New study shows refillable implant works as well as eye injections to treat blinding eye disease
NEW ORLEANS, La. – An implant that delivers medication to the back of the eye was found to effectively treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD) for at least six months. This represents a vast improvement over the typical regimen of nearly monthly eye injections. The implant offers more than convenience for patients and physicians, it provides an opportunity for more consistent treatment so people can better protect their vision from this devastating eye condition. The study will be presented today at AAO 2021, the 125th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Called the Port Delivery System (PDS), the permanent refillable implant, roughly the size of a grain of rice, is surgically implanted into the eye and continuously delivers a customized formulation of Lucentis (ranibizumab), a drug that improves vision for millions across the globe suffering from AMD. The implant is refilled every six months.
Lucentis was the first treatment found to slow the disease, allowing more than 90 percent of patients to keep their vision, according to clinical trials. However, in the real world, the percentage is closer to 50 percent. One of the main reasons for this difference is that patients are undertreated. This is because most people with AMD must go to the ophthalmologist’s office for eye injections every six to eight weeks……
Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology