Name: Lytenava (bevacizumab-vikg) in Neovascular age-related macular degeneration: Definition and etiology
Published: 2026-09-28T12:24:10-04:00

Product information and disease description Place of product in therapy Disease description

Definition and etiology

6 evidence topics · 3 sources

Definition of age-related macular degeneration

“Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that can blur your central vision.” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)

Dry and wet forms of AMD

“Most people with AMD have dry AMD (also called atrophic AMD). This is when the macula gets thinner with age.” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)
“Wet AMD (also called advanced neovascular AMD), is a less common type of late AMD that usually causes faster vision loss.” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)
“It happens when abnormal blood vessels grow in the back of the eye and damage the macula.” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)

Neovascular AMD as a distinct clinical entity

“Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (exudative or wet AMD) is a prevalent, progressive retinal degenerative macular disease that is characterized by neovascularization of the choroid” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)

Etiology: age as the leading risk factor

“Your risk for AMD increases as you get older. People age 55 and older are more likely to have AMD.” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)

“Increasing age is the strongest demographic and leading risk factor associated with AMD” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)

Etiology: family history, race, and smoking

“The risk for AMD is also higher for people who: Have a family history of AMD Are Caucasian Smoke” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)

“Pooled data from the Rotterdam, Beaver Dam Eye, and Blue Mountains studies report a positive correlation with a 2–4-fold likelihood of developing any type of AMD in smokers when compared to non-smokers” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)

“Numerous studies have reported that Caucasians are more likely to develop AMD than blacks, including the Baltimore Eye Study, which reported a four-fold higher risk in whites than in blacks” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)

Anatomic basis: the retinal pigment epithelium, Bruch's membrane, and drusen

“Damage to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is considered to be a hallmark of AMD.” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)
“Age‐related structural abnormalities within Bruch's membrane have also been associated with AMD.” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)
“The AMD spectrum spans early‐stage AMD, during which drusen, pigment epithelial detachment (PED) and vitelliform lesions are observed, to late stage AMD, with choroidal neovascularization (CNV, neovascular AMD) or geographic atrophy (GA).” (opens the source at this quote in a new tab)