My 2-Year Treatment Results With Izervay

I was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) 11 years ago. I developed geographic atrophy (GA) 9 years after my diagnosis.

I was diagnosed about the time that the first GA injectable medication, Syfovre, was FDA-approved. My retina specialist wanted to wait until the second medication was approved.

I was given a choice of medication for my GA

By December of that year, Izervay was FDA-approved. I was given my choice between the 2 medications.

My decision wasn’t very scientific. I chose Izervay because my doctor told me the injections were less painful.

Starting Izervay injections

After more than 2 years of treatment, I have never had a painful injection. My only discomfort is from the betadine used to prevent infection.

I chose to start treatment as soon as possible. The vision in my right eye was 20/150 the day of my diagnosis. My vision loss was progressing rapidly, and I was willing to accept the risk of side effects. At the time, my doctor and I were both unaware that was the right choice. I have since learned Izervay is most effective when started early after diagnosis.¹

Not all of my results are typical

By the end of the first year of treatment, the vision in my right eye was stable at 20/70. This was surprising, since Izervay clinical trial results indicated it was effective at slowing disease progression but not reversing it. My doctor told me I was 1 of a handful of patients reporting improvement in vision. It’s important to note, though, that these results are not typical. As a person of faith, I accept the improvement as a gift.

At the end of 2 years of treatment, my vision remains stable. My optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans reflect that result. I asked my doctor how much longer I could get injections. His answer was, "As long as you want to continue treatment." The GATHER2 study demonstrated that Izervay had an increasing treatment effect over 2 years, which is something to keep in mind.²

Differences in vision between my right and left eyes

I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you my vision has declined in my left (untreated) eye. Macular degeneration is a progressive disease, so my worsening vision was not unexpected. At my last appointment, I asked my doctor if it was time to start treatment in my left eye. Not that I was anxious to get 2 injections the same day, but I want to do all I can to preserve my remaining vision.

I was shocked when my doctor said I didn’t have GA in the left eye. I distinctly remember him telling me it was mild in the left eye and moderate in the right. I was so surprised that I did not press my doctor that day.

I'm planning to continue treatment

I plan to get copies of my records for the last 2 years so I will know for sure if I have GA in the left eye. Doctors are human and make mistakes, but I want to know the status of the left eye so I can advocate for treatment if it has GA.

I am pleased with my treatment with Izervay and have no plans to end treatment.