Combination therapy for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

Purpose of review: To discuss the current combination treatments that involve existing as well as novel drugs that show promise for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Recent findings: Photodynamic therapy in combination with antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and steroids is currently used as a second-line therapy in patients not responding to monotherapy with anti-VEGF agents or in whom the treatment burden of monthly injections is too great. It is used as a primary therapy for idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Radiation and antiplatelet-derived growth factor therapy show promising results and are currently under investigation.

Summary: Using combination treatments that target other pathways involved in angiogenesis will hopefully improve on the results of current anti-VEGF agents and may result in greater visual improvement and more convenient dosing regimens.