Report highlights need to treat wet AMD as chronic disease

AMD Alliance International issued a global call to action in a webcast Monday urging government and health care officials to address the need for more appropriate care for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration.

"Wet AMD has long been thought of as an acute issue that could be addressed through intermittent intervention, repeated only when a worsening of vision dictated," Narinder Sharma, CEO of AMD Alliance International, said in the webcast. "AMD is a progressive, chronic disease that must be treated on a regular, ongoing basis for treatment to be effective and for sight loss to be arrested or reversed."

The webcast summarized findings from a report that incorporates data from patient and policy advocates as well as patient focus groups across the United States and Europe. The report highlights the disease's negative physical and emotional impacts on quality of life and the high financial cost of inappropriate treatment.

In an effort to aid roughly 30 million patients with wet AMD worldwide, AMD Alliance International is proposing increased education for patients and physicians, screenings for early diagnosis and treatment, funding for new and better treatment options and an integrated model of care that includes prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

"Wet AMD is a chronic disease. Recognizing this will help improve access to appropriate care and ensure appropriate reimbursement for that care, thereby reducing needless vision loss and minimizing the economic burden placed on society throughout the world," Mr. Sharma said in the webcast.