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Neovascular Age Related Macular Degeneration 

  • No Current Cure

Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a progressive eye disease that leads to severe vision loss, and currently, there is no cure.

 

  • Non-Invasive Treatment

The existing treatment options for Wet AMD are invasive, often requiring injections into the eye, which can be uncomfortable and deter patient compliance. XP37 offers a non-invasive alternative to current therapies, as it is administered as eye drops rather than injections.

 

  • Targets the Posterior Segment

XP37 is specifically designed to target the posterior segment of the eye, the critical area affected by Wet AMD, addressing the root causes of exudation, potentially halting the progression and improving patient outcomes

Neovascular Age Related Macular Degeneration

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8.7% of all blindness caused by AMD

WHAT IS NEOVASCULAR AMD?

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a severe form of AMD that affects the central part of your retina, known as the macula. This condition is characterized by the growth of abnormal blood vessels beneath the macula. These new blood vessels are fragile and can leak fluid or blood, leading to scarring and damage to the macula, which can significantly impair your central vision.


Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is classified into two main types: the non-neovascular "dry" form and the neovascular "wet" form, with some cases presenting a mixture of both. In the early stages of neovascular AMD, you might observe changes such as unusual pigmentation or tiny yellowish deposits known as drusen near the center of your vision (the fovea). As neovascular AMD progresses, you may experience increasingly distorted or blurred central vision, where straight lines appear wavy and objects look distorted, difficulty recognizing faces, more prominent dark or empty spots in your central vision field, rapid vision loss, and sometimes visual hallucinations due to the brain's response to missing visual information. 

Can't see at night?

The inability to see at night is one of the earliest symptoms of AMD.

Do you smoke?

Smokers are 2.5x - 4.8x higher risk than non-smokers for developing AMD.

50% more likely if the parent has AMD.

If your parent or sibling has AMD, your risk of developing the condition yourself increases significantly, by 50%

COMPLICATIONS OF NEOVASCULAR AMD

Neovascular AMD is a prevalent eye disorder that can severely impair visual function. This condition often leads to sight-threatening complications, including massive subretinal hemorrhage, vitreous hemorrhage, retinal pigment epithelium tears, macular atrophy, and macular scarring. These complications can have a profound impact on both short- and long-term vision, often resulting in significant vision loss. Tragically, many of these complications remain difficult to treat effectively, posing a major challenge for patients and healthcare providers alike. Early detection and proactive management are crucial in mitigating the effects of this debilitating disease and preserving vision

OUR ONGOING RESEARCH

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a debilitating condition for which there is currently no cure. Even the available palliative treatments are limited and often come with significant drawbacks. These treatments can have numerous side effects, are expensive. As a result, patients suffering from AMD face a dramatic loss of autonomy and quality of life, which in turn increases the burden on healthcare systems and long-term care facilities.
 
XP37 eye drops which acts in the posterior segment of the eye, an innovative treatment currently in development to combat AMD, work by targeting the posterior segment of the eye and blocking adenosine receptors. This action leads to a reduction in the expression of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), a critical factor in the progression of AMD. By decreasing VEGF levels, XP37 helps to reduce inflammation and neovascularization—the growth of new, abnormal blood vessels. These abnormal vessels often leak serous fluid and blood into the subretinal space, exacerbating vision loss. By targeting these mechanisms, XP37 has the potential to prevent exudation and improve outcomes for AMD patients, offering hope for better management of this challenging condition.

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Mechanism:  XP37 innovatively blocks adenosine receptors, reducing the expression of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), a key driver in the progression of AMD. By decreasing VEGF levels, XP37 helps to reduce inflammation and prevent the growth of abnormal blood vessels that lead to further vision loss.

1. Carneiro Â, Andrade JP. Nutritional and lifestyle interventions for age-related macular degeneration: a review. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity. 2017 Jan 5;2017. 2. Pugazhendhi A, Hubbell M, Jairam P, Ambati B. Neovascular Macular Degeneration: A Review of Etiology, Risk Factors, and Recent Advances in Research and Therapy. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jan 25;22(3):1170 3. Macular degeneration. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/macular-degeneration#:~:text=Another%20early%20symptom%20is%20diminished,most%20stages%20of%20wet%20AMD%20. Last accessed on: 21 May 2024 4. BrightFocus Foundation. Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Facts & Figures. Available at: https://www.brightfocus.org/macular/article/age-related-macular-facts-figures. Accessed February 3, 2023. 5. Wong WL, Su X, Li X, Cheung CM, Klein R, Cheng CY, et al. Global prevalence of age-related macular degeneration and disease burden projection for 2020 and 2040: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2014;2(2):e106–16 6. Barresi C, Borrelli E, Fantaguzzi F, Grosso D, Sacconi R, Bandello F, Querques G. Complications associated with worse visual outcomes in patients with exudative neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmologica. 2021 Dec 17;244(6):512-22. 7. Risk factors for AMD. Available at: https://www.mdfoundation.com.au/about-macular-disease/age-related-macular-degeneration/risk-factors-for-amd/. Last accessed on: May 22, 2023 8. Fernández-Robredo P, Sancho A, Johnen S, Recalde S, Gama N, Thumann G, Groll J, García-Layana A. Current treatment limitations in age-related macular degeneration and future approaches based on cell therapy and tissue engineering. J Ophthalmol. 2014;2014:510285 
8. Data on file

PREVELANCE

AMD accounts for 8.7% of all blindness worldwide and is the most common cause of blindness in developed nations2. While wet AMD, the advanced form of AMD is approximately 10% of the cases, it accounts for nearly 90% of blindness caused by the disease4. The estimated population of those suffering from AMD worldwide is 196 million in 2020, projected to increase to 288 million by 2040 due to largely increasing lifespan globally and Westernization of diet and lifestyle.

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