Treatment -Resistant Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Study Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if treatment of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) with a new medication,rituximab is effective. To address this issue, investigators propose a clinical trial in which patients with late stage disease, poor vision and who have failed treatment by conventional means will receive rituximab by direct injection into the affected eye and will be followed for improvement in the structure of their retina. Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in the elderly with routine care involving injections in the eye to improve and to prevent worsening of vision. However, some patients do not respond to the medications that we currently have and as such an alternative medication is needed. One potential medication is rituximab, which has been injected into the eye for primary eye cancer, and has been tolerated well and led to patient improvement. Investigators will obtain baseline eye tests then plan on injecting this medication in to the eye of our patients with late stage AMD, by first placing numbing drops into the eye, then injecting the medication directly into the eye using sterile techniques. Investigators will then follow the patient and repeat eye tests to monitor for improvements.

Primary Outcome

Primary measure will be Central Macular Thickness as recorded with Optical Coherence Tomography.

Interventions

• DRUG Rituximab