Apellis Announces Eight Oral Presentations at the 49th Macula Society Annual Meeting

Core Insights - Apellis Pharmaceuticals will present five-year results from the GALE study, highlighting the significant impact of early and continuous treatment with SYFOVRE (pegcetacoplan injection) for patients with geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) [1][2][3] Group 1: Study Details - The GALE study is a Phase 3, multicenter, open-label extension study involving 792 participants, aimed at evaluating the long-term safety and efficacy of SYFOVRE in patients with GA secondary to AMD [4] - The study's objectives include assessing the long-term incidence and severity of treatment-emergent adverse events and measuring changes in the total area of GA lesions using fundus autofluorescence [4] - More than 80% of participants from the OAKS and DERBY studies transitioned into the GALE study [4] Group 2: Treatment Efficacy - The five-year results from the GALE study will demonstrate the importance of early treatment with SYFOVRE in preserving retinal tissue and delaying disease progression in GA patients [3] - The oral presentation titled "Earlier Treatment Yields Better Outcomes: 5-Years of Pegcetacoplan Treatment for Geographic Atrophy Secondary to AMD" is scheduled for February 27 [3] - In the OAKS and DERBY studies, SYFOVRE showed a reduction in GA lesion growth at 24 months, with increasing effects over time and a well-demonstrated safety profile [8][7] Group 3: Background on Geographic Atrophy - Geographic atrophy is an advanced form of AMD and a leading cause of blindness, affecting over one million Americans and five million people globally [10] - The disease is characterized by the growth of lesions that destroy retinal cells responsible for vision, leading to significant impairment in quality of life [10] - On average, GA lesions begin to impact the fovea, responsible for central vision, within 2.5 years [10] Group 4: Company Overview - Apellis Pharmaceuticals is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies targeting the complement system for serious diseases [15] - The company has introduced the first-ever therapy for geographic atrophy and has two C3-targeting medicines approved for severe, rare kidney diseases [15] - Apellis aims to unlock the potential of targeting C3 across various serious diseases [15]