Alleye” is a mobile medical software application indicated for the detection and characterization of- metamorphopsia, a visual distortion in patients with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and in patients with Diabetic Retinopathy

-      Diabetic Macular Edema is the most common diabetic eye diseases and the leading cause of irreversible blindness in working age population *

By ; Bakinam Khaled

In collaboration with top eye care and related macular disorder management hospitals, Bayer Middle East announced the launch of Alleye Home Monitoring Sponsorship Program to support Egypt’s ophthalmologists in the new era of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) patient virtual care.

The sponsorship program enables ophthalmologists of partnering hospitals across Egypt to keep a regular track on the vision of their retinal disease patients. It will also help reduce deterioration linked to diabetes and aging as well as reduce in-person ophthalmology visits.

“Alleye” is a mobile medical software application that helps detect and characterize metamorphopsia, a visual distortion in patients with Diabetic Retinopathy and Age-related Macular Degeneration.1 According to a recent study,”Alleye” can detect the progression in macular disease with an accuracy of 93.8% and a false alarm rate of only 6.1%, which means that false alarm rates for the detection of progression in macular disease via home monitoring is low.2

The Bayer-sponsored home monitoring solution will help participating hospital ophthalmologists observe their retinal disease patients’ conditions, disease progress and allocated needs more closely than ever before. A study has shown that “Alleye” allows both patients and physicians to detect eye disease early 3 because when home monitoring tests came back positive in the course of the study, 80% of patients showed signs of anatomical progression in their next follow-up visit.2

The COVID-19 pandemic caused massive disruptions in the healthcare industry, requiring professionals to re-examine the traditional face-to-face patient-physician care model. It also highlighted the need to incorporate new models of digital healthcare solutions in ophthalmology, such as home-monitoring, to meet this challenge.4 With the Alleye Home Monitoring Sponsorship Program, hospitals can reduce patient clinic visits and monitor their eye health and disease state remotely with patients staying at home. Patients will be able to send their vision scan results to the ophthalmologist responsible for their case who would, in turn, analyze their results to determine if the patient’s condition is stable or has improved or progressed in a way that requires intervention.

Diabetic Retinopathy is the leading cause of preventable blindness in working adults.5 According to a 2011 study that used a sample of 1,325 patients from Egypt with a mean age of 49 years, Diabetic Retinopathy was found in 20.5% of patients, 82% of which were not aware of the hazards of diabetes mellitus for the eyes.6 Diabetes as a disease is estimated to become even more prevalent than it is in the region during the next two decades. The International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas of 2017 showed that Diabetes cases in the Middle East are set to rise by 110% by 2045.7

Dr. Mohamed Moghazy Mahgoub, Professor of Ophthalmology and Consultant Vitreoretinal Surgeon, Ain-Shams University agreed that Diabetic Retinopathy is on the rise. He indicated, “From findings in my practice and the practices of fellow colleagues, I can say that the problem of Diabetic Macular Edema may be superior to the problem of Age-related Macular Degeneration in Egypt. A good reason to think so is that the Middle East has a rising population of Diabetes in general, according to numbers from the National Diabetes Association, and that Egypt is already a population of more than 100 million.”  

Dr. Mahgoub added that the Alleye Home Monitoring Sponsorship Program “is a great initiative from Bayer. In order to maximize the efficiency of this program and help patients benefit from the tool, doctors should use this app with patients who are digitally oriented.

Given that patients are able to use the application properly, I think it will be well-received by physicians as we are always trying to learn new ways to bring our patients back to treatment or follow-up. We are always enthusiastic about making the patients themselves interested in the disease and able to understand the importance of being monitored by their doctors or monitoring themselves regularly, so they won’t let themselves deteriorate before seeking help.”

“The Alleye Home Monitoring Sponsorship Program demonstrates how committed Bayer Middle East is to deliver innovative solutions that help address the unmet needs of some of the most challenging and wide-spread eye diseases like Diabetic Retinopathy and Age-related Macular Degeneration. We greatly value our collaboration with prominent eye care institutions in Egypt that will no doubt help us reach thousands of patients and change their lives to the better,” said Dr. Samer Lezzaiq, Managing Director at Bayer Egypt, LLC Commercial Area Head – Pharma.

About Diabetes and eye health If one is not able to keep blood sugar levels at check, high blood sugar can damage the capillaries in the retina, causing Diabetic Retinopathy. If blood sugar levels stay high, Diabetic Retinopathy will keep getting worse and more blood vessels will grow on the retina which are weak and can break open very easily, causing blood or fluid to leak into the middle part of the eye in front of the retina and altering vision.8

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