Scientists at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom have developed a revolutionary new eye drop to treat an age-related eye disorder, spelling the end for painful injections used to combat one of the leading causes of blindness.

The eye disorder known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a painless condition that causes people to gradually lose their central vision, usually in both eyes.

AMD, one of the leading causes of blindness in the UK, is currently treated by repeated injections into the eye on a monthly basis over at least three years.

Scientists have invented a method of delivering the injected drug as an eye drop instead. The drop uses a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) to deliver the drug to the relevant part of the eye within minutes.

The CPP-plus drug complex also has potential application to other chronic ocular diseases that require drug delivery to the posterior chamber of the eye.