New Treatments & Clinical Trials for Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration affects about 20 million Americans, damaging the retina's central area and blurring or erasing straight-ahead vision. Anti-VEGF injections given every month or two have made wet AMD largely manageable, but dry AMD — which accounts for most cases — has had no approved treatment until recently.

What's actually going on in research

Trials are testing drugs that slow geographic atrophy in dry AMD, gene therapies that deliver anti-VEGF from a single injection, longer-acting wet AMD treatments to reduce injection frequency, and stem cell approaches to replace damaged retinal cells. Complement inhibitors that target inflammation are showing promise in slowing dry AMD progression.

What to know before you search

Eligibility depends on AMD type (wet or dry), disease stage, visual acuity, lesion size and location, and whether you've had prior anti-VEGF treatment.

What types of trials are currently open

• Anti-VEGF trials — Testing new drugs or delivery methods to reduce injection frequency for wet AMD, including longer-acting versions of current medications.
• Dry AMD trials — Testing drugs that slow geographic atrophy, usually given as eye injections every month or two.
• Gene therapy trials — Testing one-time injections that program eye cells to produce anti-VEGF protein continuously, potentially eliminating the need for repeated injections.
• Stem cell trials — Testing transplanted retinal cells to replace tissue damaged by AMD, typically in people with advanced vision loss.
• Natural history studies — Following people with AMD over time to understand how the disease progresses and what factors predict vision loss.