Visudyne® (verteporfin) was the first therapeutic treatment approved worldwide for certain forms of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 55.

Visudyne is commercially available in more than 75 countries for the treatment of predominantly classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and in a number of countries for occult subfoveal CNV caused by AMD. Visudyne is reimbursed in the United States by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services for certain patients with the occult and minimally classic forms of wet AMD. It is also approved in over 60 countries, including the European Union, the U.S. and Canada, for the treatment of subfoveal CNV due to other macular diseases such as minimally classic AMD, pathologic myopia (severe near-sightedness) and ocular histoplasmosis.

Recently, alternative treatments for wet AMD with different modes of action have been approved or used. We expect that Visudyne will maintain its niche in the AMD marketplace and we believe that it will continue to be used in combination with other treatment options for certain forms of AMD.

Visudyne is developed and commercialized by QLT Inc. with Novartis Ophthalmics.

VISUDYNE PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS, IDEAL FOR TREATING OCULAR DISEASES
* Photosensitizer that exhibits no activity until activated by light at a wavelength of 690 nanometers
* Rapid and selective uptake by the walls of the abnormal blood vessels in the eye results in a very short treatment procedure
* Short half life and fast clearance eliminates need for long photosensitivity precautions commonly associated with first-generation photosensitizers

How Visudyne works?

The objective of Visudyne® therapy is to slow or arrest the progression of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), pathologic myopia and presumed ocular histoplasmosis. It does not restore or improve vision in eyes that have already been significantly damaged by these diseases.

Administering Visudyne Therapy

Visudyne therapy is easy to administer and can be done in the physician’s office.

Step №1: Visudyne is injected into the patient’s arm over a period of ten minutes.     Visudyne is injected into the patient’s arm over a period of ten minutes.
Step №2: In the bloodstream, Visudyne attaches to lipoproteins which selectively carry the drug to abnormal vessels in the eye.     In the bloodstream, Visudyne attaches to lipoproteins which selectively carry the drug to abnormal vessels in the eye.
Step №3: Five minutes after the infusion, Visudyne is activated by shining a red, non-thermal laser light into the patient’s eye for 83 seconds.     Five minutes after the infusion, Visudyne is activated by shining a red, non-thermal laser light into the patient’s eye for 83 seconds.
Step №4: Once Visudyne is activated, the abnormal blood vessel cells are destroyed by the release of singlet oxygen, resulting in closure of the abnormal vessels and cessation of leakage.     Once Visudyne is activated, the abnormal blood vessel cells are destroyed by the release of singlet oxygen, resulting in closure of the abnormal vessels and cessation of leakage.

Lasers

Visudyne therapy involves the use of a specially designed diode laser that produces the low level, non-thermal (non-burning) light required to activate the drug. These lasers have been developed by two of the world’s leading laser companies, Lumenis, based in California, and Carl Zeiss, based in Germany.