New Advancement In Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatment
Despite the absence of treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), there are always continuous efforts to come out with new solutions. Vision rehabilitation programs and advancements in devices for low-vision are used to build visual skills, develop new tools to help perform daily living activities, and help them live with AMD. Currently, the main form of treating AMD patients is through injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF) agents. The high levels of VEGF in the eye are linked to the formation of abnormal blood vessels that cause much of the damage in wet AMD. Anti-VEGF agents are employed to brake the disease process and reduce the damaging effects of these leaky abnormal blood vessels. The use of Anti-VEGF stabilizes vision in many patients and can sometimes improve visual acuity.
On October 22, 2021, the FDA approved Susvimo™ (ranibizumab injection) 100 mg/mL for intravitreal application via ocular implant for the treatment of people with wet, or neovascular, AMD who have previously responded to at least two anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) injections. Anti-VEGF medications are administered by injecting them directly into the affected eye. Even though the Anti-VEGF injection procedure is very comfortable due to the use of anesthetic eye drops, it has to be done regularly and requires multiple injections to obtain effective results. Eye doctors set the best treatment schedule for every patient which can sometimes be on a monthly interval. Patients may miss their scheduled injection which can alter the effectiveness of the treatment.
A team of researchers at John Hopkins worked on a simple test that aims to identify patients who can stop anti-VEGF injection treatment. The preliminary study was conducted on 106 people with “wet” age-related macular degeneration. The researchers reported that as many as a third of those with the blinding AMD may someday be able to safely stop eye injection therapy without further vision loss. Even though the researchers, fall short of predicting precisely which patients can stop injections and when they can end the treatment, they say the research outcomes add to growing evidence that many people with AMD may not be required to undergo monthly Anti-VEGF injections. The researchers also pointed to specific proteins that those who stopped the treatment produced at different levels, which may help in developing a test that accurately identifies patients who may be weaned off anti-VEGF treatment.