Florence, Italy, December 11, 2024 – Retina Futura is delighted to announce the winners of its prestigious awards, recognizing groundbreaking innovations and advancements in the treatment of retinal diseases. This year’s awards honor pioneering contributions that are shaping the future of ophthalmology and improving patient outcomes worldwide.

Peter K. Kaiser, MD of the Cole Eye Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, presented an analysis of intraocular inflammation (IOI) risk factors following abicipar pegol treatment during the Late Breakers session at FLORetina on December 6, 2024.

During the Retina Futura session at FLORetina on December 6, 2024, Lejla Vajzovic, MD, FASRS, Professor of Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, and Biomedical Engineering and Durga S. Borkar, MD, MMCi, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology], both from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, presented results from two clinical studies evaluating the Fasinhibitor ONL1204 for treatment of Geographic Atrophy and Macula-OD Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment (RRD).

X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) is a severe, aggressive, inherited retinal disease that often leads to blindness by middle age, with no treatment options available. XLRP primarily affects an estimated 4 per 100,000 males with RPGR mutations in US, Europe and Australia1.

ABBV-RGX-314, a groundbreaking gene therapy under development by RegenxBio and AbbVie, has the potential to transform wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) management. By utilizing an adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (AAV8) vector to deliver a gene encoding an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody fragment, ABBV-RGX-314 offers a novel approach to sustain VEGF suppression with a single treatment. Two delivery methods are under investigation: subretinal and suprachoroidal administration, each designed to address the significant treatment burden of frequent anti-VEGF injections while reducing the risk for adverse events such as intraocular inflammation. 

Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. recently announced an accelerated timeline for its Phase 3 SOL-1 clinical trial evaluating AXPAXLI™ (axitinib intravitreal implant) as a potential treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). The company now expects to complete participant enrollment and randomization by the end of 2024, moving ahead of the initial projections. With this update, topline results from SOL-1 are anticipated by the fourth quarter of 2025, marking a significant milestone for AXPAXLI as an investigational therapy

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have developed a promising small-molecule inhibitor that could revolutionize the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This innovative compound, administered via eye drops, offers a less invasive alternative to the current standard of care, which involves frequent intravitreal injections.

The treatment landscape for wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) is evolving significantly, with increasing attention on reducing the frequency of intravitreal injections needed to preserve vision. One of the most promising advancements in this area is the EYP-1901, a sustained-release formulation of vorolanib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) delivered via the Durasert platform, which is being investigated in the DAVIO 2 trial. 

Ocugen’s recent progress in gene therapy for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) represents a major leap forward in treating this debilitating eye disease.