INCLUSION CRITERIA:
- Participant must be older than 55 years of age or older.
- Participant must understand and sign the protocol's informed consent document.
- Participant must have at least 1/2 disc area (approximately 1 mm(2)) of GA compatible with AMD present in each eye. GA is defined as one or more well-defined, usually more or less circular patches of partial or complete de-pigmentation of the RPE, typically with exposure of underlying choroidal blood vessels. Even if much of the RPE appears to be preserved and large choroidal vessels are not visible, a round patch of RPE partial de-pigmentation may still be classified as early GA. The GA in each eye must be able to be photographed in their entirety.
- Participant must have at least one large drusen (greater than 125 micro meter) in each eye.
- Participant must have a steady fixation in both eyes in the foveal or parafoveal area and media clear enough for good quality photographs. This will permit randomization.
- Participant must have visual acuity between 20/20 and 20/400 in each eye.
- Female participants must be considered post-menopausal and must not be breast-feeding. Female participants over age 55 who have not had a period for one year will be considered post-menopausal.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
- Participant is in another investigational study and actively receiving study therapy.
- Participant is unable to comply with study procedures or follow-up visits.
- Participant has evidence of ocular disease other than AMD in either eye that may confound the outcome of the study (e.g., diabetic retinopathy with 10 or more hemorrhages or microaneurysms, uveitis, pseudovitelliform macular degeneration, moderate/severe myopia, etc.).
- Participant has any of the following a) a history of macular laser, b) a history of photodynamic therapy (PDT), c) received an intravitreal injection of any agent for wet/exudative AMD at any point, d) received an intravitreal injection of any other agent (not an anti-VEGF agent) within four months prior to study enrollment or e) received topical treatment of any agent for advanced AMD within one month prior to enrollment. Participants currently taking or who have previously taken AREDS vitamin supplementation are not excluded.
- Participant has had a vitrectomy.
- Participant is expected to need ocular surgery during the course of the trial.
- Participant has undergone lens removal in the last three months or YAG laser capsulotomy within the last month.
- Participant is on chemotherapy.
- Participant is on immunosuppressive medication.
- Participant is on ocular or systemic medications known to be toxic to the lens, retina or optic nerve.
- Participant with a history of malignancy that would compromise the 2-year study survival.
- Participant with a history of ocular herpes simplex virus (HSV).
- A condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude participation in the study (e.g., unstable medical status including blood pressure and glycemic control).
- History of cancer (other than a non-melanoma skin cancer) diagnosed within the past five years.
- Laboratory values outside normal limits and considered clinically significant by the investigator.
- Participant is currently taking one of the following drugs: amprenavir, atazanvir, clarithromycin, darunavir, delavirdine, erythromycin, fluconazole (at doses of 200mg or greater), fluvoxamine, indinavir, itraconazole, ketoconazole, nefazodone, nelfinavir, posaconazole, quinupristin, ritonavir, saquinavir,
telithromycin, troleandomycin, verapamil or voriconazole.
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland 20892. Last update: 11/25/2009