You sit down to read the morning paper. Something is not quite right. The straight lines of text look a little wavy. A face on the television has a faint grey blur in the centre.

For many people, these are the early warning signs of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). Abnormal, leaky blood vessels damage the macula. That is the very centre of your retina, the part responsible for sharp and detailed vision.

The problem is not just the condition. It is the routine.

Modern injections for wet AMD work. They have saved the sight of countless people. But they also demand a relentless way of life involving repeated hospital visits, repeated scans, and repeated injections directly into the eye.

Traditionally, many patients need injections every 4 to 8 weeks to control disease activity, particularly early on. For patients and their families, the practical burden is heavy. It means travel, waiting rooms, and the constant worry of what happens if a treatment schedule slips.

That is why longer-lasting treatments are the ultimate goal in retina care. The aim is to keep vision stable with far fewer hospital visits.

The trial making retina specialists pay attention

This month, a clinical trial made headlines because it did not just match the standard care. It beat it.

On 17 February 2026, Ocular Therapeutix announced topline results from a major Phase 3 clinical trial called SOL-1. Full results are being presented this week at the 49th Macula Society Annual Meeting (25–28 February 2026). They tested an investigational treatment called AXPAXLI.

The most important detail is that this was designed as a superiority trial. It aimed to prove the new treatment was actually better than the standard injection, not merely an acceptable alternative.

After an initial loading phase, the study compared one dose of the new treatment against one dose of aflibercept, a widely used wet AMD injection.

How it works

AXPAXLI is an injectable, bioresorbable intravitreal hydrogel depot. It is sometimes described as an implant, but it is given by injection in the clinic rather than requiring surgery.

Standard injections deliver a burst of medicine that fades quickly. This wearing-off effect is one of the reasons patients need to come back to the clinic so often. The new depot is designed to release medicine slowly and steadily over time, to keep the disease under more consistent control.

The results in simple terms

The main goal of the trial was to see how many patients maintained visual acuity (defined in the trial as losing fewer than 15 ETDRS letters) at 36 weeks.

The difference was statistically significant. 74.1% of people on the new treatment maintained their vision. Only 55.8% of those on the standard injection achieved the same result.

At Week 52, the company reported 65.9% of people on the new treatment maintained vision, compared with 44.2% on the standard injection.

The company also reported that 68.8% of patients were rescue-free at Week 52. That means roughly two thirds of people given the new treatment went a year without needing additional rescue injections of aflibercept (they still attended regular monitoring visits), under the trial's rescue criteria.

Dr Arshad M. Khanani, the SOL programme Steering Committee Chair, called it one of the most important advances since these types of treatments were introduced twenty years ago. It is a striking statement from an expert in the field.

What this means for you right now

It does not mean injections will disappear next month.

This treatment is not yet approved for routine use. The company plans to discuss this data with medical authorities in the US to submit a formal application. Even after it passes those hurdles, access in the UK will depend on the MHRA and NHS commissioning decisions.

This is promising, late-stage evidence. It is not yet a finished product on clinic shelves.

What you should do today

If you are currently being treated for wet AMD, the most important thing you can do is keep your appointments. Stick to the plan you agreed with your eye team. NHS guidance is clear that current treatments must be given regularly to protect your sight.

If you notice new distortion, like wavy lines or a new central blur, get your eyes checked urgently. Wet AMD can change quickly.

At home, you can control your environment. Good lighting will not treat or prevent AMD. But good lighting can make reading feel less tiring and more comfortable.

When your vision is already working hard, ordinary lamps leave your eyes struggling in the shadows. Upgrading to the right light provides the comfort, clarity, and confidence you need to settle in for the evening and simply enjoy your book.

Sources:
https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/ocular-therapeutix-reports-positive-results-from-landmark-sol-1-phase-3-superiority-trial-in-wet-amd

https://www.eyeworld.org/2026/eyeworld-weekly-february-20-2026/