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| Home > News > 2005 News |
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Enrollment Open for Clinical Trial Testing
Investigational Drug for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Feb. 17, 2005
Thomas Essman, MD & Dr. Kathyrn Sun, MD are evaluating the safety and
effectiveness of an investigational drug that is designed to prevent vision loss
in aging persons who have developed a degenerative eye disease known as
age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Conducted locally at St. John’s Clinic- Eye Specialists, the investigational
drug called ranibizumab is being tested at approximately 45 medical centers
nationwide. This Phase III study will test whether ranibizumab is safe and
effective in preventing vision loss in patients with wet AMD. The study will
compare ranibizumab with a mock procedure that resembles actual treatment.
Eligible participants will be randomly selected to take part in one of the
study’s three treatment arms. In two treatment arms, subjects will receive
different doses of ranibizumab while those in the third arm will be given the
mock procedure resembling actual treatment.
To be initially considered for the study, participants must be diagnosed with
wet AMD, be 50 years of age or older and must not have received previous
treatment. To learn more about the trial, call toll-free 1-888-662-6728.
Additional eligibility screening will take place at the sites conducting the
study.
Currently, more than 1.7 million Americans suffer from AMD, the leading cause of
blindness and visual impairment in adults age 65 and older. Macular degeneration
is damage to the macula, the part of the eye responsible for central vision.
Only peripheral (or side) vision is left intact. A loss of central vision can
leave patients struggling to cope with such simple tasks as reading or driving
and can diminish quality of life and the ability to function independently.
There are two forms of AMD—wet and dry. All cases begin as the dry form, but 10
percent to 20 percent progress to the wet form that accounts for 85 percent of
the blindness caused by the disease. There are approximately 200,000 new cases
of AMD each year in North America, with the incidence expected to increase
significantly as the population ages.
The first symptoms of wet AMD are often changes in vision marked by blurriness,
blind spots and noticing that straight lines look wavy. The disease is painless
and in some people progresses very slowly; for others, loss of vision occurs
over the course of weeks or months. The disease typically affects patients
initially in one eye, with a high likelihood of it occurring in the second eye
over time.
For media information, please call St. John's Media Relations at 417-820-2426.
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