The Foundation’s team attended the premier international congress bringing together retina specialists, eye researchers, and vision advocates
The Angiogenesis Foundation attended the 17th Euretina Congress in Barcelona, Spain, to raise awareness of retinal diseases impacted by angiogenesis. This year, the Foundation’s primary focus was to raise awareness and improve understanding of geographic atrophy (GA), the advanced atrophic form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Currently, there is no approved treatment for GA, which is a huge contributor to AMD-related blindness worldwide. However, several therapies are currently being investigated in clinical trials.
In addition to GA, the Foundation has a robust patient advocacy focus in neovascular AMD, diabetic retinopathy (DR), and diabetic macular edema (DME) because these diseases are highly treatable with anti-VEGF therapies, which inhibit angiogenesis in the eye. These serious retinal diseases affect millions around the world and lead to vision impairment and even blindness.
“This year’s Euretina Congress shows the continued importance of anti-VEGF therapies and how they keep evolving,” said Dr. William Li, President and Medical Director of the Angiogenesis Foundation. “We’re also learning that the vision community must refocus its efforts on improving real-world outcomes and incorporating patient-centered end points in clinical trials to better serve our patients.”
“Anti-VEGF therapies have preserved vision for millions with retinal diseases, but when you’re diagnosed with geographic atrophy there is nothing available,” said Diana Saville, the Angiogenesis Foundation’s Chief Innovation Officer. “We’re working to raise awareness of the need for continued investment in developing effective treatments for geographic atrophy.”
During the Congress, the Foundation debuted its Geographic Atrophy (GA) Multimedia Educational Toolkit, which includes 3D medical visualizations of GA’s pathobiology and potential therapeutic targets. The Foundation’s team also distributed 1,755 copies of its geographic atrophy educational materials in print and digital formats. Additionally, its team collected extensive international survey data from more than 600 leading retina specialists and advocates to help improve real world outcomes for patients across retinal diseases. To learn more about the Foundation’s work in GA advocacy, please visit geographicatrophy.org.