The treatment approved by NICE combines a technique called photodynamic therapy (PDT) with a drug called Visudyne.

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One was Visudyne (verteporfin), the first drug treatment for severe forms of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness.

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Aside from Macugen, Visudyne, from Novartis and QLT is available to treat AMD.

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Verteporfin, marketed by the drug firm Novartis as Visudyne, aims to stop the progressive loss of vision associated with wet AMD.

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Unlike the newer drugs, Visudyne is injected intravenously, not into the eye.

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The Visudyne dye, which is manufactured by drug company CIBA UK, was approved by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency four weeks ago after being tested in two 12-month clinical trials.

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And how will both fare against other treatments, such as Visudyne, the gold standard from QLT Therapeutics (nasdaq: QLTI - news - people ) and Novartis (nyse: NVS - news - people ) and Alcon 's (nyse: ALC - news - people ) experimental Retaane.

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