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) before prescribing. Presentation: intravitreal implant in applicator. Each implant contains 190 micrograms of fluocinolone acetonide. Light brown coloured cylinder, approximately 3.5mm x 0.37mm in size. Implant applicator with 25 gauge needle. Indication: ILUVIEN is indicated for the treatment of vision impairment associated with chronic diabetic macular oedema, considered insufficiently responsive to available therapies. Dosage and method of administration: The recommended dose is one ILUVIEN implant in the affected eye. Administration in both eyes concurrently is not recommended. An additional implant may be administered after 12 months if the patient experiences decreased vision or an increase in retinal thickness secondary to recurrent or worsening diabetic macular oedema. Retreatments should not be administered unless the potential benefits outweigh the risks. Only patients who have been insufficiently responsive to prior treatment with laser photocoagulation or other available therapies for diabetic macular oedema should be treated with ILUVIEN. Children under 18: No relevant use. Special populations: No dosage adjustments are necessary in elderly patients, or those with renal or hepatic impairment. Contraindications: the presence of pre-existing glaucoma or active or suspected ocular or periocular infection including most viral diseases of the cornea and conjunctiva, including active epithelial herpes simplex keratitis (dendritic keratitis), vaccinia, varicella, mycobacterial infections, and fungal diseases. Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients. Special warnings and precautions: Intravitreal injections have been associated with endophthalmitis, elevation in intraocular pressure, retinal detachments and vitreous haemorrhages or detachments. Patients should be instructed to report without delay any symptoms suggestive of endophthalmitis. Patient monitoring within two to seven days following the injection may permit early identification and treatment of ocular infection, increase in intraocular pressure or other complication. It is recommended that intra-ocular pressure be monitored at least quarterly thereafter. Use of intravitreal corticosteroids may cause cataracts, increased intraocular pressure, glaucoma and may increase the risk of secondary infections. The safety and efficacy of ILUVIEN administered to both eyes concurrently have not been studied. Concurrent treatment of both eyes is not recommended until the patient’s systemic and ocular response to the first implant is known. Interactions: No interaction studies with other medicinal products have been performed. Pregnancy and lactation: There are no adequate data from the use of intravitreal administered fluocinolone acetonide in pregnant women. ILUVIEN is not recommended during pregnancy unless the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the foetus. ILUVIEN is not recommended during breast feeding unless clearly necessary. Driving and using machines: Patients may experience temporarily reduced vision after administration of ILUVIEN and should refrain from driving or using machines until this has resolved. Undesirable effects: Very common (≥ 1/10): cataract operation, cataract, increased intraocular pressure, floaters (myodesopsia); common (≥1/100 to < 1/10): glaucoma, trabeculectomy, eye pain, vitreous haemorrhage, conjunctival haemorrhage, blurred vision, glaucoma surgery, reduced visual acuity, vitrectomy, trabeculoplasty; uncommon (≥1/1,000 to < 1/100): endophthalmitis, headache, retinal vascular occlusion, optic nerve disorder, maculopathy, optic atrophy, conjunctival ulcer, iris neovascularisation, retinal exudates, vitreous degeneration, vitreous detachment, posterior capsule opacification, iris adhesions, ocular hyperaemia, sclera thinning, removal of extruded implant from sclera, eye discharge, eye pruritus, extrusion of implant, implant in line of sight, procedural complication, procedural pain. Consult the SPC for full details of undesirable effects. Overdose: No case of overdose has been reported. Legal classification: POM. Pack size and NHS list price: £5,500.00 (ex VAT) for each ILUVIEN 190 micrograms intravitreal implant in applicator. Marketing Authorisation number PL41472/0001. Marketing Authorisation Holder: Alimera Sciences Limited, Royal Pavilion, Wellesley Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 1PZ, United Kingdom. Date of preparation of PI: February 2015 Adverse events should be reported. Reporting forms and information can be found at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard Adverse events should also be reported to Alimera Sciences Limited (telephone: 0800 148 8274) pvalimerasciences@alimerasciences.com If you are not based in the UK, please refer to your local guidelines for adverse event reporting. For medical enquiries please email: medicalinformation@alimerasciences.com
Founded in 2003, Alimera Sciences researches and develops innovative vision-improving treatments for chronic retinal disease. Alimera Sciences has developed and licensed ILUVIEN®, an intravitreal implant of 190 micrograms fluocinolone acetonide, for the treatment of vision impairment associated with chronic diabetic macular edema (DME), considered insufficiently responsive to available therapies.a ILUVIEN is the first DME treatment to deliver up to 36 months of continuous, low-dose corticosteroid by single injection.b In 2015, Alimera Sciences has partnered with The Ophthalmologist to facilitate the publication of independently created content on ILUVIEN and DME. Content will range from conference reports, case studies, and literature reviews to video interviews, presentations, and practical information surrounding the use and benefits of ILUVIEN. The word Alimera derives loosely from the Greek, to mean “day of truth”.c With a commitment to honesty, integrity, responsibility, candor, and trust, Alimera Sciences intend that this promotional information accurately and fairly represents the current state of knowledge of ILUVIEN and DME, and is useful to all healthcare professionals involved in DME and its treatment. a. ILUVIEN SPC. 2013 Available at: www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/27636 (Accessed March 2015) b. Alimera Sciences. Available at www.alimerasciences.com (Accessed March 2015) c. Retina Today. 2011. Available at: retinatoday.com/pdfs/0111RT_Wall.Street.pdf (Accessed March 2015) UK-ILV-MMM-0167 Date of preparation: March 2015
