HCPLive Five - Ophthalmology Updates at ASRS 2025

Ophthalmologists from all over the world attended the 43rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) in 2025. Hosted in Long Beach, California, the conference boasted 24 symposiums and hundreds of individual presentations by some of the best minds in the industry. Presenters discussed everything from retinal vascular disease and age-related macular degeneration to ocular oncology and genetics.

As part of HCPLive’s on-site coverage, the editorial team conducted exclusive interviews with different experts within the ophthalmic field, discussing their sessions and highlighting recent trial data or developments. This edition of the HCPLive Five spotlights 5 of the team’s most standout interviews.

1. OPTIC and LUNA Suggest Long-Term Efficacy of Ixo-Vec in nAMD, with Sean Adrean, MD

Sean Adrean, MD, met with HCPLive to discuss the results of the OPTIC and LUNA trials, which investigated the safety and efficacy of Ixo-vec in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The data from both trials show successful maintenance of visual and anatomic endpoints, as well as a reduction in injection burden among patients previously administered anti-VEGF medication. An investigational gene therapy, Ixo-vec’s success opens the door for a variety of future medications built on the back of fewer injections and fewer clinical visits for patients.

2. PDS Ranibizumab Retains Visual Acuity Gains in nAMD, with John Kitchens, MD

The Archway-Portal extension study has indicated the safety and efficacy of continuous ranibizumab delivery via the Port Delivery System for patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. HCPLive met with John Kitchens, MD, to discuss these findings and plans for future testing. The trial focused on patients lost to follow-up who eventually lost the gains they’d made in previous studies; after noting a decreased central subfield thickness and an improved best-corrected visual acuity, Kitchens noted plans to continue monitoring these patients in the future.

3. SPECTRA Data Suggests 4D-150 Safe for Diabetic Macular Edema, with David Almeida, MD, PhD

HCPLive spoke with David Almeida, MD, PhD, to discuss his presentation on the end results of the SPECTRA trial, which investigated the intravitreal genetic medication 4D-150. A unique combination of an evolved retinotropic AAV vector and a dual-transgene cassette encoding aflibercept and a miRNA sequence targeting VEGF-C, 4D-150 showed sustained vision gains with significantly fewer injections. Almeida expressed excitement at the potential for 4D-150 to enter first line therapy after a phase 3 trial and potential approval.

4. GLP-1 RAs May Reduce Risk of Retinal Vein Occlusion, with Aleksandra Rachitskaya, MD, and Kevin Allan, MD, PhD

With the meteoric rise in popularity that GLP-1 RAs have been experiencing in recent months, clinicians have begun to investigate their efficacy outside of obesity management. Aleksandra Rachitskaya, MD, and Kevin Allan, MD, PhD, from the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute, discussed their recent findings regarding the effects of this revolutionary therapy on retinal vein occlusion. Their study uncovered a significant reduction in total vascular occlusions at every time point, suggesting another possible treatment avenue for the surprisingly versatile GLP-1 receptor agonists.

5. Gildeuretinol Shows Lasting Visual Improvements in Stargardt Disease, with Kenneth Fan, MD, MBA

Kenneth Fan, MD, MBA, spoke with HCPLive about interim data from the ongoing TEASE-3 trial, indicating the safety of oral gildeuretinol for the treatment of Stargardt disease. The rare genetic eye disease has no approved treatments in the United States, but with so many medications steadily progressing through the pipeline, treatment is beginning to look more plausible. Fan advises ophthalmologists to be proactive in identifying Stargardt disease, working to streamline a diagnostic method for the potential approval of gildeuretinol or one of its contemporaries.