Photo Credit: Bill Oxford

The following is a summary of “Visual Function Benefit After Treatment With Pegcetacoplan: Microperimetry Analysis From The Phase 3 Oaks Trial,” published in the February 2025 issue of American Journal of Ophthalmology by Chakravarthy et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to estimate pegcetacoplan’s ability to slow visual function loss using microperimetry endpoints in eyes with geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).  

They utilized data from the OAKS study, which assessed pegcetacoplan monthly (PM) or every other month (PEOM) vs sham for treating GA secondary to AMD. Microperimetry endpoints were estimated at baseline and every 6 months up to 24 months using a 10-2 grid with 68 points and a 4-2 threshold strategy. The main outcomes were the time to development of absolute scotomas in the 4 and 16 central macular points. The number of scotomatous points and mean retinal sensitivity (dB) within the junctional zone extending to 250 µm from the GA border were analyzed for baseline changes.  

The results showed that pegcetacoplan delayed the development of absolute scotomas in all 4 central macular points compared to sham at 24 months (PM: hazard ratio [HR]: 0.66 [34% risk reduction]; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.96; P = 0.0282; PEOM: HR: 0.64 [36% risk reduction]; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.92; P = 0.0164). Both PM and PEOM treatments also delayed the development of scotomas in all 16 central points (PM: HR: 0.57 [43% risk reduction]; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.96; P = 0.0361; PEOM: HR: 0.52 [48% risk reduction]; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.85; P = 0.0084). At the junctional zone, pegcetacoplan-treated eyes showed fewer absolute scotomatous points (PM difference vs sham: -0.68 points, P = 0.1444; PEOM difference vs sham: -1.14 points, P = 0.0140) and less retinal sensitivity loss (PM difference vs sham: 0.56 dB, P = 0.0650; PEOM difference vs sham: 0.71 dB, P = 0.0202) at 24 months.  

Investigators concluded that pegcetacoplan treatment in GA secondary to AMD revealed a reduced rate of visual function loss in the central macula and junctional zone, as shown by microperimetry. 

Source: ajo.com/article/S0002-9394(25)00068-6/fulltext