What is Age-related Macular Degeneration treatment?

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has two forms: the dry form of the disease, which is associated with the thinning of the retina and the loss of function of the light-sensitive cells, and a more aggressive condition that can cause a rapid loss of vision rapidly and is known as wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).

Unfortunately, we don’t have any effective treatments for dry age-related macular degeneration, and a lot of our efforts are aimed at preventing you from losing your vision and trying to prevent the loss of vision.

In terms of wet AMD, however, the situation’s been transformed over the last ten years by the arrival of an injection treatment into the eye that can stabilise or improve the vision in a significant percentage of patients. These injection treatments use a type of medicine known as an anti-VEGF treatment to target the proteins or chemicals that increase in our eyes when we suffer from wet AMD. These proteins or chemicals are known as the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

So, these antibody fragments or molecules target those particular proteins‌ and allow us to offer our patients the chance to stabilise and perhaps even improve their vision.

There are three different types of injections that are commonly used to treat age-related macular degeneration, the wet form. One is called Eylea, one is called Lucentis, and one is called Avastin. They’re similar in the way they work, but they have some differences in terms of the frequency of injection and indeed the numbers of injections that may be needed to treat or control the disease over a period of time, and of course they vary in cost as well.

When you come and see me, I can discuss in detail the different treatment options, and we can really tailor the appropriate treatment around you and discuss what would be best in terms of a treatment plan.