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GA Causes Irreversible Vision Loss1,2

GA, an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is defined by the presence of sharply demarcated atrophic lesions of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and outer retina.3,4

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vision-loss image-mobile

Images courtesy of Dr. Mohammad Rafieetary (“Early AMD” and “Geographic Atrophy”), Dr. David Lally (“Intermediate AMD”), and Dr. Mark Dunbar (“Neovascular AMD”). Images are from separate patients.

GA Affects More People Than You Realise

As the population ages, the prevalence of GA is increasing exponentially.

GA affects ~5 million people worldwide, and an estimated 276,000 people in the UK4,5

GA is expected to affect more than 18 million people worldwide by 20406,7

People with GA typically lose their vision within 2.5 years8

Once vision is affected by GA, change is irreversible—early diagnosis is an important first step in seeking to minimise disease impact.

The Complement Pathway

Dysregulation of the complement pathway has been strongly associated with the progression and pathogenesis of GA.2,9

Imaging: Diagnosis and Progression

Imaging plays a critical role in both the early diagnosis of GA and in the monitoring of disease progression.

References

  1. Holz FG, Strauss EC, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, van Lookeren Campagne M. Geographic atrophy: clinical features and potential therapeutic approaches. Ophthalmology. 2014;121(5):1079-1091.
  2. Boyer DS, Schmidt-Erfurth U, van Lookeren Campagne M, Henry EC, Brittain C. The pathophysiology of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration and the complement pathway as a therapeutic target. Retina. 2017;37(5):819-835.
  3. Fleckenstein M, Mitchell P, Freund KB, et al. The progression of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmology. 2018;125(3):369-390.
  4. Sadda SR, Chakravarthy U, Birch DG, Staurenghi G, Henry EC, Brittain C. Clinical endpoints for the study of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Retina. 2016;36(10):1806-1822.
  5. Owen, C, Jarrar, Z, Wormald, R, et al. The estimated prevalence and incidence of late stage age related macular degeneration in the UK. Br J Ophthalmol. 2012;96(5):752-756.
  6. Wong WL, Su X, Li X, et al. Global prevalence of age-related macular degeneration and disease burden projection for 2020 and 2040: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2014;2(2):e106-116.
  7. Wong WL, Su X, Li X, et al. Global prevalence of age-related macular degeneration and disease burden projection for 2020 and 2040: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2014;2(suppl):1-21.
  8. Bakri SJ, Bektas M, Sharp D, Luo R, Sarda SP, Khan S. Geographic atrophy: mechanism of disease, pathophysiology, and role of the complement system. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2023;29(5-a Suppl):S2-S11.
  9. Xu H, Chen M. Targeting the complement system for the management of retinal inflammatory and degenerative diseases. Eur J Pharmacol. 2016;787:94-104.