Can [symbol: see text] verteporfin help in macular degeneration?

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disorder affecting older people, is the commonest cause of severe visual impairment in the UK. It involves degeneration of the central retina (the macula) that results in diminished capacity for detailed visual tasks, such as reading, writing and recognising faces. For most people with AMD there is no effective treatment. [symbol: see text]Verteporfin (Visudyne--Novartis Ophthalmics) was licensed last year for use in conjunction with laser activation (photodynamic therapy) for the treatment of "age-related macular degeneration in patients with predominantly classic subfoveal neovascularisation". Here, we review the place of this treatment.