Suche
Mein Konto
Two eye diseases that cause blindness can be treated with a breakthrough drug that dramatically slows vision loss.
The drug faricimab could soon be offered to people with wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), a leading cause of vision loss in those over 60, and patients with diabetic macular edema, an eye problem associated with diabetes.
Previous treatments for the conditions had to be given via an injection into the eye once a month, but the new drug is so effective that only three injections a year are required.
Experts say this could mean a “significant change” to how both conditions are treated on the NHS.
The drug faricimab could soon be offered to people with wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), a leading cause of vision loss in those over 60, and patients with diabetic macular edema, an eye problem associated with diabetes (stock photo)
Faricimab prevents fluid from leaking into the eye, which causes damage in both wet AMD and diabetic macular edema.
This is similar to how current treatments work - but studies suggest that faricimab works far better, meaning it can be given less frequently.
A global study found that nearly half of faricimab patients could last four months before needing another injection, while three-quarters could last three months or longer.
Professor Ian Pearce, study investigator and clinical ophthalmologist at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The option to extend the interval between injections would be warmly welcomed by patients and would be a significant change.
“Without treatment, these patients could lose their vision within weeks, but no one particularly likes having a needle stuck in their eye.
“This drug has the potential to significantly improve patients’ lives and allow them to spend less time in hospital.”
While wet AMD and diabetic macular edema are separate conditions, they have the same cause.
In both, damage to the blood vessels near the eye leads to swelling of the macula, a patch of light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye that is responsible for the central and fine vision needed for tasks such as reading.
In wet AMD, which affects more than 600,000 Brits, abnormal and fragile blood vessels begin to grow under the macula for reasons that are not fully understood.
These begin to lose blood and fluid and put pressure on the macula. Sufferers usually first notice that the middle portion of their vision is blurry or distorted. If left untreated, this can lead to almost complete loss of vision within weeks or months.
In patients with diabetic macular edema, the rate of degeneration is slower.
Over time, high blood sugar caused by diabetes can damage the tiny blood vessels near the eye, and fluid can leak and collect around the macula.
While diabetic macular edema can take several years to cause severe vision loss, because it develops earlier in life than AMD, it can have a profound impact on the more than 200,000 patients in the UK.
“It doesn’t take a lot of vision loss to affect your ability to carry out everyday activities like driving,” Prof Pearce said.
While some patients may receive light or laser therapy to destroy faulty blood vessels, the majority of people receive injections directly into the eyeball.
These injections target a protein in the blood called VEGF, which can cause abnormal blood vessels to form.
Faricimab blocks the production of VEGF in a similar way, but is the first drug to also lower blood levels of a compound called Ang2, which at high levels can cause leaks in blood vessels.
Philip Rumsby, 40, from Liverpool, was one of the first Brits to receive faricimab after developing diabetic macular edema four years ago.
The call center analyst had lived with type 2 diabetes for ten years before the disease developed.
"I noticed something was wrong with my right eye. It was blurry and my vision had generally deteriorated, especially when reading. Since I'm diabetic, I go for regular eye exams, so the doctors picked it up within a few months."
Philip started the faricimab trial and initially the injections were given every month. But after two years this was increased to every 12 weeks.
“It really works,” said Philip. "I no longer get any blurriness and my vision has also improved. The doctors showed me a scan. At the beginning I had a lot of fluid in my eye. Now it's all gone."
Doctors have told Philip that the time between his injections could soon be extended again. He added: "If the drug works like it does now, they could extend it for another month or even longer."