Study: artificial intelligence matches/outperforms ophthalmologists

A press release from New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai announced a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology this week, reporting that a large-language model artificial intelligence system matched or outperformed ophthalmologists in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with glaucoma and retina disease. According to the press release, the study included 12 attendings and three senior trainees who were asked to respond to 10 glaucoma and 10 retina patient questions and make assessments for 20 deidentified patient cases. Their responses were compared to that of GPT-4 from OpenAI. The responses of the ophthalmologists and the AI system were rated for accuracy and thoroughness. The study found that AI matched humans in accuracy and thoroughness of medical advice and assessments and even “demonstrated superior performance in response to glaucoma questions and case-management advice, while reflecting a more balanced outcome in retina questions, where AI matched humans in accuracy but exceeded them in completeness.”

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Primary endpoint met in Phase 3 trial using an antibody to treat thyroid eye disease

Innovent announced that it met its primary endpoint in a Phase 3 clinical trial investigating IBI311, an anti-insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor antibody, in patients with thyroid eye disease. The multicenter, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study took place in China. The primary endpoint was the proptosis responder rate at week 24 (the percentage of participants with a reduction of 2 mm or more in proptosis from baseline in the study eye without a similar effect in the fellow eye). This endpoint was achieved in 85.8% of study eyes and 3.8% in the control eyes. The company plans on submitting an NDA to China’s National Drug Administration.

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FDA grants Breakthrough Device Designation to novel spectacle design

SightGlass Vision announced that it received a Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA for its Diffusion Optics Technology lenses intended to slow myopia progression in children. According to the company, this design is the first to use contrast management as its mechanism of action, “gently [scattering] light across the retina.”

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ASCRS news and events

• ASCRS Annual Meeting: The ASCRS Annual Meeting has something for everybody, from symposia to courses to hands-on lab experiences to networking opportunities. See what to expect April 5–8 in Boston, Massachusetts, in the ASCRS ASOA Preview Program.

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Research highlights

• A multicenter, retrospective, nonrandomized comparative study published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery looked at the intraoperative complications and visual outcomes of phacoemulsification cataract surgery in patients with neovascular AMD and those without. Overall, preoperative visual acuity was worse in the group that had AMD (0.9±0.5) compared to those that didn’t (0.6±0.5). Intraoperatively, there was no difference in rate of PCR between the two groups, dropped lens fragments, or zonular dialysis. However, the authors noted that receiving 10 or more intravitreal injections prior to cataract surgery was associated with a higher likelihood of PCR (odds ratio: 2.86). Eyes with AMD were less likely to achieve a gain of 3 Snellen lines or more.
• A multicenter series of cases of severe, spontaneous IOL tilt after flanged intrascleral haptic fixation were reported in a paper published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology. According to the paper, 46 cases using this intrascleral technique with the CT Lucia 602 IOL were assessed at one center over a 24-week period to “determine the incidence of severe rotisserie-style rotational tilt.” The authors wrote that they were comparing this to the same time frame from the prior year to “help determine if this is a new phenomenon.” Five cases of severe tilt were identified from the 46 cases at this center and additional cases of severe tilt were solicited by the investigators from other academic centers for analysis—18 total cases of severe tilt were identified. The authors reported that there was no clear pattern (surgical technique, ocular history/anatomy, surgeon experience) in the cases of severe tilt compared to controls. The IOLs, they noted, were “clustered within a narrow diopter range, indicative of a batch effect.” In the same 24-week interval in the year prior when 33 flanged intrascleral haptic fixation cases were performed, there were no cases of severe tilt. The authors reported that at least eight cases of severe tilt showed haptic rotation and/or dehiscence at the optic-haptic junction.

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Product news

• Harrow and Apotex entered into a joint exclusive out-licensing agreement for Apotex to market and distribute VERKAZIA and Cationorm PLUS in Canada, while also pursuing approval in Canada for VEVYE, IHEEZO, and ZERVIATE.
• Sight Sciences launched its Ergo-Series of its OMNI Surgical System in Europe; it launched in the U.S. in 2023.
• Johnson & Johnson launched the TECNIS PureSee IOL in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

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