Purpose To evaluate the growth of geographic atrophy (GA) during anti-VEGF therapy. Design Cohort within clinical trial. Participants Patients included in the Comparison of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Treatments Trials (CATT) Methods Participants were randomly assigned to injections of ranibizumab or bevacizumab and to a 2-year dosing regimen of monthly or pro re nata (PRN), or to monthly for 1 year and PRN the following year. Digital color photographs and fluorescein angiograms at baseline, 1 and 2 years were evaluated for GA and the total area of GA was measured by two graders masked to treatment; differences were adjudicated. Multivariate linear mixed models of the annual change in the square root of the area included baseline demographic, treatment, and ocular characteristics on imaging as candidate risk factors. Main outcome measures GA growth rate. Results Among 1185 participants, 86 (7.3%) had GA at baseline, 120 (10.1%) developed GA during year 1 and 36 (3.0%) during year 2. Among 194 eyes evaluable for growth, the rate was 0.43 (standard error [SE]: ±0.03) mm/year. In multivariate analysis, the growth rate was 0.37 mm/year in eyes receiving bevacizumab and 0.49 mm/year in eyes receiving ranibizumab (difference 0.11, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: (0.01, 0.22); p=0.03). Growth rate did not differ between eyes treated monthly and PRN (p=0.85). Eyes with subfoveal CNV lesions had a lower growth rate than eyes with non-subfoveal CNV lesions (difference 0.12, CI: 0.01, 0.22; p=0.03). Eyes with GA farther from the fovea had higher growth rates by 0.14 (CI: 0.01, 27) mm/year for every mm farther from the fovea. The growth rate was 0.58 mm/year for eyes with predominantly classic lesions, 0.41 mm/year for eyes with minimally classic lesions, and 0.30 mm/year for eyes with occult only lesions (p<0.01). The growth rate in eyes having a fellow eye with GA was higher by 0.13 (CI: 0.01, 0.24; p=0.03) mm/year than in eyes without GA in the fellow eye. Eyes with epiretinal membrane had a higher growth rate than eyes without epiretinal membrane (difference 0.16, CI: (0.03, 0.30; p=0.02). Conclusion GA growth depends on several ocular factors. Ranibizumab may accelerate GA growth.

Purpose To estimate the incidence, size and growth rate of geographic atrophy (GA) during 5 years of follow up among participants in the Comparison of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Treatments Trials (CATT). Design Cohort within clinical trial. Participants Participants included in CATT Methods 1185 CATT participants were randomly assigned to ranibizumab or bevacizumab treatment and to 3 treatment regimens. Participants were released from protocol treatment at 2 years and examined at approximately 5 years (N=647). Two masked graders assessed presence and size of GA in digital color photographs (CP) and fluorescein angiograms (FA) taken at baseline and years 1, 2 and 5. Cox proportional hazard models were used to identify risk factors for incidence of GA. Annual change in the square root of the total area of GA was the measure of growth. Multivariate linear mixed models including baseline demographic, treatment, and ocular characteristics on CP/FA and OCT as candidate risk factors were used to estimate adjusted growth rates, standard errors (SE), and 95% confidence intervals. Main outcome measures GA incidence and growth rate. Results Among the 1011 participants who did not have GA at baseline and had follow-up images gradable for GA, the cumulative incidence was 12% at 1 year, 17% at 2 years, and 38% at 5 years. At baseline, older age, hypercholesterolemia, worse visual acuity, larger CNV area, RAP lesion, GA in the fellow eye, and intraretinal fluid were associated with higher risk of incident GA. Thicker subretinal tissue complex and presence of subretinal fluid were associated with less GA development. The overall GA growth rate was 0.33 (SE, 0.02) mm/year. Eyes treated with ranibizumab in the first 2 years of the clinical trial had a higher growth rate than eyes treated with bevacizumab (adjusted growth rate 0.38 vs.0.28 mm/year, p=0.009). GA in the fellow eye, hemorrhage and absence of subRPE fluid at baseline were associated with higher growth rate. Conclusion Development of GA is common 5 years after initiating therapy. Several risk factors identified previously at 2 years of follow up persist at 5 years of follow up.

Objective To evaluate the association of subretinal hyper-reflective material (SHRM) with visual acuity (VA), geographic atrophy (GA) and scar in the Comparison of Age related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials (CATT) Design Prospective cohort study within a randomized clinical trial. Participants The 1185 participants in CATT. Methods Participants were randomly assigned to ranibizumab or bevacizumab treatment monthly or as-needed. Masked readers graded scar and GA on fundus photography and fluorescein angiography images, SHRM on time domain (TD) and spectral domain (SD) optical coherence tomography (OCT) throughout 104 weeks. Measurements of SHRM height and width in the fovea, within the center 1mm2, or outside the center 1mm2 were obtained on SD-OCT images at 56 (n=76) and 104 (n=66) weeks. VA was measured by certified examiners. Main Outcome Measures SHRM presence, location and size, and associations with VA, scar, and GA. Results Among all CATT participants, the percentage with SHRM at enrollment was 77%, decreasing to 68% at 4 weeks after treatment and 54% at 104 weeks. At 104 weeks, scar was present more often in eyes with persistent SHRM than eyes with SHRM that resolved (64% vs. 31%; p<0.0001). Among eyes with detailed evaluation of SHRM at weeks 56 (n=76) and 104 (n=66), mean [SE] VA letter score was 73.5 [2.8], 73.1 [3.4], 65.3 [3.5], and 63.9 [3.7] when SHRM was absent, present outside the central 1mm2, present within the central 1mm2 but not the foveal center, or present at the foveal center (p=0.02). SHRM was present at the foveal center in 43 (30%), within the central 1mm2 in 21 (15%) and outside the central 1mm2 in 19 (13%). When SHRM was present, the median maximum height in microns under the fovea, within the central 1 mm2 including the fovea and anywhere within the scan was 86; 120; and 122, respectively. VA was decreased with greater SHRM height and width (p<0.05). Conclusions SHRM is common in eyes with NVAMD and often persists after anti-VEGF treatment. At 2 years, eyes with scar were more likely to have SHRM than other eyes. Greater SHRM height and width were associated with worse VA. SHRM is an important morphological biomarker in eyes with NVAMD.

