(http://www.PreserveMacForte.com) More than 110,000 Australians who are living with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) will as of December have access to a new drug at a subsidized rate, reported Perth Now on October 24.
According to the article, Australians will, starting in the last month of the year, be able to take advantage of a new treatment that does not need to be injected in the eye as often as do other drugs.
The article cited Tanya Plibersek, the country’s health minister, as saying that the government will allow AMD patients to take advantage of a subsidy through the drug subsidy plan that will reduce the cost of Eylea treatments to $5.80 from $48,000. Plibersek explained that the government, after consulting with the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, decided to make Eylea available not only to new patients, but also to existing patients.
According to the article, in excess on one million Australians have been diagnosed with AMD, which translates to one in seven persons older than the half-century mark. Those with AMD may experience difficulty reading, watching television, driving and running errands. The article added that Eylea is used to treat the worst of the two forms of AMD… wet AMD.
The article noted that AMD, which causes central vision loss, can progress quite quickly if patients don’t start getting treatment in a timely fashion. In fact, left untreated, AMD can cause vision loss in as short a time frame as a quarter of a year.
While some treatments necessitate injections each and every month, Eylea need only be injected every other month after the beginning phase. The longer intervals between injections are particularly advantageous for those who have to travel long distances to see their eye care provider.
According to the article, possible negative reactions stemming from Eylea include eye pain, heightened intraocular pressure, conjunctival hamorrhage and vitreous detachment.
There are, of course, some simple things that people can do to lessen their odds of coming down with AMD. For instance, those who maintain a healthy body weight, eat lots or produce, avoid smoking and get regular exercise can help to keep their eyes healthy.