Understanding Patient Acceptance of Complement Inhibitor Therapy in Geographic Atrophy

Introduction

Geographic atrophy (GA) is a progressive eye condition characterized by the degeneration of retinal cells, leading to irreversible vision loss predominantly among older adults. It represents the advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is a leading cause of blindness globally. With an aging population worldwide, GA poses a growing public health challenge and a significant burden to patients and healthcare systems alike.

While new therapies, such as intravitreal complement inhibitor injections (IVCIs), have demonstrated the ability to slow anatomical progression of GA lesions in clinical trials, these treatments have not yet shown clear benefits in functional vision outcomes — the aspects of vision most directly relevant to daily living. This discrepancy raises an important question: how do patients with GA perceive the acceptability of these invasive therapies, especially when significant vision improvement is uncertain?