Jeremiah Brown, M.D., Retina Consultants of Texas, ELEVATUM study, AAO 2024, part 1

In this interview with Managed Healthcare Executive, Jeremiah Brown, M.D., of Retina Consultants of Texas, described the purpose of the ELEVATUM phase 4 study and its design. Patients from minority groups tend to come for treatment for diabetic retinopathy at more advanced stage of the disease that can make treatment more difficult, he said. Black and Hispanic patients have also been underrepresented in clinical trials, according to Brown. He said the enrollment goals of the U.S. part of the Genentech-funded study were 45% African American participants, 45% Hispanic participants and 10% American Indian Pacific Islander or native Hawaiian participants. All were treated with Vabysmo (faricimab) for diabetic macular edema in the same way that the patients enrolled in the pivotal trials for the drug were treated: monthly injections for six months followed by injections every other month for another six months.