Laser Intervention in Early Age Related Macular Degeneration

Elizabeth Baglin – Clinical trial Coordinator, Orthoptist, CERA

- A new treatment for AMD?

AMD• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is

the most common cause of blindness in Australia.

Stages of AMDEarly AMD Late AMD

Early AMD

• Drusen present• Diagnosis usually picked

up on routine visit to the Optometrist.

• Vision is good• No signs of any late

stage disease

2RT nanosecond laser- Ellex

• Speckled effect Laser

• Healthy cells will divide, and bridge over the gap the laser has left

• New cells will function to clear away the drusen.

• Gentle laser• Doesn’t leave burns(current retinal lasers do)• Painless.

2RT Pilot study

• The world first Pilot study of the Ellex nanosecond laser in the treatment of Early AMD

• 50 Participants with initial 12 month follow up• All had treatment with the 2RT nanosecond

laser in one eye

2RT Pilot study results

• Reduction in Drusen• Improved Macular Function

–We are seeing these results in not only the treated eye but in some cases the fellow non-treated eye

Drusen Regression• Baseline 9 months

Bilateral Effect • Right Eye Baseline • Right Eye 3 months post

laser to left eye

LEAD STUDY

• worlds first multi-centred randomised control trial of nanosecond laser in the treatment of early AMD. (LEAD Trial)

LEAD Update

• Recruitment finished March 2015

• Approximately 350 people screened at CERA site alone

• Total number of participants enrolled = 291

LEAD Update

• CERA (Melbourne) = 162

• Lions Eye Institute (Nedlands, WA) = 50

• Marsden Eye Research (Sydney) = 32

• Heriot Eye Care (Melbourne) = 20

• Adelaide Eye and Retinal Centre (Adelaide, SA) = 17

• Belfast Heath and Social Care Trust (Belfast, Northern Ireland)

= 10

LEAD Study Protocol• Randomised control trial• Double-blind• 3 year duration• 6 month follow up

• - vision testing• - macular function testing• - imaging• - grading

LEAD Study Aim

• Aim: To provide an Early intervention, which may slow or partially reverse the progression of the disease, before any late changes develop.

LEAD Outcomes

• Does the 2RT laser therapy slow the progression to late AMD in the treated and/or non-treated eye?

• ? Effect on drusen size• ? Effect on retinal

function

THANK YOU!