Injections of the drug ‘Lucentis’ can improve sight in people with a particular form of retina degeneration.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine (U.K.) found that the drug slowed vision loss in around nine out of 10 patients. And, one in three had improved vision.

About 95% patients with wet macular degeneration (A.M.D.) maintain their baseline vision whilst on treatment with Lucentis. About one-third patients gain vision and the effect is sustained over the course of Lucentis treatment (1 to 2 years).

They could read an additional three lines or 15 or more letters on an eye chart after a course of treatments. Most of the vision gain occurs rapidly within the first month of treatment.

The vision gain after Lucentis treatment makes it possible for patients to look forwards to doing things like reading again, however not everyone will get such a positive outcome.

Winfried Amoaku, a consultant ophthalmologist and member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists' scientific committee, said: 'This study on Lucentis is the first to show vision improvement in patients with wet A.M.D.

Wet A.M.D., which is very aggressive and responsible for 90 per cent of cases of blindness caused by the condition, results in new blood vessels growing behind the retina, which causes bleeding and scarring.

Steve Winyard, of the Royal National Institute for the Blind (R.N.I.B. U.K.), said the results were 'very exciting'. Although this is not a cure, ranibizumab (Lucentis) is great news for individual patients as it offers them the chance of having their vision restored.Drugs like, Macugen, and photodynamic therapy can halt the advance of A.M.D. And there is preliminary evidence that Avastin, a drug used to treat cancer, may also potentially restore vision in a way similar to Lucentis.The drug has yet to be granted a European licence. But it has already been approved for use in the U.S.