Active clinical trials for "Macular Degeneration"

Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common cause for severe visual loss in the elderly and represents an unmet need. So far no treatment is available for geographic atrophy (GA), which represents the advanced dry form characterized by expanding areas of outer retinal atrophy with corresponding absolute scotoma. The foveal retina may be spared until late in the course of the disease, a phenomenon termed "foveal sparing". However, the disease process ultimately also involves the central retina leading to irreversible loss of central vision. While the natural history of eyes with GA has been extensively studied with regard to the entire atrophic area, morphology-function analyses for "foveal sparing" GA in particular are still missing. Such data are needed for various purposes including the future use in interventional pharmacological trials aiming to slow the progression of GA and to preserve the foveal retina. In this study, different imaging modalities for accurate detection and quantification of preserved foveal retinal areas will be assessed.

To investigate pathomorphological and functional variations of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a Chinese population using optical coherence tomography (OCT) to find which kinds of Fundus characteristics indicated exudative AMD.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in non-Hispanic white Americans. Neovascular AMD is an advanced form of macular degeneration that historically has accounted for the majority of vision loss related to AMD. The presence of choroidal neovascular membrane (CNV) formation is the hallmark feature of neovascular AMD. Choroidal neovascular membranes consist of buds of neovascular tissue and accompanying fibroblasts from the choroid perforating Bruch's membrane with extension either above or below the retinal pigment epithelium. These neovascular complexes are associated with hemorrhage, fluid exudation and fibrosis formation resulting in photoreceptor damage and vision loss. Treatment of neovascular AMD consists of injecting inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) into the vitreous cavity to interfere with proliferation of choroidal neovascularization and to reduce vascular permeability. OCT is an imaging technology that can perform non-contact cross-sectional imaging of retinal and choroidal tissue structure in real time. It is analogous to ultrasound B-mode imaging, except that OCT measures the intensity of reflected light rather than acoustical waves. This observational study will use OCT technology to study and compare the retinal and choroidal anatomy and blood flow in two groups of patients with neovascular AMD: treatment naïve group and active treatment group. The purpose of this study is to assess the utility of OCT angiography in the evaluation of NVAMD.

Patients with AMD who are being or have been treated with eye injections of drugs known as anti-VEGF agents with either good or poor response will have DNA collected with check swabs for analysis.

The study will be designed as a case control evaluation to compare the genetic profiles of three groups of patients categorized according to diagnosis. Group 1 - CNV secondary to CSC Group 2 - CSC without CNV Group 3 - CNV secondary to advanced AMD.

Retrospective, non-interventional, observational multi-center field study. Patients diagnosed with wet Age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) and having started treatment with ranibizumab between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009 must be consecutively screened and, if eligible, enrolled. Patients will be followed up at maximum until December 31, 2011. Switch to any other Anti vascular endothelial growth factor (anti VEGF) treatment will be documented. For each patient, demographics, medical history, administered treatments, results of ocular and visual assessments and other tests (where available) will be documented.

Retinal blood flow measurement is of scientific and clinical value. For this purpose retinal vessel morphology (such as diameter, vessel wall thickness, etc) determination is crucial. Different imaging modalities might provide divergent results. Thus, quantification of such differences is valuable. The present study aims to reveal and quantify differences in vessel morphology between fundus photography, fundus angiography, and optical coherence tomography in health and disease.

The investigators will evaluate the concentrations of cytokeratin 8 in aqueous humor in eyes with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) before therapy with intravitreal Ranibizumab, and identify associations with visual and anatomical outcome after treatment.

The main objectives of this observational cohort study are to describe the use of intravitreal aflibercept and to describe follow-up as well as treatment patterns in patients with wAMD or DME in routine clinical practice in Latin America for a study population of treatment naive patients and those who have received prior therapy (anti-VEGF injections, laser, steroids, etc.) and are being switched to intravitreal aflibercept injection.

The rationale of this research is to determine if patients with lupus and presenting retinal "pseudo-drusen-like" deposits have genetic and complement-related similarities with AMD patients. Based on the results obtained, this study could lead to future research that could better target the treatment of patients with lupus or patients with AMD (Age related Macular Degeneration). The primary objective is to check if patients with lupus, treated or not with antimalarial drugs, with "pseudo-drusen-like" deposits have a different complement profile (functional exploration of complement, complement factors, genetic complement polymorphisms involved in AMD) compared to patients without "pseudo-drusen-like" deposits.