She Was Losing Her Vision — Until Science Saved Her Sight

Innovation She Was Losing Her Vision — Until Science Saved Her Sight Genentech BRANDVOICE Storytelling and expertise from marketers | Paid Program Jul 5, 2022, 11:37am EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Sue is no stranger to vision problems. She watched her mother, Alice, lose her eyesight from wet age-related macular degeneration , a disease that impacts the part of the eye that provides sharp, central vision. She saw her mother struggle with the daily effects of vision loss.

She couldn’t drive. Then she couldn’t bake. Painting china — one of her favorite hobbies, with its fine lines and careful precision — was out of the question.

Sue’s mother, Alice Genentech As she witnessed her mother’s vanishing vision, Sue couldn’t help but wonder if she were looking into her own future. Years later, Sue started seeing wavy lines on her alarm clock and computer. A retina specialist confirmed her fears and diagnosed her with the same eye condition as her mom: wet AMD.

The Burden of AMD Wet AMD is a leading cause of blindness for people aged 60 and over in the U. S. that can cause rapid and severe vision loss.

People who are older, especially women, are at risk of developing it. Other risk factors for wet AMD include a family history of the condition as well as race and smoking. “When left untreated, the consequences of AMD on the eyesight of patients and their way of life can be catastrophic,” said Carlos Quezada Ruiz, MD, senior medical director of ophthalmology at Genentech, a biotechnology company that develops medicines to treat people with serious medical conditions, including wet AMD.

“The impact of vision loss places a tremendous physical, mental and emotional burden on patients and their loved ones. ” Shortly after her wet AMD diagnosis, Sue sought care and found a treatment plan that helped improve her sight, which Sue’s daughter Rachel said was a relief. “Watching my grandma’s sight disappear was heartbreaking,” Rachel said.

“I’m grateful my mom found treatment early so she didn’t have to lose her independence like my grandma did. ” Sue and her daughter Rachel Genentech Preserving Sight With Science Although Sue lives with the same retinal disease as her mother, Alice, the decades separating their diagnoses made all the difference. Sue recalls her mother toiling to find a treatment, conducting research, visiting retina specialists and calling doctors.

“She told me she’d pray every night for a treatment and that someone would come up with something,” Sue said. However, each avenue Alice took was a dead end. She heard again and again that nothing could be done.

She was going blind, and she was told that nobody could stop it. But now, after two decades of medical advancements, Sue has options to help save her sight. “There have been key recent discoveries and innovations in wet AMD care that have helped millions of people improve and maintain their vision,” Dr.

Quezada Ruiz said. “Just in the past year or so, we’ve seen new treatments become available that can help make care even more accessible to patients. ” After her AMD diagnosis, Sue began anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections in her left eye.

Then, she enrolled in a clinical trial for a treatment that would deliver medication in her right eye. Reflecting on her decision to participate in the trial, she said her mother “would have jumped at an opportunity like this,” at the chance to maintain her vision and retain her independence. With her improved sight, Sue can continue to sew, read, garden and keep up with her 28 grandchildren and great-grandchildren — and look forward to what comes next.

Sue, her husband and great-grandson Genentech Learn more about wet AMD and other retinal conditions at Gene. com/eye . Genentech Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.