Among the most common causes of untreatable blindness in the world are degenerative diseases of the retina. As many as thirty million people in the United States and Europe suffer from macular degeneration, which represents a $25-30 billion worldwide market that has yet to be effectively addressed. Approximately 10% of people ages 66 to 74 will have symptoms of macular degeneration, the vast majority the “dry” form of AMD – which is currently untreatable. The prevalence increases to 30% in patients 75 to 85 years of age.