New treatment for macular degeneration available

Charlotte Eye Ear Nose and Throat Associates are hoping to improve treatments for people suffering from age-related macular degeneration, a disease that affects a person’s ability to see fine details clearly.

Age-related macular degeneration is the breakdown of the macula, a small area of the retina that controls central vision.

CEENTA is one of several research sites across the country taking part in a study of the safety and efficacy of a new drug designed to treat macular eye diseases, age-related macular eye degeneration and diabetic macular edema, the accumulation of fluid in the macula caused by leaking blood vessels, said Andrew Antoszyk, MD, the principle investigator for the trials.

Age-related macular degeneration usually affects those in their sixties or seventies and worsens over time, affecting a person’s ability to read, recognize faces, drive and other activities requiring central vision, according to the National Institute of Health.

While medications exist, they often require direct injections into the center of the eye on a monthly or bimonthly basis, said Antoszyk, who has been with CEENTA for more than 20 years. This can last for the patient’s lifetime.

“We currently have excellent treatments out there for macular degeneration,” but “it’s a tremendous treatment burden for patients, clinics and society,” he said.

The drug study focuses on treatment for the wet form of age-related macular degeneration, which is characterized by the growth of abnormal blood vessels that leak blood and fluid, damaging the macula and causing central vision to be blurry, according to the National Institute of Health. It is an advanced form of the disease and accounts for 10 percent of cases, Antoszyk said.

The team will directly compare the new drug to the current one on the market in the hopes of increasing the interval between treatments and improving visual results, Antoszyk said. He said the goal is to meet the needs of those that do not completely respond to available medications.

The drug binds Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, a signal protein that stimulates the growth of new blood vessels from existing ones, a process that can lead to wet macular degeneration, Antoszyk said.

“The drug works by binding Angiopoietin-2 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, both of which lead to the destabilization of blood vessels, increased vessel leakage and new vessel growth,” he said. “Blockage by this new drug may prevent this sequence from ever happening.”

The trial, sponsored by Hoffmann-La Roche, a Swiss global healthcare company, will test how well the drug works and how it is processed within the body.

“We are extremely excited for a chance to participate in something that could be the next step in the evolution and management of (age-related macular degeneration) and hopefully improve visual outcomes with a decreased treatment burden,” Antoszyk said.

For more information, visit CEENTA.com.

This story was originally published May 2, 2016 at 10:27 AM with the headline "New treatment for macular degeneration available ."