(PreserveMacForte.com) A new, cutting edge treatment for the wet form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has had its global roll out in the United Kingdom, reported The Daily Mail recently.
According to the article, wet AMD, an eye ailment that can lead to blindness, adversely impacts 420,000 people in Britain. The condition occurs as a result of irregular blood vessels gathering beneath the macula — which is the portion of the eye that facilitates detailed central vision — and blurs vision due to leakage. According to the article, wet AMD is considered more serious than dry AMD because, with the former, sight can degenerate within a matter of days without adequate treatment. Not so with the latter.
However, a new treatment known as Oraya therapy could provide wet AMD patients with relief, according to the article.
Traditional treatment features an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injection into the eye. This treatment stops the development of additional blood vessels. This method of treatment needs to be performed every one to three months — and it merely stops the vision-loss issue from getting worse — noted the article.
In contrast, the Oraya treatment is a non-invasive, one-time procedure — and it can lessen vision issues, the article continued. The treatment involves the use of an X-ray beam that focuses on the macula. This low-dose treatment stops blood vessels growth. Each treatment session lasts one-third of an hour, noted the article.
The article cited Andrew Luff, the Optegra Specialist Eye Hospital group’s consultant ophthalmic surgeon, as saying that vessel leakage causes inflammation, which in turn scars the macula. He added that the Oraya development represents a substantial “leap forward” for people living with wet AMD. He added in the article that Oraya will substantially “improve the quality of life for the patients.”
According to the article, the treatment can be obtained for a cost starting at £5,145. The article added that the treatment is not presently available on the National Health Service, which means that it can only be obtained via private treatment means.
The article did not disclose when the treatment would potentially be available in other global markets.