Current treatments/therapies

AMD in general

Diet: there is mounting evidence suggesting diet plays an important role in AMD. Specifically antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C and E and macular pigments such as Lutein and Zeaxanthine have been shown to modify the extreme form of the disease at very high doses. Consumption of vegetables (e.g. spinach, kale, yellow pepper, corn) can provide the macular pigments such as Zeaxanthine and Lutein. The Age-Related Eye Disease study (AREDS I and AREDS II) concluded that patients with an advanced levels of wet AMD may benefit from antioxidant supplements. Smoking has been found to be a very potent trigger in Wet AMD and is absolutely detrimental in high risk groups.

Surgery: trials involving macular translocation and RPE cell transplantation are ongoing at some centres around the world.

Dry AMD

There are currently no therapies for dry AMD.

Wet AMD

Photodynamic Therapy (2000): or PDT involves an intravenous injection of the dye followed by laser treatment of the CNVM. Repeat sessions are necessary and average 3 per patient. This method has been mostly superseded by the VEGF inhibitors.

VEGF inhibitors (2004-2007): VEGF is a potent stimulus for neovascularisation in the eye. Several anti-VEGF treatments have been proven to alter the course of wet AMD. They are administered by intravitreal injection: Ranibizumab (Lucentis®): a monoclonal antibody fragment