Lucentis, Avastin or Eylea treatment has shown some success in improving vision of those suffering from wet macular degeneration by decreasing leakage from abnormal blood vessels and damage caused by leaky capillaries. Unfortunately, though it is unlikely to restore lost central vision that has already been lost with the disease.

Dry AMD occurs when the retina becomes thinner and deposits called drusen accumulate on its surface, leaving no treatment available to treat it.

New Drug Improves Vision in Adults with Blurred Vision

Central vision in our eyes is determined by the macula, an area of retina that helps us see fine details and perform tasks such as threading a needle or reading. When this area deteriorates from macular degeneration, you may notice blurriness or dark spots in your central vision. Macular degeneration can make everyday activities, like driving and reading, increasingly difficult to perform. However, there are ways to slow down its progress and even improve vision quality. Anti-VEGF treatments, a popular solution for wet macular degeneration, involve injecting drugs directly into the eye that help stop abnormal blood vessel growth (neovascularization) and subsequent bleeding, as well as stopping abnormal neovascularization and bleeding in retinal veins. Studies show these anti-VEGF drugs may help restore some vision lost from wet macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration accounts for around 85-90 percent of cases worldwide and typically takes on its dry form when deposits known as drusen accumulate behind the macula, gradually leading to central vision loss; though less serious than its wet counterpart, this form still leads to gradual central visual decline resulting in large blind spots appearing centrally while peripheral vision remains intact.

Macular degeneration typically manifests itself in one of two forms, wet or dry. In these instances, abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina causing bleeding and fluid leakage to damage macula. The abnormal vessels form due to overproduction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), normally produced in your body but occasionally excessive amounts may be produced in certain diseases that increase risk such as high blood pressure or cardiovascular diseases that increase your likelihood of macular degeneration such as high blood pressure or cardiovascular diseases.

Under wet macular degeneration, VEGF can trigger blood vessel growth that results in blurriness and distortion to central vision, blurredness or distortion that causes blind spots in your central field of view, blood vessel leakage into macula tissue that bleeds out and clouds it, clouding macula completely or leading to vision loss and eventual blindness. At present, there is only one FDA-approved medication approved to treat wet macular degeneration; it must be given as monthly injections into the eye. This medication, known as a VEGF inhibitor and also known by its brand names Avastin, Lucentis or Macugen. Vuity, another VEGF inhibitor recently approved, is an eye drop used to treat age-related blurry near vision (presbyopia). Although not covered by most health insurance plans, Vuity proved successful in improving near vision in over 50% of its clinical trial participants; its promise could provide new ways of treating presbyopia as well as macular degeneration blurriness.

New Drug May Slow the Progression of Dry Macular Degeneration

New treatment could halt dry macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness among people over 60. Aflibercept may help stop progression by restricting abnormal new blood vessel growth in those suffering with this form of macular degeneration and has been shown to slow vision loss while improving ability to read and drive, according to a phase III clinical trial published by Retina journal.

At present, no effective treatments exist for dry AMD, in which macular degeneration leads to blurred vision due to deposits called drusen that form under the retina and thin it over time. According to estimates, 8 out of 10 people with macular degeneration have this form. If any additional drusen become large enough or multiple enough, an individual could develop wet AMD that causes rapid vision loss.

Wet macular degeneration is an entirely separate condition in which abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak and bleed, eventually damaging retinal tissue and leading to vision loss. It’s more severe than its dry counterpart and may eventually lead to total blindness if untreated.

In the wet form of macular degeneration, new blood vessels form under the retina in the choriocapillaries area of vascular layer of eye and progress into space behind Bruch’s membrane causing bleeding and fluid leakage resulting in damage to photoreceptor cells and vision loss. About 10 percent of people suffering from dry macular degeneration progress into wet form of this condition.

Researchers continue to look for ways to prevent wet macular degeneration, including eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly. The National Institutes of Health suggests seeking regular eye exams from an ophthalmologist in order to detect early symptoms such as blurry vision or dark spots in your field of vision that indicate macular degeneration.

Another innovative method for treating wet macular degeneration involves manipulating the complement system, which plays a significant role in its progression. Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have developed an FDA-approved anti-complement medication called bevacizumab that may help inhibit abnormal new blood vessel formation in the eye. The team has received funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to accelerate this project into a larger clinical trial and pursue FDA-approval as soon as possible. Drs. Goldfarb and Smolarek are testing an injection containing molecules produced by healthy retinal cells in a laboratory, in order to stimulate retinal regeneration and potentially prevent blindness from advanced dry AMD. It is hoped that this therapy will prove equally successful with humans as it was with animals studies.

A New Drug May Slow Vision Loss in Patients with Dry Macular Degeneration

8 out of 10 individuals living with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have the dry form. In this type of AMD, yellow deposits known as drusen develop under the retina and gradually accumulate to thin it down and cause central vision loss over time. Vision loss due to dry AMD is gradual and painless; unlike its wet counterpart, however. There is currently no treatment option for dry AMD.

Macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels leak blood and fluid under the retina, known as wet macular degeneration, accounting for 90% of severe visual loss in macular degeneration cases. Vision loss occurs more rapidly with wet AMD, leading to distortion or blank spots in central vision and may cause distortion or blank spots as vision gradually blurs over time. Contrary to dry AMD, wet AMD can be treated more effectively using laser therapy that prevents leakage while protecting vision further down the road.

Researchers are exploring new approaches to delaying or even stopping the progression of wet macular degeneration, using treatments such as drugs that stop neovascularization (or block its effect). One such medication manufactured by Novartis called Beovu (brolucizumab) has shown impressive success at decreasing vision loss by targeting this aspect of AMD neovascularization.

Other promising treatments for macular degeneration include anti-VEGF injections (Macugen, Avastin and Lucentis) and photodynamic therapy. With anti-VEGF medications injected directly into the eye and binding to chemicals in blood vessel walls, these injections work to limit production of abnormal vessels by breaking down their production of vascular endothelial growth factor, leading to less bleeding and fluid leakage into retina. Some patients see improvement of vision with these treatments although full recovery of vision remains uncommon.

Scientists are also working on developing an experimental retinal implant which would replace degenerating cells in the macula with new ones, replacing their degeneration through this highly experimental technology.

Macular degeneration cannot be reversed, but taking vitamins and minerals as directed by your ophthalmologist is an effective way to manage its progression and slow its progress. Maintain regular eye exams and additional diagnostic testing such as fluorescein angiography or optical coherence tomography scans in order to detect wet AMD as early as possible. When wet AMD is diagnosed, treatments can begin quickly before it affects your fovea – the small area in the center of your retina which contains high concentrations of cone and rod photoreceptors essential for sharp central vision. With regular care and effective therapies available today, many individuals living with wet macular degeneration can live independently while remaining fully-sighted despite wet AMD.