Enabling Treatment Trials of Atrophic Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Summary Although treatments currently exist for the acute, neovascular complications of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), individuals that develop atrophic complications currently face an inevitable future of progressive central vision loss since no effective treatments are available to prevent or slow the unrelenting degeneration of the retina. Although many clinical trials are now underway for atrophic AMD, a significant barrier to their success is the lack of precise clinical measures to determine their efficacy.

Project Details

Although treatments currently exist for the acute, neovascular complications of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), individuals that develop atrophic complications currently face an inevitable future of progressive central vision loss since no effective treatments are available to prevent or slow the unrelenting degeneration of the retina. Although many clinical trials are now underway for atrophic AMD, a significant barrier to their success is the lack of precise clinical measures to determine their efficacy. Furthermore, trials evaluating novel treatments for the atrophic complications of AMD may be evaluated in eyes where the disease is already too advanced.

This project will involve developing novel visual function techniques tailored for the specific stages of the atrophic disease process, especially for the early stages of the atrophic process where no outcome measures have yet been established. This will provide the necessary tools needed as a catalyst for the discovery of interventions for the debilitating complications of atrophic AMD.