Anecortave acetate, an angiogenesis inhibitor, was launched
in Australia by Alcon for the treatment of age-related
macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is the leading cause of
untreatable blindness among people aged 65 to 74 years in
the U.S. Worldwide, approximately 20 to 25 million people suffer from AMD, a disease that until recently was untreatable.
Anecortave, an angiostatic steroid, down-regulates the
expression MMP-2 and -9 to exert its antiangiogenic effects.