Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness. An estimated 500,000 people in the UK suffer from AMD with 40% of these over the age of 75.
Macular degeneration affects the central vision and can make it difficult to carry out day-to-day activities such as reading, watching television and driving.
Although there is currently no treatment available for the more common, slower progressing 'dry' form of AMD, there are safe, approved treatments for the less common 'wet' form, which can cause devastating sight loss in as little as three months.
Access to treatment is vitally important for those with wet AMD and we believe that where affective treatments exist they should be freely available to those that need them on the NHS.
Campaign successes
After a two and a half year battle led by RNIB, NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidance published on 27th August 2008 now means that all patients in England and Wales with wet AMD will have access to the AMD treament Lucentis on the NHS.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment for wet AMD is now available on the NHS after long delays in the implementation of NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidance.