VIDEO: Current treatment options for wet, dry AMD

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Age-related macular degeneration, AMD, is the most common reason for central vision loss in Americans over the age of 50. Broadly speaking, there are two forms: dry and wet. The vast majority of patients have the dry form of AMD, and a small portion of them have the wet form. Everyone starts with the dry form of AMD, which is characterized by the accumulation of drusen, which are these yellowish deposits underneath the retina. And the wet form is characterized by the growth of abnormal blood vessels called choroidal neovascularization that will lead to fluid accumulation underneath or within the retina or even bleeding, leading to significant vision loss. So broadly speaking, for dry AMD, the main strategy really is constant monitoring and early initiation of treatment of wet if necessary. So, for regular monitoring of dry AMD, we typically see patients every 6 to 12 months with both clinical examination and imaging of the macula, typically with a technology called optical coherence tomography. A particular supplement called AREDS2 that’s been studied in longitudinal clinical trial funded by the NIH has also been shown to decrease the chance of progressing from intermediate to advanced AMD by about 25% over 5 years. So, that’s typically how we approach dry AMD. As for wet AMD, the standard of care is repeated intravitreal injections, and the most common target for these intravitreal injections is a molecule called VEGF, so these are called anti-VEGF injections.