Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss. The present consensus provides suggestions on diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and follow-up strategies for nAMD from a panel of 11 practicing ophthalmologists. The experts suggest that the baseline visit for nAMD management should include a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination via a multimodal approach consisting of visual and anatomical evaluation. Patients diagnosed with nAMD should be subjected to treatment with the goal of maintaining visual function while diminishing anatomical disease activity and minimizing treatment burden. Currently, anti-VEGF therapy is the main treatment strategy for nAMD, and evaluation involving comprehensive ophthalmologic examination within 1 month of completion of the loading phase comprising three monthly injections is recommended to guide subsequent management. Either a treat-and-extend or pro re nata regimen can be considered for the maintenance phase of anti-VEGF therapy, and the regimen should be chosen and adjusted according to disease activity, reimbursement criteria, financial burden, and patient preferences. In the event of inactive nAMD or poor treatment outcomes, after thorough evaluation and patient education, anti-VEGF therapy may be stopped. The consensus provides practical nAMD management guidelines for ophthalmologists and fellow healthcare professionals.

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a prevalent retinal disease predominantly occurs in Asians that shares some similarities seen in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Recent large multicenter clinical trials on intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents and photodynamic therapy (PDT) have shed lights on the management of PCV. The Taiwan National Health Insurance had granted limited anti-VEGF agents and PDT for patients with PCV after the approval of required data submission, especially fundus angiography, optical coherence tomography, and visual acuity. In order to best utilize these limited resources for the patients, an expert meeting was held to provide updated Taiwan consensus recommendations for the management of PCV, including initial therapy selection, assessment of treatment response, re-treatment/rescue treatment, and determination of treatment extension/follow-up schedule. An algorithm for treatment allocation under both initial and re-treatment setting was proposed. Further mechanistic and clinical studies are required to investigate the prognostic factors and optimal treatment protocols that will improve healthcare quality and reduce burden of disease and treatment for patients with PCV.

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The rapid development of angiogenic growth factor therapy for patients with advanced ischemic heart disease over the last 5 years offers hope of a new treatment strategy based on generation of new blood supply in the diseased heart. However, as the field of therapeutic coronary angiogenesis is maturing from basic and preclinical investigations to clinical trials, many new and presently unresolved issues are coming into focus. These include in-depth understanding of the biology of angiogenesis, selection of appropriate patient populations for clinical trials, choice of therapeutic end points and means of their assessment, choice of therapeutic strategy (gene versus protein delivery), route of administration, and the side effect profile. The present article presents a summary statement of a panel of experts actively working in the field, convened by the Angiogenesis Foundation and the Angiogenesis Research Center during the 72nd meeting of the American Heart Association to define and achieve a consensus on the challenges facing development of therapeutic angiogenesis for coronary disease.