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
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 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 for specialist appointments, eye imaging, and aged care,” the report claims.
Much of this cost is borne by people living with GA, who find themselves having to pay high out-of-pocket expenses…
Treatment On Horizon
GA is a late stage and devastating form of AMD, which results in progressive loss of central vision. There is no cure.
For the past two decades, patients with the neovascular form of the disease have been successfully treated using intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections. However, there has been no treatment available for GA.
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 GA and there are more treatments for this disease in the pipeline.
Recommendations for Action
Vision 2020 Australia CEO Carly Iles said the report demonstrates the widespread impact that GA-related vision loss and legal blindness has on the economy and society, and that action is needed to address this devastating disease.
“Given this insight, we call on the government to provide a pathway for Australians living with GA to be able to receive affordable and timely diagnosis and ensure that access to support and treatment options are available,” she said.
Key recommendations include:
- Enhance support for people living with vision loss due to AMD to help maintain their independence and quality of life,
- Close funding gaps between the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and aged care to ensure adequate vision support services for those over 65,
- Drive awareness and early detection of GA through national public awareness campaigns that encourage regular eye checks,
- Publicly-fund optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging at least once every two years, especially for people over 50, for GA detection and monitoring. This is currently not covered by the Medicare Benefits Schedule for untreated conditions,
- Establish a National AMD Registry to capture accurate data on GA prevalence in Australia and high-quality data to improve disease monitoring, and
- Invest in GA research.
… we call on the government to provide a pathway for Australians living with GA to be able to receive affordable and timely diagnosis…
A Hidden Problem
Professor Robyn Guymer AM, Deputy Director at Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), said many people dismiss GA-related vision loss as a natural part of ageing, so the actual number of Australians affected may be much higher than current estimates.
“Sadly, as the disease progresses, many people with GA find that their world shrinks – the stress of trying to recognise their friends without being able to see their faces, for example, makes socialising too difficult.
“Reading gradually becomes harder until it’s no longer enjoyable, they can no longer cook or drive, and they may no longer recognise the faces of their grandchildren,” she said.
“With treatments potentially becoming available in the near future, it’s vital that we improve awareness and diagnosis of this disease, so that we can identify patients who may benefit from treatment, monitor their disease progression, and ultimately slow vision-loss for more Australians.”
The report, Geographic Atrophy, We Can’t Wait and See: The Case for Action and associated social return on investment (SROI) study was sponsored by Apellis Australia, an affiliate of Apellis Pharmaceuticals. It was launched at Parliament House in Canberra in September, at an event hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Eye Health and Vision Care.
The report was 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. 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: 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.
