When vision fades: Rethinking wet AMD and the durability gap

Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represents a leading cause of irreversible vision loss, characterized by the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the macula. While anti-VEGF therapies have revolutionized care by converting wet AMD back to a dry state, these treatments necessitate frequent, burdensome eye injections and continuous monitoring to prevent vision-threatening fluid reaccumulation. Patients often face significant lifestyle disruptions due to the required injection frequency and the necessity of constant clinical oversight. To address these limitations, new therapeutic approaches utilize hyaluronic acid-based biopolymers to create a sustained-release delivery system. By extending the duration of drug efficacy, this technology aims to shift the current treatment paradigm toward a reliable, twice-yearly injection schedule, thereby enhancing patient compliance and maintaining long-term visual health without the need for frequent clinical intervention.