Age related macular degeneration (AMD) can lead to blindness. Dry AMD is the most prevalent form, characterized by gradual vision loss; another form, known as Neovascular AMD, develops when new blood vessels appear underneath the retina and leak fluid, killing retinal cells and ultimately leading to blindness.

Visudyne is an injectable drug that can be activated with laser technology to destroy abnormal, leaky blood vessels associated with wet macular degeneration.

Visudyne

Visudyne is an FDA-approved injection to stop leaky blood vessels in the eye caused by wet age-related macular degeneration, one of the primary causes of blindness in people over 50. The light-activated drug works by blocking receptors involved with creating new blood vessels; this may help slow progression of disease while in some cases even restore vision to patients.

Novartis and QLT Phototherapeutics have developed and marketed a drug to treat chronic leakage of abnormal blood vessels that causes blindness. First, an injection is made into one arm before a low-intensity laser destroys only abnormal vessels while leaving surrounding tissue undisturbed by its intense light beam. When this drug binds with abnormal vessels it helps seal them closed so they no longer leak and allow further leakage of fluid into eyeball.

Age related macular degeneration cannot be reversed, but there are ways to slow the loss of vision by preventing wet form macular degeneration and slow its progress. The disease begins when pigment cells in the macula begin degrading due to age or thin macular tissues or deposits of pigment in retinal layers; with wet form macular degeneration new blood vessels under retina leak blood and fluid into retinal layers causing macula swell up with distortion leading to blind spots and even blind spots themselves.

Macular degeneration treatments include vitamin supplements and surgery as well as injections of anti-angiogenic drugs which inhibit new blood vessel formation and injections of therapies that reduce the permeability of eye blood vessels; some therapies may only be available in certain countries or states; therefore it’s essential to discuss which option would work best with your physician.

Verteporfin injections are approved to treat subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) lesions caused by exudative wet age-related macular degeneration, pathologic myopia or presumed ocular histoplasmosis. They should not be given to individuals with porphyria and known hypersensitivity reactions against its components, and an IV line must be established prior to beginning therapy and carefully monitored during its course.

Macugen

The FDA recently approved Macugen as an effective treatment for wet age related macular degeneration (AMD). Wet AMD is more serious than its earlier stages; caused by abnormal leaky blood vessels invading retina in back of eye, this damage damages retina which impairs central vision necessary for tasks like reading and recognising faces. Macugen isn’t a cure; rather, it slows vision loss while acting to slow progression.

This drug works by blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein thought to play an important role in the formation of new blood vessels that contribute to wet macular degeneration. It should be injected directly into your eye every six weeks; in a recent clinical trial this treatment significantly slowed central vision loss among wet AMD patients while simultaneously preventing formation of neovascularization (wet neovascularization).

Other medications used to treat wet AMD include anti-VEGF antibodies like ranibizumab (trade name Lucentis) and bevacizumab (Avastin; off-label use), both monoclonal antibody fragments that target VEGF. Unfortunately, they are less effective than pegaptanib (Macugen), an anti-angiogenic agent.

In the VEGF Inhibition Study in Ocular Neovascularization (VISION) trial, patients taking 0.3 milligrams of Macugen every other day were more likely to maintain their vision than those given a placebo. At week 54, those given Macugen were 70% less likely than their counterparts in receiving the drug to experience 15 or more letters being lost on an eye chart compared with placebo patients.

This drug requires a valid valid prescription to take, and must be administered by a healthcare provider. Side effects may include blurred vision and dizziness as well as potential interactions with certain foods and beverages. Prior to taking any prescription or non-prescription medicines (e.g. vitamins/herbs/supplements). Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should not take this medicine.

Susvimo

Susvimo is an exciting new treatment option for AMD that provides as few as two treatments each year, instead of 12 monthly injections. This implant continuously delivers ranibizumab – the active ingredient found in Genentech’s Lucentis eye injection – until refilled every six months, and also features a mobile app which monitors patients vision changes directly to doctors when alerts occur.

Macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye condition in which the central portion of the retina breaks down, leading to vision loss in people over 50 years of age. There are two forms of AMD: wet and dry; with wet AMD being more serious as abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina, leaking blood and fluid into the eye through leaky veins beneath it.

Wet AMD can be treated using anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections to slow its progression. Susvimo, the first drug that offers treatments with as few as two sessions a year and works by continuously administering ranibizumab through an implant, was approved by the FDA on October 22, 2021 following results of its phase 3 clinical trial, Archway; primary analysis demonstrated it to be non-inferior to monthly injections for improving best corrected visual acuity by an average of 0.55 chart letters over 36 weeks of treatment.

Roche’s Susvimo is expected to become the standard of care for wet AMD. With only one surgery and office visit required to refill it, its wide appeal is unparalleled – offering patients more convenience than monthly injections which may cause hemorrhages and inflammation of the eye, plus costing less overall. Roche also plans on providing training to physicians on using Susvimo while providing digital tools and a smartphone app so patients can keep track of their vision between appointments.

Stem cell therapy

Stem cell therapy can be an effective treatment option for retinal degeneration. Before embarking on stem cell therapy, however, it is essential to consult a physician first and check for allergies to medications, anesthesia and latex. Furthermore, patients should wait two weeks after starting any nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) prior to the procedure so as to decrease risks and enhance effectiveness of stem cells.

Researchers have developed a technique for growing retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells from somatic stem cells. Once generated, these RPE cells can replace damaged RPE in various retinal diseases. Clinical trials have demonstrated this therapy can slow AMD progression while improving visual acuity – though they have yet to prove they can restore vision in people suffering advanced AMD.

Researchers hope that one day this technology will be utilized to treat age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases. To do this, they plan on creating a cellular scaffold using gene editing technology which should make implanting it into retina easier.

At present, there are no cures for AMD or most eye diseases. The most effective treatments include those which slow or stop progression by either inhibiting abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina or replacing damaged retinal pigment epithelial tissue with healthy ones; however these may need repeat treatments and may not be suitable for all patients.

Scientists are developing an ingenious one-time gene therapy treatment to stop wet AMD from progressing further, which causes abnormal blood vessel growth between retinal cells. The gene therapy will target an underlying genetic mutation called ARMS2. At present, wet AMD is treated using anti-VEGF injections which reduce inflammation and stop new blood vessel formation – these same drugs may also be effective against other conditions like neovascular glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

While stem cell science offers great promise of curing blindness, there remains the threat of fraudulent clinics that offer unproven and expensive therapies. Therefore, the ophthalmologic community should continue educating their members regarding the need for well-designed, evidence-based clinical trials as well as professional advice to safeguard its members against fraudulent clinics offering such therapies.