Towards the Development of Longer and More Efficacious Therapies for Wet and Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in developed countries. The advanced stages of AMD are characterized by the onset and progression of macular neovascularization or geographic atrophy. Several treatments are currently available for managing the neovascular form of AMD, based on intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs. Although these agents are efficient in inducing fluid regression and preserving visual function, their limited duration of action and treatment burden are stimulating the development of new molecules with more prolonged pharmacological activity. The future of exudative AMD therapies will include new generations of anti-VEGF drugs, surgical anti-VEGF port delivery systems and novel molecules acting on other AMD pathogenic pathways. In contrast, dry AMD and geographic atrophy have no approved treatments; nutraceutical approaches still represent the only way to reduce the probability of AMD progression and the onset of complications. Several ongoing clinical trials are testing different molecules that have been developed to slow the progression of geographic atrophy, including complement system inhibitors, integrin inhibitors, gene therapies and cell-based therapies. In this review, we provide an overview of the current state of the art and future perspectives for the management of dry and wet AMD.