Age-Related Macular Degeneration | Pharmacor | G7 | 2015
Last Updated 30 December 2015
In late age-related macular degeneration (AMD), vision deficits are noticeable, often debilitating, and can be a precursor to blindness. The availability of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor therapies delivered via intravitreal injection has revolutionized the treatment of the wet form of late AMD (wet AMD), in that the majority of drug-treated patients are now able to maintain visual acuity. Current branded VEGF inhibitors will continue to dominate wet AMD treatment through the end of the 2014-2024 forecast period, but their patient share will be impacted by the anticipated launch of the first VEGF inhibitor biosimilars in the major markets under study. Adjunctive therapy is also expected to enter the wet AMD treatment algorithm—at present limited largely to monotherapy—which, along with the wet AMD emerging monotherapies, has the potential to address some unmet needs (e.g., improvements in visual outcomes, reduction in dosing frequency). Unlike for wet AMD, no therapies are approved for treating late dry AMD (i.e., geographic atrophy [GA]). The anticipated launch and subsequent uptake of first-to-market GA therapies toward the end of the study period is expected to have a dramatic effect on the AMD market, resulting in a rapid increase in the drug-treated patient population and sales.
