By: Deborah Ferrington PhD
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness for those 55 years and older. As the population ages — not only in the U.S. but worldwide — there is a greater sense of urgency to discover therapies that can effectively address what will be an all-too-common health concern. Advances in research have spurred the introduction of some treatments, but even those that have been in circulation for some time and proven widely effective are not effective for everyone. Given the multiple pathways to AMD, with contributions from both genetic and environmental risk factors, targeted therapies will be the way of the future.