Eyedrops as Effective as Eye Injections for Treating Wet AMD

Newswise — Denver, Colo. – A new study found that eye drops were just as effective as eye injections for treating the wet form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The research is being presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Denver, Colo.

Using an animal model, researchers administered eyedrops containing regorafenib, which targets the same biological mechanism as ranibizumab, one of the drugs typically injected into the eye as standard care for wet AMD. Results obtained with the eye drops were similar to those obtained with the injections.

The wet form of AMD involves the growth of fragile, leaky, new blood vessels in the eye and affects people’s ability to read, drive, and recognize faces. Typically, a patient must receive multiple eye injections for treatment to keep the new blood vessels at bay. A new, noninvasive treatment with eyedrops could be used at home by patients.

Abstract Title: Topically administered regorafenib eye drops inhibit grade IV lesions in the non-human primate laser CNV modelPresentation Start/End Time: Monday, May 4, 3:45 – 5:30pm Location: Exhibit HallAbstract Number: 2294 - B0199

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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include nearly 12,000 eye and vision researchers from over 75 countries. ARVO advances research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders.

All abstracts accepted for presentation at the ARVO Annual Meeting represent previously unpublished data and conclusions. This research may be proprietary or may have been submitted for journal publication. Embargo policy: Journalists must seek approval from the presenter(s) before reporting data from paper or poster presentations. Press releases or stories on information presented at the ARVO Annual Meeting may not be released or published until the conclusion of the presentation.