BACKGROUND Dry eye disease is a common chronic condition that is characterized by ocular discomfort and visual disturbances that decrease quality of life. Many clinicians recommend the use of supplements of n–3 fatty acids (often called omega-3 fatty acids) to relieve symptoms. METHODS In a multicenter, double-blind clinical trial, we randomly assigned patients with moderate-to-severe dry eye disease to receive a daily oral dose of 3000 mg of fish-derived n–3 eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (active supplement group) or an olive oil placebo (placebo group). The primary outcome was the mean change from baseline in the score on the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI; scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity), which was based on the mean of scores obtained at 6 and 12 months. Secondary outcomes included mean changes per eye in the conjunctival staining score (ranging from 0 to 6) and the corneal staining score (ranging from 0 to 15), with higher scores indicating more severe damage to the ocular surface, as well as mean changes in the tear break-up time (seconds between a blink and gaps in the tear film) and the result on Schirmer’s test (length of wetting of paper strips placed on the lower eyelid), with lower values indicating more severe signs. RESULTS A total of 349 patients were assigned to the active supplement group and 186 to the placebo group; the primary analysis included 329 and 170 patients, respectively. The mean change in the OSDI score was not significantly different between the active supplement group and the placebo group (−13.9 points and −12.5 points, respectively; mean difference in change after imputation of missing data, −1.9 points; 95% confidence interval [CI], −5.0 to 1.1; P=0.21). This result was consistent across prespecified subgroups. There were no significant differences between the active supplement group and the placebo group in mean changes from baseline in the conjunctival staining score (mean difference in change, 0.0 points; 95% CI, −0.2 to 0.1), corneal staining score (0.1 point; 95% CI, −0.2 to 0.4), tear break-up time (0.2 seconds; 95% CI, −0.1 to 0.5), and result on Schirmer’s test (0.0 mm; 95% CI, −0.8 to 0.9). At 12 months, the rate of adherence to treatment in the active supplement group was 85.2%, according to the level of n–3 fatty acids in red cells. Rates of adverse events were similar in the two trial groups. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with dry eye disease, those who were randomly assigned to receive supplements containing 3000 mg of n–3 fatty acids for 12 months did not have significantly better outcomes than those who were assigned to receive placebo. (Funded by the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health; DREAM ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02128763.)

BackgroundApproaches to limiting exposure to antiretroviral therapy (ART) drugs are an active area of HIV therapy research. Here we present longitudinal follow-up of a randomized, open-label, single-center study of the immune, viral, and safety outcomes of structured therapy interruptions (TIs) in patients with chronically suppressed HIV-1 infection as compared to equal follow-up of patients on continuous therapy and including a final therapy interruption in both arms.Methods and FindingsForty-two chronically HIV-infected patients on suppressive ART with CD4 counts higher than 400 were randomized 1:1 to either (1) three successive fixed TIs of 2, 4, and 6 wk, with intervening resumption of therapy with resuppression for 4 wk before subsequent interruption, or (2) 40 wk of continuous therapy, with a final open-ended TI in both treatment groups. Main outcome was analysis of the time to viral rebound (>5,000 copies/ml) during the open-ended TI. Secondary outcomes included study-defined safety criteria, viral resistance, therapy failure, and retention of immune reconstitution.There was no difference between the groups in time to viral rebound during the open-ended TI (continuous therapy/single TI, median [interquartile range] = 4 [1–8] wk, n = 21; repeated TI, median [interquartile range] = 5 [4–8] wk, n = 21; p = 0.36). No differences in study-related adverse events, viral set point at 12 or 20 wk of open-ended interruption, viral resistance or therapy failure, retention of CD4 T cell numbers on ART, or retention of lymphoproliferative recall antigen responses were noted between groups. Importantly, resistance detected shortly after initial viremia following the open-ended TI did not result in a lack of resuppression to less than 50 copies/ml after reinitiation of the same drug regimen.ConclusionCycles of 2- to 6-wk time-fixed TIs in patients with suppressed HIV infection failed to confer a clinically significant benefit with regard to viral suppression off ART. Also, secondary analysis showed no difference between the two strategies in terms of safety, retention of immune reconstitution, and clinical therapy failure. Based on these findings, we suggest that further clinical research on the long-term consequences of TI strategies to decrease drug exposure is warranted.