Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness and vision loss for Americans who are aged 65 and older. In this disease, the macula--the center of the retina--begins to deteriorate causing blurry vision or blind spots in the center of the visual field. One form of the condition is called dry macular degeneration; there is no specific approved treatment for the dry type of the condition. The more advanced type is called wet macular degeneration where new blood vessels grow underneath the retina and leak. There are several available treatments and others that are being evaluated for wet macular degeneration. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already approved the medication, pegaptanib, or Macugen, and the medication triamcinolone, or Kenalog, is being investigated.
Kenalog Alone
Corticosteroid medications decrease inflammation, and researchers and eye doctors have been evaluating the use of the corticosteroid, Kenalog in treating wet macular degeneration for several years. This medication is injected into the vitreous in the back of the eye. One study by M.C. Gilles and colleagues published in a 2003 issue of "Archives of Ophthalmology" found that the medication had no effect on the risk of vision loss when compared to no treatment at all. Another study by J.B. Jonas and colleagues in a 2004 issue of the "Archives of Ophthalmology" found that multiple injections may improve visual acuity in patients with wet macular degeneration. The side effects of Kenalog include high eye pressure and cataract formation. Kenalog is not yet approved by the FDA, but research for this treatment is ongoing.
Kenalog and PDT
Another treatment for wet macular degeneration is photodynamic therapy, or PDT, in which a drug called verteporfin is injected into the arm. This drug goes to the leaking blood vessels and the eye doctor uses a special laser to damage the blood vessels containing the drug. Some eye physicians inject Kenalog to help improve the outcome of this procedure. A study by V. Chaudhary and colleagues in published in "Ophthalmology" in 2007 showed that the use of Kenalog with PDT lessened the number of treatments needed and stabilized vision. More research is being done on this combination of medications, as well; while the PDT procedure is approved by the FDA, the addition of Kenalog is not.
Macugen
Pegaptanib, or Macugen, is a medication that interferes with new blood vessel growth. It is the first medication of its type--one that works against vascular endothelial growth factor in the eye--approved by the FDA to treat wet macular degeneration. Macugen is injected into the eye every six weeks, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation website. Macugen slows down visual loss from wet macular degeneration; visual improvement is rare.
