Age-related macular degeneration: review of current treatments

Abstract

The pathogenesis of choroidal neovascular membrane in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is multifactorial and involves angiogenesis, inflammation and other yet to be discovered entities. The role of angiogenesis in this disease process has been exploited, and at present forms the basis of the most successful therapy. Ranibizumab is a nonselective antibody fragment found to not only maintain vision, but also improve vision when compared with sham injections and photodynamic therapy treatments. Bevacizumab, with a similar mechanism of action as ranibizumab, although not US FDA approved for intravitreal use, is being used with promising results of decreased vision and loss of foveal thickness in neovascular AMD. Several studies are underway, including those involving comparing ranibizumab and bevacizumab, and trials involving brachytherapy, sirolimus and topical mecamylamine, in the hope of tackling AMD by addressing its multiple contributing etiologies.

Keywords::

• anti-vascular endothelial growth factor
• bevacizumab
• dry macular degeneration
• ranibizumab
• wet macular degeneration

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development, Rehabilitation Research and Development Service. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.