Incomplete Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Outer Retinal Atrophy Characterized Using Fundus Autofluorescence…

Randomized trialInvestigative ophthalmology & visual science· Jul 2026

Incomplete Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Outer Retinal Atrophy Characterized Using Fundus Autofluorescence: An 18-Month Post Hoc Analysis of GATHER2.

Giulia Corradetti, Aditya Verma, Sophiana Lindenberg … SriniVas Sadda

RetinaRandomized trialPrognosisQ1IF 4.2

Increased autofluorescence was seen in nearly half of progressing incomplete retinal atrophy.

Incomplete Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Outer Retinal Atrophy Characterized Using Fundus Autofluorescence: An 18-Month Post Hoc Analysis of GATHER2.

Giulia Corradetti … SriniVas Sadda

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · Jul 2026 · Q1 in Ophthalmology

Purpose

To identify fundus autofluorescence (fundus autofluorescence) characteristics corresponding to incomplete retinal pigment epithelial and outer retina atrophy (iRORA), defined using optical coherence tomography (optical coherence tomography), and progression of iRORA to complete lesions (cRORA).

Methods

In this GATHER2 (NCT04435366) post hoc analysis, pooled eyes from participants assigned to avacincaptad pegol (2 mg) or sham were analyzed for baseline iRORA beyond the borders of geographic atrophy; each iRORA was assessed for progression to cRORA at months 6, 12, and 18 using optical coherence tomography.

n = 95 eyes

44.4%

Results

44.4%

44.4% of incomplete retinal pigment epithelial and outer retina atrophy lesions that progressed showed increased autofluorescence.

n = 95 eyes

More results

Overall, 153 iRORA from 95 eyes were identified at baseline, and the majority demonstrated none (34.6%; n = 53) or QDAF (34.6%; n = 53) patterns.

A smaller proportion of baseline iRORA exhibited a DDAF pattern (7.2%; n = 11).

More results

At month 18, the proportion of iRORA manifesting QDAF and DDAF patterns increased to 38.1% and 23.0%, respectively, and the none pattern decreased to 16.8%.

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Conclusion

Findings from this large study reporting fundus autofluorescence characteristics of iRORA highlight the heterogeneity of these lesions and the association of the multimodal phenotype on progression over time.

Incomplete Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Outer Retinal Atrophy Characterized Using Fundus Autofluorescence: An 18-Month Post Hoc Analysis of GATHER2.

Incomplete Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Outer Retinal Atrophy Characterized Using Fundus Autofluorescence: An 18-Month Post Hoc Analysis of GATHER2.

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