Several new treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) reached patients in the past three years, including the first-ever drugs to slow the dry form and longer-acting injections that cut treatment burden in half for the wet form. AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in adults over 60, and research now focuses on extending injection intervals further, restoring lost vision, and preventing progression in the earliest stages.
What's actually going on in research
Three FDA approvals between 2022 and 2024 changed standard of care: faricimab (2022) and aflibercept 8 mg (2023) extended wet AMD injections to every 12 to 16 weeks, and avacincaptad pegol (2023) and pegcetacoplan (2023) became the first treatments to slow geographic atrophy. Gene therapy delivering continuous anti-VEGF production from a single treatment is now in late-stage trials. Sustained-release devices that refill medication automatically aim to push injection-free intervals to a year or more.
Complement inhibitors for dry AMD
Drugs targeting the complement immune cascade that destroys retinal tissue in geographic atrophy — such as pegcetacoplan and avacincaptad pegol — slow the growth of central vision loss.
Longer-acting anti-VEGF injections
Faricimab (Vabysmo) and aflibercept 8 mg (Eylea HD) — both FDA-approved in 2022 and 2023 — let many wet AMD patients stretch injections from monthly to every 12 to 16 weeks. The TENAYA and PULSAR trials showed equal vision outcomes with about half the visit burden.
Gene therapy
Delivering anti-VEGF genes into retinal cells via viral vector injection aims to provide continuous drug production from a single treatment, eliminating the need for regular injections in wet AMD.
What to know before you search
Eligibility depends on AMD type (wet vs. dry/geographic atrophy), lesion size and location relative to the fovea, prior anti-VEGF treatment history, and visual acuity.
What types of trials are currently open
- Wet AMD treatment trials — Testing new anti-VEGF drugs, combinations, or delivery methods to reduce injection frequency while preserving vision.
- Dry AMD trials — Testing complement inhibitors and other agents to slow geographic atrophy progression.
- Gene therapy trials — Evaluating viral vector-based delivery of anti-VEGF or protective genes to the retina.
- Cell therapy trials — Testing retinal pigment epithelium cell transplantation for advanced dry AMD.
- Prevention trials — Testing nutritional supplements, lifestyle interventions, and early treatment in intermediate AMD.
Recently added Macular Degeneration trials
Predicting Risk of Progression of Early to Late AMD in the Aging Eye Through Imaging and Multimodal Evaluation
The purpose of this research study is to evaluate a new screening procedure for the early detection and monitoring of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) in community settings and community hospital settings, to identify associated risk factors, and develop personalized monitoring strategies for at-risk individuals throughout the 5 years follow up period, which will allow us to establish prevalence, natural history of progression of early AMD in the community.
Share your medical data from eye injections for age-related macular degeneration
The goal of this observational study is to explore the effectiveness of aflibercept 8 mg in treating both treatment-naive and previously treated patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in a real-world setting. The main questions it aims to answer are: What are the short-term and long-term efficacy outcomes of aflibercept 8 mg in treatment-naive or previously treated nAMD patients? What are the safety characteristics and the treatment patterns of aflibercept 8 mg in these patient populations? Participants will: Receive aflibercept 8 mg as part of their clinical treatment for nAMD. Undergo assessments to evaluate both the efficacy and safety of the treatment over the short and long term. Provide data on their visual acuity (BCVA) changes at multiple follow-up points (4 weeks, 8 weeks, 16 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months). Report any adverse events and treatment patterns during the study period. Have their central subfield thickness (CST) measured at specified intervals. This study will help inform clinical practices regarding the use of aflibercept in nAMD patients and contribute to understanding its effectiveness and safety in real-world settings.
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