Healthy living
Body matters
New treatment for wet AMD
Monthly injections may help to prevent loss of vision
A new drug, called Lucentis, can dramatically improve the vision of people with the 'wet' form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness among older people. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the drug slowed vision loss in 90% of patients, and improved vision for about one third.
The 716 patients who took part in the study were given eye-chart tests before and after receiving either the drug or a placebo. After two years, patients taking 0.3mg of Lucentis were able to read on average 5.4 more letters on the sight chart. Patients taking 0.5mg were able to read 6.6 more letters. In contrast, patients given a placebo drug were able to read 14.9 fewer letters.
Lucentis, which has been approved for use in the US, does not yet have a European licence (although this is expected to be granted around December 2006) and is still waiting appraisal by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).
About 20,000 people in the UK suffer from 'wet' AMD, and around 500,000 people suffer from both the wet and dry forms of the condition which affects cells within the macula, a small but vital area of the retina at the back of the eye. Wet AMD, although rarer, is responsible for 90% of cases of blindness caused by the condition. It causes new blood vessels to grow behind the retina, which leads to bleeding and scarring.
Lucentis, one of a class of drugs known as anti-angiogenics, appears to work by preventing the formation of abnormal new blood vessels in the eye. It also dries up vessels which have already begun to leak, stopping further damage.
Someone who develops AMD in one eye has a high chance that it will also develop in the other eye. Around one in 100 people aged 65-75, and about one in eight of those over 85, have AMD severe enough to cause serious visual loss.
Non-drug treatments include laser photo-coagulation and photodynamic therapy. Laser photo-coagulation is a technique where a fine laser is 'fired' at the tiny new blood vessels that are forming. This destroys the blood vessels, which helps prevent the condition from getting worse. Photodynamic therapy involves an injection of a photosensitive drug which, when activated by light, destroys the abnormally-growing blood vessels.
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.