New treatment underway for wet amd

A study which is currently underway offers new hope to those suffering from wet age-related macular degeneration. Patients who received their first dose of a new gene-based treatment for their neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration experienced no serious adverse effects. The ongoing phase 1 study is being conducted at the Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore. Researchers expect to enroll 18 patients with wet age-related macular degeneration and they will evaluate three dose levels and they are assessing the safety, aspects of visual acuity and ocular physiology of the treatment. The initial results are promising for the breakthrough treatment which is the first time a lentiviral vector-based treatment is being administered to patients in the United States. Researchers will announce the complete first results from the study in the first half of 2012.   Elise Ervin Staff Writer