Joshua Mali, MD, is a vitreoretinal surgeon at The Eye Associates in Sarasota, Fla. He told Ophthalmology Times his top five predictions for ophthalmology in 2018.
1. Aflibercept and ranibizumab utilization will continue to soar to new heights.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals reported $975 million in sales for aflibercept, which also goes by the trade name Eylea, in the fourth quarter of 2017. Based on the injection's strong efficacy data and long-term safety profile, Dr. Mali anticipates the year over year sales growth for the injection will continue.
In 2017, ranibizumab became the first anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy approved for treatment of myopic choroidal neovascularization in the U.S. and gained FDA approval for treating all forms of diabetic retinopathy. These successes indicate it is primed for growth in 2018.
2. The ForeseeHome device will be the new standard of care in age-related macular degeneration monitoring.
The telemedicine technology can detect the initial conversion from dry to wet AMD in a patient and recently earned Medicare coverage approval, leading Dr. Mali to predict the device will become more widely used.
3. Bromenfac will take a significant leading share of the topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug market.
Sun Ophthalmics' bromfenac ophthalmic solution 0.075%, a drug also known as BromSite, is intended to prevent ocular pain and treat inflammation for cataract surgery patients. Bromfenac's effective delivery system makes it likely that this drug will become increasingly popular in the ophthalmology community, according to Dr. Mali.
4. Voretigene neparvovec-rzyl will be a successful pioneer for gene therapies.
The first gene therapy for a genetic disease, voretigene neparvovec-rzyl faces obstacles in drug cost reimbursement, insurance coverage, distribution and marketing this year. Spark Therapeutics has already begun preparing to tackle these issues, making the future look promising for this innovative medicine.
5. Healthcare law reform will start to take shape.
As President Trump and Congress work to make changes to the healthcare system, the recent partnership of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan shows the private sector might also help transform healthcare solutions this year.