A new drug to treat one of the leading causes of blindness in the elderly has been approved by the FDA. UAB ophthalmologists were among those that studied Visudyne, now approved for the 'wet' version of age-related macular degeneration, which affects nearly 200,000 Americans each year.
"This is a photo-dynamic drug, in which the drug is injected into a vein in the patient's arm, then activated in the eye when illuminated by a low-energy laser light beam," says UAB ophthalmologist John Mason, M.D. "The drug acts only in the part of the body where it is needed, reducing side effects." Visudyne is not effective for the more common 'dry' form of macular degeneration.
Contact Bob Shepard, Media Relations, 205-934-8934 or [email protected].
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