Novartis, the publicly listed Basel, Switzerland-based healthcare solutions company, received some good news as per the medicinal value of its drug to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD), reported MEDCITY News on September 5.
The company announced recently that new data related to its Lucentis drug not only proved the long-term safety and efficacy and safety of the medication, but also demonstrated the benefits in using it to treat a new condition. Novartis will consequently seek approval to treat this new condition.
The company said in the article that the new data backs up the safety of Lucentis, a drug that treats the wet form of AMD and brings in USD 2 billion in annual sales for Novartis. However, the new data also shows that patients who have taken Lucentis have also gotten relief from visual impairment caused by choroidal neovascularization secondary to degenerative myopia.
The company said in the article that it will pursue the necessary channels to seek regulatory go-ahead in the European Union during the third quarter of 2012 and in Japan towards the end of this year.
According to various reports, AMD is an eye condition that adversely impacts the eye’s central field of vision, which makes it hard if not impossible for people with the condition to distinguish anyone or any objects right in front of them. While AMD generally impacts older people, getting older does not necessarily mean that AMD is unavoidable. People who stay away from smoking, drinking alcohol, obesity and sedentary lifestyle can reduce their odds of getting macular degeneration.
Furthermore, people who eat leafy green vegetables like raw spinach, consume food with omega 3 fatty acids such as fish and eat nuts on a regular basis can lessen their chances of getting AMD. Also important for those who want to keep their eyes functioning properly is to go in for regular eye tests, wear sunglasses to reduce exposure to ultra violet rays, and control cholesterol and blood pressure.
While there are medical advances on the AMD-treatment front that could help to combat the disease, the fact of the matter is that cases are expected to continue to increase as populations get older and as people live longer.
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