A NEW MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR DRY MACULAR DEGENERATION?

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease causing vision impairment to the most sensitive area of the retina. It can cause mildly blurred vision in early stages, and more severe forms may result in loss of detailed central vision, making tasks such as reading or identifying facial features difficult or impossible. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in Canada for those over 55 years of age.



For years, there has been a medical treatment available for “wet” AMD. Drugs designed to stop or slow down the formation of damaging blood vessels in the retina have been shown to be effective when the disease is detected early. “Wet” AMD can result in rapid decline of vision and is generally considered the worst form of AMD. However, a form of “dry” AMD known as Geographic Atrophy (GA) can also cause severe vision loss. A new injectable drug called Syfovre has received clearance by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States and is awaiting approval in Canada.

Research done using Syfovre showed that when injected into the gel of the eye (vitreous) at monthly intervals, the area of cell loss in the retina due to Geographic Atrophy was reduced by 22%. When retinal cell death is detected from GA in areas adjacent to the most sensitive part of the macula known as the fovea, early intervention using Syfovre can prevent the most severe consequences of progressive dry macular degeneration.

A marketing application for the use of Syfovre in Canada is underway, with approval hopefully within the next year or two. 

Reference: https://www.fightingblindness.org/research/apellis-syfovre-279