Save Sight Institute establishes glaucoma registry

The Fight Glaucoma Blindness Registry, established by the Save Sight Institute (SSI), will aim to fulfil multiple functions by collating real-world clinical data that is currently not available anywhere in the world. Using the syst, clinicians will be able to anonymously enter information into the Registry that relates to multiple aspects of glaucoma managent, including the treatment used, individual patient responses, and adverse reactions.According to the manager of the Save Sight Registries at the SSI, Ms Amparo Herrera-Bond, this information will have positive outcomes for patients, clinicians, government health institutions and industry.“Once drugs are approved for treatment for general use, there is usually no post marketing follow up. Real world evidence is therefore becoming increasingly important to determine the long term effectiveness and safety of treatments for ocular disease,” she said.{{quote-a:r-w:400-I:2-Q:“We hope the registries become important tools in helping Save Sight inform and educate the Australian ophthalmic community regarding the benefits of MIGS. -WHO:Thomas Burns, CEO Glaukos}}“Our registry generates a patient education tool in the form of a patient graph. This assists clinicians to monitor and individualise patient treatments over time, and patients to become involved in their treatment journey and hopefully understand their condition better.” Herrera-Bond said the project, which is being overseen by chief investigator Dr Mitchell Lawlor, would aim to ulate the success of already established registries for wet-AMD, diabetic macular oeda and keratoconus.Chief investigator, Professor Mark Gillies, leads the Save Sight Registries and heads the ‘Fight Retinal Blindness! Registries’. The registry currently holds 10 years worth of data on anti-VEGF treatments for wet AMD, and according to Gillies these activities have the potential to support huge improvents in wet-AMD treatment outcomes.“It is becoming apparent that our papers published in Ophthalmology that compared the superior outcomes in Australia of VEGF inhibition, to those of the UK, are already leading to an improvent in injection frequency rates, which is one of the main drivers of good outcomes,” Gillies said.The establishment of the Registry was supported in part by an unrestricted educational grant from ophthalmic medical technology company Glaukos, which pioneered Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS), and CEO Mr Thomas Burns said the company was proud to be working with the Save Sight Registries on the module.“We hope the registries become important tools in helping Save Sight inform and educate the Australian ophthalmic community regarding the benefits of MIGS,” he said.More information: Registry Flyer (PDF)