An innovative new method has been devised to detect early signs of wet AMD. This involves scanning the retina with an instrument typically associated with astronomy.

UK Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency has approved faricimab as a new treatment for wet AMD. It works by targeting growth factors VEGF-A and Angiopoietin-2.

What is AMD?

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a common condition among those over 50, leading to vision loss in many aspects of daily living. AMD occurs when the central part of retina at the back of eye deteriorates, impacting your ability to read, drive, recognize faces and see fine details clearly. Although AMD affects central areas of vision only so people can still lead independent lives despite symptoms; other names for it include age-Related Macular Degeneration or Dry AMD as the condition’s more popular names; risk factors include smoking and family history of this condition causing permanent vision loss over 65.

There are two forms of AMD: Dry AMD and Wet AMD. In the former form, retinal tissue at the macula gradually degrades without abnormal blood vessels proliferating under the retina and fluid leaking into it from leakage of abnormal vessels under the retina resulting in rapid vision loss. On the other hand, smokers and those with family histories of cardiovascular disease tend to be at greater risk than people without any prior history of AMD or any related conditions.

Early signs of dry AMD include yellow deposits near the center of the retina known as drusen. Drusen are pigment epithelial cells that have lost their normal structure, appearing as small spots at random locations across the retina. People with drusen may be at an increased risk for wet AMD but may show no symptoms themselves.

Under wet AMD, there is a group of medications which can slow or stop its progression and improve vision. Known as anti-VEGF injections, these are administered into the eye via injection and help decrease abnormal blood vessel growth under the retina that could contribute to further vision loss; one such drug is Lucentis.

Faricimab, another anti-VEGF drug being considered for use in the UK, targets two proteins involved with blood vessel formation – vascular endothelial growth factor A and angiopoietin 2. It aims to address both issues simultaneously.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)

PDT is an innovative new way to treat superficial skin cancers, actinic keratosis and sun damaged, aged skin on all areas of the body. Utilizing non-invasive light technology to target abnormal cells that are damaging skin health while rejuvenating facial features. PDT offers safe, relatively painless yet highly effective results both cosmetically and as an acne cure.

PDT involves applying a medication called photosensitizer to the affected area. This medicine is absorbed by all cells throughout your body, but remains longer in cancerous ones than healthy cells. Once applied, a very bright light will activate this photosensitizer and destroy cancerous cells that were exposed. Other types of light may also be used by your doctor to kill cancer cells not exposed directly by photosensitizer. PDT can treat many different kinds of skin cancer and precancer including actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma esophageal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.

Once activated by light, photosensitizer helps skin heal rapidly without scarring. Treatment typically only requires one or two sessions spread out over several weeks. Your dermatologist may recommend other approaches as an alternative such as surgery or anticancer creams as part of photodynamic therapy treatment plan.

Vereporfin offers another solution for wet AMD treatment, acting as an inhibitor of an essential enzyme in the blood-vessel growth factor pathway and thus can inhibit new blood vessel formation, slow loss of vision, and be cost-effective when compared with best supportive care alone.

As part of this program, an eye specialist will administer faricimab (brand name Lucentis). This antibody targets vascular endothelial growth factor-A and angiopoietin-2 to prevent new blood vessel formation in retinal macula and has proven itself both clinically and cost-effective when compared with placebo and aflibercept in treating wet AMD patients.

Anti-VEGF injections

Anti-VEGF agents can play a crucial role in protecting vision from wet AMD, by stopping leaky blood vessel growth that contributes to macular edema and further vision loss. While studies show these treatments can slow or stop further vision loss, many patients don’t receive optimal treatment due to finances or scheduling restrictions that make regular visits impossible; many miss out.

Bevacizumab (Avastin) and ranibizumab (Lucentis) are two anti-VEGF agents commonly prescribed in clinical practice. Bevacizumab was originally designed as an anti-cancer medication but has since been modified specifically for use against wet AMD, while ranibizumab is an offshoot developed specifically to address wet AMD. Both of these treatments have proven their efficacy by stopping or slowing vision loss from wet AMD; however, repeated injections may worsen visual acuity further.

Researchers have explored ways of limiting the number of injections necessary to sustain visual acuity gains. Their investigation concluded that when patients were weaned off monthly injections, their eyes produced less fluid and their vision improved more rapidly than if they continued receiving injections regularly. Unfortunately, due to small sample size constraints it remains unclear whether any increase in macular edema may have resulted from natural progression or from repeated injections themselves.

Current wet AMD patients with positive visual outcomes are treated with monthly or bi-monthly injections of anti-VEGF agents to inhibit ocular fluid production and vision loss. The medications work by blocking production of VEGF or by preventing its molecules from binding with blood vessels to trigger their formation – it’s an effective and safe approach that has enabled patients to preserve their vision while forcing them into frequent clinic visits for treatments. Unfortunately, however, such measures may impose additional costs and disruptions into patients’ lives as they need to attend frequent clinic visits for their treatments compared with treatment being offered elsewhere.

Retinal specialists have recently been monitoring a new generation of long-acting anti-VEGF drugs that could reduce injection frequency while providing more effective reduction of macular edema. Retinal specialists are monitoring these therapies – such as gene therapy approaches – with an eye toward finding those that provide sustained and acceptable treatments in non-AMD patients.