Yorkshire Philosophical Society

Event Information

How Much Vision Can We Save in the Future?

Professor Richard Gale, Consultant Medical Ophthalmologist and Clinical Director in Ophthalmology at York Teaching Hospital NHS Trust and Honorary Visiting Professor, University of York

The James Burgess Lecture

What the Marathon des Sables Teaches Us About Endurance, Hope and Transforming Outcomes in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. In the Sahara Desert, every step forward is optional- and quitting is always rational. With research into Age-related Macular Degeneration the challenge is different but can be just as tough; we remind ourselves that patients don’t get to choose whether the race starts. Both demand the same thing- relentless endurance when the finish line is nowhere in sight. How much vision can we save in the future?

7pm in the Tempest Anderson Lecture Theatre in the Yorkshire Museum on TUESDAY 9 JUNE 2026.

An event for York Festival of Ideas – free event tickets from May 1st at:

https://yorkfestivalofideas.com/

Member’s report:

Professor of Opthalmology at the University of York and Honorary NHS Consultant, Richard Gale presented the James Burgess Lecture covering the anatomy of the eye, its susceptibility to disease, and present and future treatments. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common in 48% of cases, with glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy in the minority. Globally, there are 2.8 billion cases of AMD reported including 2 million in the UK. Associated with older age, a family history and smoking, both dry and wet AMD involve high energy and blood flow. Dry AMD, involving loss of retinal cones is currently untreatable, but there are current and potential treatments for wet AMD.

Drugs originally developed 20 years ago to treat abnormal growth of blood vessels in cancer have been given new uses in AMD therapy. Both Ranibizumab (Lucentis) and Bevacizumab (Avastin) are injected directly into the eye but only the former has regulatory approval. The major sham-controlled randomised clinical trial with Lucentis in wet AMD produced more than 20% improvement in vision. It is now standard practice, given about 30,000 times annually and often in community clinics. New and potential treatment include retinal injections to promote new growth, grafting of other tissue onto the retina, and bionic eyes.

Prevention may be better than cure. AMD qualifies for screening under the strictest of  global guidelines. Health economics suggest that screening of high risk individuals (older age, family history, smokers) would be highly beneficial to public health. Early detection is important and an AMD Registry is being developed, first in York and then perhaps nationally. AMD should be regarded in the same way as cancer and heart disease, where screening is commonplace.

Roger Pinder