New analysis shows geographic atrophy (GA), a form of late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), costs almost AU$2 billion to the Australian economy every year.1
And the report reveals that every dollar invested into preserving the vision of people with GA would generate more than double the value in benefits to society, prompting calls for immediate government action.
The report, Geographic Atrophy, We Can’t Wait and See: The Case for Action, is the first time a price has been put on the cost of GA in Australia.1
More than 75,000 Australians have GA,1 a late stage form of AMD, which results in progressive loss of central vision. GA-related vision loss costs Australia $1.8 billion every year, including $377 million in direct health system costs, $312 million in non-health system costs, and $1.1 billion in lost wellbeing.1
Much of this cost is borne by people living with GA, who find themselves having to pay high out-of-pocket expenses…
“Much of this cost is borne by people living with GA, who find themselves having to pay high out-of-pocket expenses for specialist appointments, eye imaging, and aged care,” the report claims.
In February 2023, Syfovre (pegcetacoplan) from Apellis Pharmaceuticals became the first approved treatment for GA, secondary to AMD, in the United States.2 Astellas Pharma’s Izervay (avacincaptad pegol) received FDA approval for GA treatment in August 2023.3
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is currently assessing an application by Apellis for the approval of pegcetacoplan injection (Syfovre) for the treatment of geographic atrophy and there are more treatments for this disease in the pipeline.
This report was sponsored by Apellis Australia, an affiliate of Apellis Pharmaceuticals and developed in consultation with Vision 20/20, Vision Australia, Retina Australia, Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA), Optometry Australia, and Sight For All.
References
- CBW and HTANALYSTS, Geographic Atrophy. We Can’t Wait and See: The Case for Action, report sponsored by Apellis Australia, September 2024. Available at: retinaaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SROI-REPORT-FINAL-SPREADS_72DPI.pdf [accessed Sept 2024].
- Apellis, FDA approves Syfovre (pegcetacoplan injection) as the first and only treatment for geographic atrophy (GA), a leading cause of blindness (news release, 17 Feb 2023) available at: https://investors.apellis.com/news-releases/news-release-details/fda-approves-syfovretm-pegcetacoplan-injection-first-and-only [accessed Sept 2024].
- Astellas, Iveric Bio Receives U.S. FDA Approval for IZERVAY™ (avacincaptad pegol intravitreal solution), a New Treatment for Geographic Atrophy (news release 5 August 2023) available at: astellas.com/en/news/28281 [accessed Sept 2024].
