Manchester Royal Eye Hospital research team awarded TOP-It Trophy

The Manchester Royal Eye Hospital (MREH) research team has won a trophy for going over and above to recruit patients to a national study to help treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in people over 51 years of age.

Led locally by, Dr Konstantinos Balaskas Consultant Ophthalmologist at the MREH, the Azure study compares the dosage regimes of a current treatment in patients who have been diagnosed with wet age-related AMD. This is the most advanced type of AMD and accounts for 90% of severe vision loss caused by macular degeneration. It is also the leading cause of vision loss among persons aged 65 years and older.

Current treatment is an anti-VEGF medication which prevents the growth of new blood vessels in the eye and helps to block a particular protein found in the retina that stimulates abnormal blood vessel growth. Administered by injection, this treatment helps prevent leakage and reduce swelling in the retina to help protect vision.

The Top-It trophy has been awarded to the MREH’s research team (based at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust) by study sponsors Bayer, for the team’s hard work and exceptional expertise in screening and recruiting additional patients, over and above target, to this National study.

Dr Balaskas said, “I am very proud to work within a team of enthusiastic people who overcome challenges and go above and beyond to successfully recruit an additional 3x patients to the Azure study. On behalf of the team, we’re pleased to accept this Top-It Trophy from Bayer in recognition of their hard work, dedication and commitment to research.”