The FDA has approved Lucentis, a drug that treats the “wet” type of macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in people over 60.

In the wet form of macular degeneration blood vessels grow under the center of the retina, distorting vision or destroying central vision. It is less common than the dry type of macular degeneration but accounts for more vision loss than does the dry form of the disease.

In clinical trials, 90% of patients using Lucentis maintained their vision and approximately a third of those taking it over a 12 month period had improved vision.

Lucentis is made by Genentech, Inc.