Researchers at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have effectively utilized a newly developed robot system to enhance the treatment of a severe eye disease. The custom-built robot was specifically used to address wet neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by providing a minimally invasive radiation dose, followed by the patients’ regular eye injections. This groundbreaking trial has been documented in The Lancet.It was discovered that patients required fewer injections to effectively manage the disease, potentially reducing the need for approximately 1.8 million injections worldwide each year. Wet AMD is a debilitating eye condition characterized by the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the macula, leading to leakage of blood and fluid and causing rapid, permanent, and severe vision loss. It is estimated that around 196 million people worldwide have AMD, with over 700,000 individuals affected in the UK, according to the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. The prevalence of AMD is expected to increase in the coming years.The prevalence of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is expected to increase by 60% by 2035, largely due to the aging population in the country.
Currently, wet AMD is treated with regular injections into the eye, which initially improves a patient’s vision. However, since the injections do not cure the disease, fluid will eventually start to build up again in the macula, requiring long-term, repeated injections. Most patients need injections every 1-3 months, with each injection costing between £500 and £800, making it one of the most common NHS procedures.
The new treatment can be targeted more effectively than current methods, using three beams. A new study has discovered that using robotic radiotherapy to treat eye diseases requires fewer injections and can save the NHS money. The study, led by Professor Timothy Jackson of King’s College London, found that patients receiving this treatment needed fewer injections to control their disease compared to standard methods. The study also revealed that the robotic device saves the NHS £565 per patient over the first two years, as it results in fewer injections. This breakthrough in treatment could lead to significant cost savings and improved patient outcomes.The development of a purpose-built robotic system allows for precise treatment of small lesions in the eye using overlapping radiation beams. This technology could potentially reduce the need for frequent hospital visits and eye injections for patients with macular disease. This is especially important given that current treatments for the disease are not precise enough to target lesions that are less than 1 mm across.
It is estimated that this new robot-controlled radiotherapy treatment can reduce the number of injections needed by around 25%, which is expected to lessen the burden of treatment for patients.
Dr. Helen Dakin, a University Research Lecturer at the University of Oxford, stated that their findings indicate that the cost savings from reducing the number of injections outweigh the cost of robot-controlled radiotherapy. This new treatment has the potential to save the NHS money that can then be used to treat other patients, while still effectively managing patients’ AMD.
The research, which involved 411 participants, was supported by funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC).The study involved over 30 NHS hospitals and was described as a “landmark trial” in a commentary commissioned by The Lancet. The research was conducted by a team from King’s College London and doctors at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Oxford, the University of Bristol, and Queen’s University in Belfast.
