AOA 2026: AREDS2 and AREDS2+B vitamin complex implications for AMD

Lori-Ann Christie, PhD, senior director of Biological Research at Bausch + Lomb, currently leads a research team focused on early-stage studies supporting both pharmaceutical and consumer eye care programs. In an exclusive interview with Optometry Times, she discussed a preclinical study conducted in advance of the launch of PreserVision 3, designed to better understand the contribution of B vitamins when added to the established AREDS2 formulation for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). She presented the findings in her poster presentation titled "Comparative Analysis of AREDS2 and AREDS2+B Vitamin Complex in an in vitro Model of Age-Related Macular Degeneration" at AOA Optometry’s Meeting 2026, held from June 17-20 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Christie’s team used human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, a critical cell type at the back of the eye, derived from a donor carrying high-risk genetic alleles (CFH/ARMS2 and HTRA1) associated with AMD. Initially, the researchers exposed these cells to varying concentrations of B vitamins in combination with the current AREDS2 ingredients. They verified that under these conditions the cells could still grow, survive, and differentiate appropriately, ensuring that the formulations themselves were not toxic.

Next, the RPE cells were subjected to AMD-relevant stressors, including light exposure and A2E, a key component of lipofuscin that accumulates in AMD patients. The central question was whether B vitamins could enhance cytoprotection beyond the effect of AREDS2 alone, and whether the combination would offer additional benefit. The study demonstrated a significant improvement in cell survival when stressed cells were treated with the combination of AREDS2+B vitamins compared with either alone.

To probe mechanisms, the team conducted gene expression analyses. They observed both up- and down-regulation of genes with AREDS2 and B vitamins individually, but the most notable findings were synergistic gene expression changes when the ingredients were combined. These changes mapped to pathways associated with mitochondrial health, vascular protection, and synaptic function, as well as factors related to homocysteine reduction, a known risk factor for AMD progression. Christie emphasized that these results form a hypothesis-generating foundation: the true clinical relevance will require real-world product use and future clinical trials.

Currently, AREDS2-based products are typically recommended for intermediate AMD. However, based on existing literature and these mechanistic data, Christie and her team believe that B-vitamin–enhanced formulations like PreserVision3 may have potential applicability in earlier stages of AMD. Future clinical trials will likely explore early-stage populations. Throughout, she underscores Bausch + Lomb’s commitment to science-based development, positioning PreserVision AREDS3 as a continuation and refinement of the evidence-based approach pioneered with PreserVision AREDS2.