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AMD Future Perspectives:
New promising drugs
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As researchers and clinicians are beginning to understand
that wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is
more than simply a vascular disease that includes angio-
genic, vascular and inflammatory components, they
are exploring new agents with different mechanisms of
action addressing multiple targets in this complex patho-
physiology. Some of them are already available in human
trials or even approved. Others are still under laboratory
investigation and few is known about them.
We will discuss, in this review, promising emerging
therapies for neovascular AMD that aim to improve
outcomes, safety and treatment burden through novel
mechanisms of action. For the new promising research
components an Internet research was made and prelimi-
nary therapeutic strategies and results are presented.
There are two aspects that must be addressed: the first is
related with the platform therapy, corresponds to how
the product is developed and correlates directly with its
internal structure; the second is related to the “targeting
of action”, is correlated with the mechanism of action
and its effects.
2. Angiogenesis revolution
There are three potential therapeutic targets: 1- inhibi-
tion of angiogenic proteins production; 2- angiogenic
protein neutralization; 3- angiogenic proteins receptors
inhibition or endothelial cell apoptosis induction (Fig. 1).
Almost every ophthalmic drug either currently available
or under development for the treatment of AMD began
life as a cancer therapy.
1. Introduction
Authors:
João Nascimento, MD
1
Rufino Silva, MD, PhD
2
Susana Teixeira, MD
3
1
Gama Pinto Ophthalmology Institute - Lisbon, Portugal
2
Coimbra University Hospital - Coimbra, Portugal
3
Prof. Dr. Fernando Fonseca Hospital, Amadora, Lisbon, Portugal
Figure 1 - Three potential therapeutic targets: 1- inhibition of angiogenic
proteins production; 2- angiogenic protein neutralization; 3- angiogenic
proteins receptors inhibition or endothelial cell apoptosis induction
