Every day in the UK, more than 250 people begin to lose their sight, and nearly 400 are diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) alone. These numbers are driven by retinal diseases like wAMD and diabetic retinopathy, which are leading causes of blindness. Current treatment requires monthly or bi-monthly injections of drugs directly into the eye. This frequent schedule strains patients—62% need an escort to clinic visits—and overwhelms NHS ophthalmology clinics, leading to missed appointments and preventable vision loss. Re-Vana has developed a biodegradable implant called EyeLief-SD that is injected into the eye and releases anti-VEGF drugs continuously for up to six months. If successful, this would replace the need for repeated injections with a single procedure. For patients, that means fewer clinic visits, less discomfort, and better adherence. For the NHS, it could reduce the burden on overstretched clinics and cut the number of people who lose vision because they cannot keep up with treatment schedules. The implant is designed for wAMD, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic macular oedema—conditions that together affect hundreds of thousands of people in the UK.
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In the UK, more than 250 people begin to lose their sight each day, creating a significant health challenge for the NHS and global healthcare systems. Retinal diseases, such as wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR), which often lead to diabetic macular oedema (DME), are leading causes of vision loss. In the UK, nearly 400 people are diagnosed with wAMD every day, and nearly 48% of adults who are blind suffer from wAMD. The disease severely affects central vision in older adults, making everyday activities such as reading, driving, and recognising faces difficult. Similarly, DR and DME are severe ocular complications of diabetes, affecting 28.5% of adults over 40 with diabetes. DR is the leading cause of blindness in adults aged 20-74 and is increasingly prevalent in younger populations, with 17% of type 1 and 42% of type 2 diabetics affected. This growing burden highlights the urgent need for more effective and sustainable treatment options. Currently, ophthalmologists manage wAMD, DR, and DME with intravitreal (IVT) injections of anti-VEGF biologics like aflibercept (Eylea(r)) and ranibizumab (Lucentis(r)). However, the requirement for monthly or bi-monthly injections places a substantial burden on patients and the healthcare system. Frequent injections can lead to side effects such as ocular bleeding, discomfort, irritation, and elevated intraocular pressure. For patients, regular trips to clinics are challenging, with 62% needing an escort, contributing to poor adherence. The increasing number of wAMD and diabetic patients, combined with the high frequency of injections, strains an already overstretched NHS. Reports from the Macular Society, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, and the Royal National Institute of Blind People show that many clinics struggle to meet recommended waiting times, leading to preventable vision loss in some patients. Re-Vana has developed a novel, disruptive, photocrosslinked biodegradable sustained-release drug delivery implant, EyeLief-SD(tm), designed to address these challenges. This proprietary implant provides continuous drug release for up to six months, significantly reducing the need for frequent IVT injections. By offering a long-acting solution for wAMD, DR, and DME, EyeLief-SD has the potential to alleviate treatment burden, enhance patient compliance, and improve therapeutic outcomes. This innovation stands to benefit patients, clinicians, healthcare providers, and the pharmaceutical industry alike, providing a more efficient, patient-friendly treatment option.
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