review Spektrum Augenheilkd (2017) 31:206–211 DOI 10.1007/s00717-017-0356-7 Neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Austria Expert review and introduction to the TargetAMD approach Ulrike Stolba · Siamak Ansari-Shahrezaei · Stefan Hagen · Martin Stattin · Silvia Schmid · Martina Kropp · Nina Harmening · Gabriele Thumann · TargetAMD Group Received: 6 February 2017 / Accepted: 27 June 2017 / Published online: 21 July 2017 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria 2017 Summary Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in patients over 50 years of age in developed countries. It is estimated that the projected number of people with AMD will be 196 million worldwide by the year 2020, increasing to 288 million by 2040. Of these patients, 10–20% suffering from the fast progressing neovascular form of the disease (nAMD) account for 90% of all cases of severe vision loss. In fact, AMD is responsible for 8.7% of all cases of blindness worldwide. These numbers indicate the substantial burden of the disease. The WHO estimates that 246 million people worldwide currently have low vision and 39 million are blind. A literature (Medline) and Internet research was per- formed to better understand the prevalence of AMD and how health care could be prepared to cope with it in the future. In 2015, there were 90,010 intravitreal injections (IVI) in Austrian hospitals and primary care units. In 2016, this number rose to >100,000 IVI as the applications increase by approx. 15–20% every year. Since health insurances do not refund IVI in primary care, these services are channeled toward PD Dr. U. Stolba () · S. Ansari-Shahrezaei · S. Hagen · M. Stattin · S. Schmid Department of Ophthalmology, Rudolf Foundation Clinic, Juchgasse 25, 1030 Vienna, Austria ulrike.stolba@wienkav.at S. Ansari-Shahrezaei · M. Stattin Karl Landsteiner Institute for Retinal Research and Imaging, Vienna, Austria M. Kropp · N. Harmening · G. Thumann Department of Ophthalmology, UniversityHospitals of Geneva, Rue Alcide-Jentzer 22, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland S. Schmid · M. Kropp · N. Harmening · G. Thumann · TargetAMD Group TargetAMD Consortium, University of Geneva, Department of Ophthalmology, Geneva, Switzerland clinical wards, causing overcrowded waiting rooms and dissatisfied patients. Despite this high number of IVI in Austria, real-life data show that the number of IVI given today is not sufficient to keep visual acuity on a steady level. Therefore, new and long-acting treatment options are needed to end the burden for clinics and patients and to increase treatment effi- ciency by simplified protocols. Herein, a potential new gene-therapeutic approach using nonviral vec- tors and somatic pigment epithelial cells to overcome the imbalance of pigment epithelium-derived factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in nAMD is described. Keywords Age-related macular degeneration · Elec- troporation · Ocular gene therapy · Gene therapy medicinal product · GTMP Neovaskuläre altersbedingte Makuladegeneration in Österreich Expertenreview und Vorstellung des TargetAMD- Verfahrens Zusammenfassung Die altersbedingte Makuladege- neration (AMD) ist die Hauptursache der Erblindung bei Patienten über 50 Jahren in Industrieländern. Es wird geschätzt, dass die Zahl der Personen mit AMD im Jahr 2020 voraussichtlich auf 196 Mio. weltweit an- steigen wird und bis 2040 auf 288 Mio. Von dieser Po- pulation leiden 10–20 % an der schnell fortschreiten- den neovaskulären Form der Krankheit (nAMD), die aber 90 % aller Fälle mit schwerem Sehverlust ausma- chen. AMD ist die Ursache für 8,7 % aller Erblindun- gen weltweit. Diese Zahlen zeigen die substanzielle Belastung durch die Erkrankung. Laut Weltgesund- heitsorganisation (WHO) sind derzeit 39 Mio. blind, und 246 Mio. leiden unter schlechter Sehkraft. Für 206 Neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Austria K