A number of new treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a progressive eye disease, are under development. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in older people.
“While our current treatments have made a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, new treatments offer hope to patients whose AMD previously could not be treated,” said retina specialist Dr. Sunir Garg, the academy’s clinical spokesman.
“New treatments will also help patients receive beneficial treatment more conveniently than ever before,” he added in an academy news release.
While treatment with antioxidant vitamins can help reduce vision loss in many dry AMD patients, there is no treatment for those with late-stage disease. But a number of promising clinical trials are underway.
These include investigations of two drugs that target a part of the immune system long identified as a major factor in AMD.
The drugs, which are injected directly into the eye, have been proven safe in people. Results on whether they significantly improve vision are expected in about a year, according to the academy….
Source: Medical Xpress