AMD, in general, hits around the age of 60; the wet form of the disease has a rapid onset and can cause blindness.
Lucentis, is the name of the new drug and it was tested on 716 patients in the U.S. They were given monthly injections into the eye for a duration of two years.
A third of the patents showed "marked improvement," in their sight. They were able to read more lines on an eye chart and they reported going back to hobbies that involved fine vision.
The study, included in the New England Journal of Medicine, said that this was the first large-scale clinical trial that showed significantly improved vision in treating wet AMD.
Lucentis targets the blood vessels behind the eyeball; these vessels can sometimes leak and cause defective central vision.
Ranibizumab, as the name is known generically, has not been priced in Britain. It will be approved for sale toward the end of the year. However, in the U.S., it will cost approximately $2,000 per treatment.
