What is Macular Degeneration ?
The age-related macular condition (AMD) affects millions of individuals worldwide. The cells of the macula start to degenerate, leading to a loss of central vision. AMD is most common in people older than 50 years old, but it can also develop earlier.
AMD can cause blurred vision or distortions in the central field, as well as difficulty reading faces or recognising them. It may also make it difficult to perform certain tasks, or require brighter lighting. There is no cure for AMD at this time, but there are some treatment options that can slow down its progression, repair damaged vessels and maintain vision.
The New Study on Which Medicine is Effective
The treatment for AMD , (especially a type of wet AMD), involves either monthly or bimonthly injections of aflibercept.
Previously, both drugs were thought to be interchangeable and have similar levels of safety and efficacy. A new study, published in November 20,22, has shown that the first evidence suggests one drug may be better than another.
Aflibercept treatments cost significantly more than bevacizumab treatments ($2000 compared to $100). This new evidence indicates that aflibercept could be worth the additional cost in some cases.
This study examined the treatment records of 106 wet AMD patients treated at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute.
For the first three month, patients received either bevacizumab or aflibercept monthly. Standard protocol then involves gradually weaning patients off of the medication by increasing the time between treatments.
Records showed that after the first year of treatment, 30 of 60 patients who received aflibercept were successfully weaned from the drug, while only eight of 46 patients receiving bevacizumab (17%) had been weaned.
Aflibercept patients had an average interval of 13.1 weeks between treatments (compared to 9.1 for bevacizumab) for those who were still receiving treatment. This is a 44% improvement. After one year, both groups experienced similar levels of vision loss.
What Does HTML0 Mean to You?
This study, which only included a few patients, has opened the door to new insights on the best treatment for age-related macular disease.
In the future, researchers will seek to confirm these findings and to explain why there may be a difference in results.
If you have macular degeneration or are experiencing it, your doctor and you will work together to determine the best course of treatment for you.
