Prioritize Your Eye Health This New Year: Talk to Your Doctor About Geographic Atrophy (GA)
(BPT) - As the new year starts, it's the ideal time to set intentions for your overall health and well-being, including your eye health. The most action-oriented step you can take to begin working toward your eyecare goals is to schedule a comprehensive eye exam with your eye care doctor.
Regular check-ups are crucial because they serve as the baseline measurement for your eye health. A comprehensive eye exam allows your doctor to:
- Discuss your vision, health history, and concerns.
- Detect potential issues early - often long before you notice any symptoms.
- Explore proactive steps and treatment options.
Early detection is especially important for conditions like Geographic Atrophy (GA), the advanced, irreversible form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). GA is marked by the growth of patches of damaged cells, called lesions.
These lesions cause irreversible damage to the retina and progressively impair your central vision. GA may progress faster than you think, severely damaging the parts of your eye essential for daily tasks like reading, driving, and recognizing faces.
Scheduling your comprehensive eye appointment now provides the best opportunity to catch potential issues like GA in its earliest stages, allowing for timely discussion of management strategies.
Spotting the signs: Richard's story
Richard, a retired U.S. Air Force pilot turned magician, began noticing changes in his vision that prompted him to see his optometrist. "I noticed straight fences looked wavy, and lines on the road sometimes curved or disappeared," he recalls. After an examination, his doctor identified changes in his retina and referred him to a retina specialist who diagnosed him with dry AMD, more commonly known as GA, a more advanced stage of dry AMD, in his right eye.
Reflecting on his family history, Richard thought about his mother, who experienced vision loss in her 80s due to AMD. "Watching her gradually need more support made me realize how important it is to stay on top of my own eye health," he says. This awareness motivated him to be proactive about his diagnosis and explore all available options.
Richard's journey to treatment
When SYFOVRE (pegcetacoplan injection) 15 mg/0.1 mL, an FDA-approved treatment from Apellis Pharmaceuticals, became available, Richard didn't hesitate. SYFOVRE is a prescription eye injection, used to treat GA, the dry advanced form of AMD.
"My doctor and I discussed the risks and benefits, and we decided I was a good candidate to start treatment in my right eye," he explains.
SYFOVRE works by regulating an overactive part of the eye's immune system that contributes to GA progression. While it doesn't restore lost vision, it can help slow the progression of GA. Common side effects include eye discomfort, wet AMD, small specks floating in vision, and blood in the white of the eye.
Please continue reading for additional important safety information.
Finding a trusted specialist was also critical. Richard's doctor recommended a retina specialist closer to home. "She was personable, thorough, and took the time to go through everything," he says. Together, they carefully considered the risks and benefits and ultimately agreed on a treatment plan: injections every two months for his right eye. Your retina specialist will decide how often you receive SYFOVRE (once every 25 to 60 days).
"I didn't want to wait - I was ready to take action," Richard adds.
Talk to your doctor about GA
For Richard, managing GA means staying proactive. "I encourage everyone to talk to their doctor about options to help slow the progression of GA," he says. Early detection, informed decisions, and regular follow-ups can make a meaningful difference in slowing the progression of GA.
In fact, Richard recently shared his GA journey on The Balancing Act morning showwith Montel Williams and Olga Villaverde airing on Lifetime TV, alongside his doctor, Dr. Priya Vakharia, of Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida. Together, they discussed his experience living with GA and the decision to start treatment with SYFOVRE.
In case you missed it, you can watch Richard's segment on SYFOVRE's website: https://syfovre.com/resources-for-you/videos-testimonials/.
Richard's dedication, shown through his collaboration with his care team, serves as a powerful reminder to take the next step in managing your eye health as you get underway in the new year.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is SYFOVRE?
SYFOVRE is a prescription eye injection, used to treat GA, the dry advanced form of AMD.
Who should NOT receive SYFOVRE® (pegcetacoplan injection)?
Do not receive SYFOVRE if you have an infection or active swelling in or around your eye that may include pain and redness, or are allergic to pegcetacoplan or any ingredients in SYFOVRE. SYFOVRE can cause serious allergic reactions such as trouble breathing, tongue, face, lips, or mouth swelling, rashes, and hives.
SYFOVRE can cause serious side effects:
- Eye infection (endophthalmitis) or separation of layers of the retina (retinal detachment).
- Call your healthcare provider right away if you have eye redness, light sensitivity, eye pain, or any change in vision including blurred, wavy/distorted vision, small specks floating in your vision, or flashing lights.
- Severe inflammation of vessels in the retina which may result in severe vision loss. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have eye redness, light sensitivity, eye pain, or any change in vision including blurred, wavy/distorted vision, or flashing lights.
- Risk of developing wet AMD. You should be monitored for signs of wet AMD and you should report if you have any change in vision including blurred, wavy/distorted vision, black spots, or loss of central vision to your healthcare provider.
- Episodes of eye inflammation. You should report any symptoms including eye redness, light sensitivity, eye pain, small specks floating in your vision, or any changes in vision to your healthcare provider.
- Increase in eye pressure within minutes of the injection. Your healthcare provider will monitor this after each injection.
Before receiving SYFOVRE:
- Tell your healthcare provider if any of the following applies to you:
- If you have a history of seeing flashes of light or small specks floating in your vision and notice a sudden increase of size and number of these specks.
- If you have high pressure in the eye or glaucoma.
- Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including
- If you are, or think you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine.
- Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take,including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
What should I avoid while receiving SYFOVRE?
- After an injection or an eye exam, your eyesight may temporarily be impaired. Do not drive or use machinery until your vision recovers.
What are the most common side effects of SYFOVRE?
- Eye discomfort
- Wet age-related macular degeneration
- Small specks floating in vision
- Blood in the white of the eye
These are not all the possible side effects of SYFOVRE. Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.
Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
For full Prescribing Information, visit https://pi.apellis.com/files/PI_SYFOVRE.pdf.
Source: BrandPoint
