Öpik puts the case for sight-saving treatments in Powys

2.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 1st Nov 2006

Health bodies have the chance to save the vision of many eye condition sufferers through a new sight-saving treatment. That is the message from charities at a Westminster Parliamentary reception attended by Lembit Öpik, MP for Montgomeryshire.

Lembit said "1,000 people a year in Wales are losing their sight due to an aggressive eye condition known as wet AMD, a very aggressive eye condition that quickly leads to the loss of most useful vision, sometimes in as little as three months.

"Local Health Boards are responsible for funding anti-VEGF drugs. These are the only treatments that treat all types of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) - the leading cause of sight loss in the UK. Currently, only one such drug is licensed in the UK - Macugen."

RNIB Cymru is concerned about suggestions that Local Health Board's are not currently funding a licensed treatment, even though it could save patients' sight.

Lembit Öpik added, "the situation is leaving patients with the bleak prospect of either paying for private treatment or going blind. I've written to Powys Local Health Board to find out whether they are or will be funding these treatments. I hope we can have a constructive dialogue which could lead to a clear position on this important matter."

Ends / Diwedd

Notes:

1. Optos plc has developed a rapid scanning technology device that produces a wide-field image encompassing 82% of the retina in a single capture. The optomap(r) Retinal Exam is an important screening tool that can detect the early signs of eye diseases (such as age-related macular degeneration, retinal detachment, glaucoma). Retinal imaging can also be used to detect the early stages of some systemic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers. This can help save sight and lives.

2. There are around 100,000 people in Wales with sight problems. RNIB Cymru is the leading charity working in Wales offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem, RNIB Cymru can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0845 766 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk.

The AMD Alliance UK is made up of the Royal National Institute of the Blind, Age Concern England, the Macular Disease Society, NALSVI, Fight for Sight and the Wales Council for the Blind.

3. BOI Report: Mitchell J, Bradley C: Quality of Life in AMD: A review of the literature. AMD Alliance International. September 2006.

4. AMD Alliance UK report: Left to pay their own way: how people facing sight loss from age-related macular degeneration in England and Wales are let down by the NHS, by Barbara McLaughlan and Steve Winyard, RNIB is available at www.rnib.org.uk.

5. The cost of a year's treatment ranges from £10,000A year's treatment Anti-VEGF treatments target VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), a protein involved in the formation of new blood vessels. In the eye, high levels of VEGF can cause proliferation of blood vessels and fluid leakage.

6. Phe number of times patients require treatment with an anti-VEGF drug varies. Some patients need only three injections and others require up to a maximum of two years' worth.

7. A number of studies have looked at the impact of macular degeneration on psychological wellbeing. AMD Alliance International's Quality of Life in age-related macular degeneration: A review of the literature details a study of patients with macular degeneration in at least one eye, which found that participants reported scores on emotional distress comparable with those of people with serious illnesses such as cancer and HIV.