The FDA recently granted BEOVU approval as a medication to treat wet form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). BEOVU works by blocking an enzyme involved with creating new blood vessels which damage retina.

Macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of legal blindness among adults aged 50 or above, impacting central vision needed for driving and reading activities.

The drug is being tested at Oregon Health & Science University’s Casey Eye Institute

Oregon Health & Science University’s Casey Eye Institute houses top researchers researching new treatments for eye conditions, such as macular degeneration. One ophthalmologist from this institute has already helped create and test an FDA-approved gene therapy therapy for an inherited form of blindness; and other researchers are developing promising drugs which could prevent blinding complications associated with other common eye diseases.

New research is showing promise in slowing wet age-related macular degeneration (WAMD), the most severe form affecting those over 50. Verteporfin or BEOVU, an injectable medication used by doctors, works by blocking new blood vessel growth within the eye that leak fluid and scar the retina resulting in wet macular degeneration.

BEOVU has been shown to slow the loss of vision among patients suffering from wet age-related macular degeneration and improve their quality of life. Administered via injection by healthcare professionals every three months or more for one or more years, recent studies found BEOVU to be as effective at limiting vision loss than current standard-of-care medications.

Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow and leak fluid into the macula of the retina, compromising central vision loss that makes reading, driving and recognising faces difficult. It’s the most severe form of macular degeneration and may eventually lead to total blindness if untreated; new treatment BEOVU could provide hope by being administered more frequently at lower dosage levels than existing medications.

This new treatment for wet macular degeneration (AMD) involves a monoclonal antibody that blocks vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, an important protein involved in blood vessel development and fluid leaks that contribute to wet AMD. This first-ever drug to target this specific source of vision loss in wet AMD.

BEOVU was administered directly into the eyes of participants with wet AMD during a clinical trial, and after one year of treatment 70 percent reached their vision loss goal by no more than three lines on an eye chart compared with 55 percent who received no treatment (control group). This represented an improvement over 55 percent who received no intervention whatsoever (control group).

Casey Eye Institute has long been at the forefront of research into eye diseases. However, its low-cost vision screenings for those without insurance or underinsured in Oregon has proven extremely valuable as well. Their mobile clinic is a 33-foot fully equipped unit which travels to remote and underserved communities around Oregon; since 2010 this program has screened more than 10,075 individuals helping them obtain prescription glasses as well as referrals to medical tests.

The drug is being tested at Yale School of Medicine

The Yale School of Medicine is one of the world’s premier centers for biomedical research, advanced clinical care and medical education, drawing its students and faculty from over 100 countries and 150 languages. To support its operations the Yale is currently searching for an Assistant/Associate General Counsel for Health Affairs to assist the School, its hospitals/clinic practices/HMO and health maintenance organization on complex transactions/contracts within its HMO – this position will be located in New Haven CT.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of severe vision loss among older adults. Affecting the macula of the retina – responsible for central vision and color perception – it has no symptoms in its early stages and must be discovered through regular dilated eye exams with your physician. Unfortunately, AMD progresses irreversibly until complete blindness has set in in most cases.

Most individuals with macular degeneration suffer from its dry form, which results in blurry central vision. While less prevalent, wet macular degeneration accounts for a higher percentage of blindness cases; it occurs when abnormal blood vessels form within the macula and leak fluid into retina, leading it to swell. As with its counterpart, wet form requires urgent treatment.

Anti-VEGF treatments work by blocking a protein involved in blood vessel formation and fluid leakage in the macular area, stopping new blood vessel growth as well as fluid seepage into it. While anti-VEGF medications provide significant vision gains, and can even halt progression of wet AMD in most patients, their use requires frequent trips to an ophthalmologist’s office for injections.

The FDA recently granted approval of an implant that delivers anti-VEGF drug ranibizumab continuously to retina. Called Susvimo Ocular Implant, this intravitreal delivery system enables patients to avoid monthly or bimonthly injections while being easily replenished during office visits if need be. Furthermore, its built-in safety feature detects any movement within its vicinity.

Early this month, a team of scientists presented results of two studies which demonstrated how Visudyne can slow down central vision loss for those suffering with wet macular degeneration. Furthermore, laser therapy combined with Visudyne led to significant improvements in participants’ abilities to read letters from charts – to such an extent that patients in treatment groups saw eight more letters after six months than those who hadn’t taken Visudyne alone could.

Visudyne will become available by 2022 according to its creators CIBA Vision and QLT Phototherapeutics, who hope that Visudyne can be administered via injection in the arm before targeting low intensity laser beams at the eye to destroy abnormal blood vessels that cause vision loss without harming other tissues or cells.

The drug is being tested at Wilford Hall Medical Center

BEOVU may help those suffering from macular degeneration retain more vision, though it won’t cure the condition. When administered intravenously, BEOVU targets growth of new blood vessels in the macula of retina — the layer at the back that allows us to see fine details clearly – by injecting it directly into their eyes.

It’s an innovative treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), accounting for 90 percent of severe sight loss associated with AMD. This condition causes blurry central vision due to abnormal blood vessels growing into and leaking fluid into the eye, blurring central vision in the macula.

Current wet AMD treatments require monthly injections into the eye, with injections intended to slow or even reverse vision loss; unfortunately, many sufferers lack access to such treatments and lose their sight over time. New medication aims to decrease injection frequency but will still need to be given on an ongoing basis.

Sodhi’s team recently conducted research which revealed that an apolipoprotein B100 found in blood is linked with reduced retinal damage among individuals suffering from wet AMD. Apolipoprotein B100 may help protect retinal blood vessels that form abnormally, leading to wet AMD.

Sodhi and his colleagues conducted studies using mice with genetically elevated levels of Apolipoprotein B100 to assess their likelihood of wet AMD. Their analysis demonstrated that mice with elevated levels had significantly fewer new blood vessels growing into their retina and more normal vision than a control group with lower Apolipoprotein B100 levels.

These results led to a partnership between Wilford Hall and Genentech, manufacturer of Lucentis macular degeneration treatment drug. Both companies are now working together on conducting a clinical trial at Wilford Hall as well as other sites throughout the US.

This study involves 106 patients with wet age-related macular degeneration who will either receive BEOVU eye injections or an eye injection with placebo ingredients for one year of treatment and then assessed to see how their visual function has changed over time. Genentech and the National Institutes of Health have funded this research study. Researchers will also assess the safety and efficacy of Avastin, a more affordable version of Lucentis for treating eye diseases. Unfortunately, though, the company plans not to test that drug as they spent millions in research for Lucentis as an anti-VEGF therapy to treat macular degeneration – already approved by FDA – while Avastin can be purchased off-label and widely prescribed to eye doctors treating wet AMD; making its potential cost savings even greater.