Open AccessCan the Onset of Neovascular AMD be an Acceptable Endpoint for Prophylactic Clinical Trials?
Author(s) -
Luísa S.M. Mendonça,
Emily S. Levine,
Nadia K. Waheed
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.639
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1423-0267
pISSN - 0030-3755
DOI - 10.1159/000513083
Subject(s) - macular degeneration , medicine , clinical endpoint , clinical trial , endpoint determination , population , intensive care medicine , ophthalmology , environmental health
Many studies over the past 20 years have pursued the goal of preventing or deferring progression from early and intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to advanced AMD. The onset of neovascular AMD has been used as a primary endpoint in some prophylactic clinical trials because it is easy to assess and relatively well-defined. Nevertheless, the use of this endpoint for assessing progression of AMD lacks validation. The aims of this paper are to review the current practice of clinical trials investigating the prevention of progression of early or intermediate AMD to neovascular AMD, so-called prophylactic trials, as well as identify ongoing efforts to standardize endpoints and select the ideal population for such studies.