Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the main causes of irreversible vision loss in older individuals, affecting approximately 20 million patients in the United States and 196 million worldwide.1By 2040, 288 million individuals are predicted to have this condition. Traditionally, AMD has been divided into 2 forms: dry AMD (90% of patients) and wet AMD (10% of patients).2 Early and intermediate stages of AMD include extracellular deposits (drusen) in the outer retina that lead to photoreceptor degeneration and loss of central vision.1 As the condition progresses, geographic atrophy (GA) can occur with confluent areas of photoreceptor, retinal pigment epithelium, and choriocapillaris loss.1 GA can lead to irreversible vision loss and has affected 1.5 million individuals in the United States.3 Exudative (wet) AMD occurs when neovascularization leaks, leading to intraretinal/subretinal fluid and/or hemorrhages.1 Risk factors for AMD include older age, genetic factors, and environmental factors such as cigarette smoking.1
Knowing what’s on the market for AMD and GA aids in preserving vision.
Newer therapies for dry AMD
Pegcetacoplan (Syfovre)
Apellis Pharmaceuticals developed pegcetacoplan (Syfovre) for the treatment of GA, and the FDA approved the agent in February 2023 for therapeutic use in patients with GA.4 It was the first drug available for the treatment of atrophic dry AMD.2The drug’s mechanism of action includes targeting the complement cascade, a natural component of the immune system, specifically the complement protein C3 and its activation fragment C3b.2This complement cascade has been implicated in the development of dry AMD and GA.2
Source: Optometry Times