MANILA, Philippines - Having poor eyesight is common in older people but severe loss of vision and even blindness can set in for individuals as early as age 55.
One of the leading reasons why elderly people lose their eyesight and go blind is a serious eye disease called wet age-macular degeneration or wAMD that is usually undetected until it's too late.
wAMD is a chronic eye disease that requires early detection and regular, ongoing treatment to minimize, prevent and in some cases, reduce central vision loss that otherwise greatly affects patients' lives.
Aflibercept (Eylea), the only anti-angiogenic therapy approved for wAMD, was recently launched in the country by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals to provide a treatment option that will be more convenient for wAMD patients.
wAMD starts when there is an excess of growth factor protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the eye. The presence of VEGF results to the abnormal growth of fragile new blood vessels beneath the retina, which can bleed or leak fluid.
The leakage causes disruption and dysfunction of the retina, creating a blind spot in the central vision. As the center of vision is affected, a wAMD sufferer experiences a dark, empty or distorted spot in the center of his vision making it difficult for him to read, drive and see pictures or faces.
Warmed prevalence increases with age and if left untreated, causes irreversible vision loss.
Aflibercept is a unique fully human fusion protein VEGF trap that is biologically engineered to prevent angiogenesis or the formation of blood vessels.
After the first three months of dosing, Aflibercept provides proactive, predictable every other month dosing without the need for monthly monitoring, which decreases the disease burden on patients, their caregivers and physicians.
The launch of Aflibercept also represents the entry of Bayer HealthCare into ophthalmology. It is the first contribution of the company to the community, addressing various back of the eye diseases, including wAMD.
wAMD imposes not only potentially devastating sight loss on those who live with the disease. It may also lead to loss of independence, social isolation, possibility of depression, and an inability to perform daily activities generally taken for granted such as recognition of familiar faces, reading, driving, household responsibilities, managing other health issues, and social activities. It unfortunately also negatively impacts the lives of the sufferers' families.
"People who are likely to develop wAMD are those who are 55 years old and older, mostly women, with a family history of wAMD, has hyperopia (far-sightedness) and has light-colored irises," said Dr. Sherman Valero, Ophthalmologist and Retina Specialist.
Dr. Valero shared that other factors which might cause wAMD to develop in older people are smoking, exposure to sunlight, cholesterol levels, physical inactivity, low intake of carotenoids, and alcohol consumption, among others.
Currently approved anti-VEGF treatment can maintain and/gain vision, but at the cost of monthly visits to achieve optimal vision. These monthly clinic visits for monitoring and injections can be challenging financially for the patient and his family as well as physically and mentally both for the elderly patient, their caregivers, their physicians and the healthcare system.
“Compared with the current medication available, Aflibercept have longer durability, longer duration of action and allows the patient to be administered once every two months. So there will be fewer injections, possibly fewer clinic visits. Aflibercept did not require patients to undergo monthly monitoring. The patients will be given an injection once every two months,†said Dr. Mark de Guzman, Pharmacovigilance Country Head of Bayer Philippines, Inc.
With Aflibercept, wAMD is treated proactively instead of reactively which means fewer clinic visits and less time travelling for patients. With fewer monthly clinic visits, patients have more time for what matters. A predictable injection schedule offers patients reduced impact of disease management on their personal lives. Caregivers and clinic staff are also unburdened to spend time coordinating monthly monitoring and unscheduled injections.