ABOUT AMD|MONITOR YOUR VISION

About age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

AMD is a chronic condition that causes central vision loss. Millions of Americans have AMD, and it is a leading cause of blindness in people aged 60 and older. There are 2 forms of AMD—wet and dry. Dry AMD is more common—more than 8 out of 10 AMD patients have dry AMD. How many people have wet AMD? About 1 in 10 of those with dry AMD will get wet AMD, and about 200,000 people are diagnosed with wet AMD every year.

Dry AMD: the most common form of AMD

Dry AMD occurs when cells under the macula break down and create drusen. Drusen are yellow deposits under the retina. For some people, drusen can cause you to lose vision. Others may have little or no change. Sometimes, dry AMD goes unnoticed, so it's important to have your eyes examined regularly.

Symptoms of dry AMD may include:

Print appearing more and more blurry
Colors appearing less bright
Hazy vision

Wet AMD: the most serious form of AMD

Wet AMD occurs when certain proteins cause abnormal blood vessel growth in the back of the eye. As the blood vessels grow, they can leak blood and fluid, which damage the macula—the part of the retina that lets you see the color and fine detail. This is how the condition can cause central vision loss.

Symptoms of wet AMD may include:

Straight lines or faces appear wavy
Doorways seeming crooked
A central blurry or blind spot

AMD can occur in 1 eye or both

If you have AMD in 1 eye, it's important to carefully monitor the other eye. That's because there's a 50% chance you will develop AMD in your other eye within 5 years. For this reason, tell your eye doctor about any vision changes.

Common risk factors of AMD are:

Age: being 60 years of age or older
Family history/genetics: if AMD runs in your family or you have a certain abnormal gene
Gender: women are more likely to get AMD
Smoking
Obesity
Low levels of zinc and vitamins A, C, and E
Cardiovascular disease: if you have high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and heart disease with chest pain
Race: AMD is more common among white people

Who is LUCENTIS for?

LUCENTIS^® (ranibizumab injection) is a prescription medicine for the treatment of patients with Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Macular Edema following Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO).

What important safety information should I know about LUCENTIS?

LUCENTIS is a prescription medication given by injection into the eye, and it has side effects. Some LUCENTIS patients have had detached retinas and serious infections inside the eye. LUCENTIS should not be used in patients who have an infection in or around the eye or are allergic to LUCENTIS or any of its ingredients.

Although not common, LUCENTIS patients have had eye- and non–eye-related blood clots (heart attacks, strokes, and death).

Some patients have increases in eye pressure within 1 hour of an injection.

Serious side effects include inflammation inside the eye, and rarely, problems related to the injection procedure, such as developing a cataract. These can make your vision worse.

The most common side effects to your eye are increased redness in the whites of your eye, eye pain, small specks in vision, the feeling that something is in your eye. The most common non–eye-related side effects are nose and throat infections, headache, and respiratory (lung) infections.

If your eye becomes red, sensitive to light, painful, or has a change in vision, you should call or visit your eye doctor right away.

For additional safety information, please talk to your doctor and also see the LUCENTIS full prescribing information.