Verteporfin
VisudynePubChem CID 5362420 · 3D model
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An inert drug that's switched on by a precise laser light aimed at the eye, producing a burst of reactive oxygen that seals shut the abnormal blood vessels behind the retina.
How it works
Verteporfin does nothing on its own — it only turns on when hit by a specific color of light. It's given as a slow IV infusion and travels through the bloodstream, building up somewhat more in the abnormal, leaky blood vessels behind the retina than in the healthy tissue around them. About 15 minutes later, a doctor shines a low-power, non-heating laser into the eye for under a minute and a half. Wherever the drug is present and the light lands, it switches the drug on, and it reacts with oxygen to create short-lived reactive molecules that damage the lining of the abnormal vessels and cause them to clot shut.
What it’s used for
Visudyne is approved to treat a specific pattern of abnormal blood vessel growth under the retina, in which the abnormal vessels make up most of the affected area. This can be caused by wet age-related macular degeneration, severe nearsightedness (pathologic myopia), or a fungal eye infection called presumed ocular histoplasmosis.
- Mechanism
- Light-activated photosensitizer (photodynamic therapy)
- Drug class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- Ophthalmology