Treatment of Patients With Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Sunir J. Garg, MD

Disclosures

May 03, 2021

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in older patients. About 10% of patients with dry macular degeneration progress to the wet, or exudative, form. Wet AMD is caused by the growth of abnormal vessels that leak blood and plasma, and create scar tissue underneath the macula.

Anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) inhibitors are first-line therapy for wet AMD. Intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF inhibitors work effectively to preserve and restore vision but require frequent office visits, which can inconvenience patients and their families and promote nonadherence. Because missing treatments can lead to vision loss, current research is evaluating effective therapies that require less frequent doctor visits.

Dr Sunir Garg, of the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, discusses effectiveness of current therapy, problems with patient adherence, and the latest data evaluating emerging treatment options, including a refillable anti-VEGF reservoir implanted in the eye, anti-VEGF inhibitors requiring less frequent injections, and promising gene therapies.

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