Research and Developments
April 24, 2017
Annual Eye Exams For Retinopathy May Be Unnecessary For Some Type 1 Diabetics
Posted in: Latest News, Research and Developments
Currently, patients who have had type 1 diabetes for 5 years are encouraged to have annual dilated retinal exams to look for possible progression to diabetic retinopathy (DR) or diabetic macular edema (DME). Both of these conditions can lead to severe vision loss and should be treated immediately. Now, a 30-year study* published in April
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April 17, 2017
FDA Approves Lucentis® for Diabetic Retinopathy
Posted in: Latest News, Research and Developments
Genentech, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lucentis® (ranibizumab injection) 0.3 mg for the monthly treatment of all forms of diabetic retinopathy. The most common cause of vision loss in people with diabetes, diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among adults aged 20 to 74 and affects
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April 15, 2017
New Sustained Delivery Method for Lucentis
Posted in: Latest News, Research and Developments
Genentech, Inc. is testing a less-invasive method of delivery of their anti-VEGF drug Lucentis into the eyes of patients with wet AMD. Currently, anti-VEGF treatments require regular monthly or bi-monthly injections into the back of the eye, which can be taxing on patients’ time and stress level. The new method utilizes a timed release capsule
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April 2, 2017
Brain “rewires” itself to enhance other senses in blind people
Posted in: Latest News, Research and Developments
A common belief that blind people possess unusually heightened non-visual senses now may be more than just a belief. Credit: Bauer et al. PLOS ONE 2017 A new study led by Massachusetts Eye and Ear researchers has found that the brains of those who are born blind make new connections in the absence of visual information.
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March 27, 2017
Once-Promising Study of Encapsulated Cell Technology Halted
Posted in: Latest News, Research and Developments
Researchers have found no significant difference between patients implanted with capsules manufacturing the drug NT-503 and patients receiving anti-VEGF drug injections. As reported on this site in 2015, Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced a Phase 2 clinical study of NT-503 Encapsulated Cell Therapy (ECT) for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The study planned
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March 17, 2017
Is Stem Cell Therapy Dangerous?
Posted in: Latest News, Research and Developments
Commentary by Dan Roberts, Editor Living Well With Low Vision The low vision community has been shaken this past week by news of three patients whose vision was damaged by stem cell treatment at a Florida clinic in 2015. There is good reason for concern, but not about the future of stem cell therapy for
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March 13, 2017
OpRegen® for Dry-AMD in Trials
Posted in: Latest News, Research and Developments
BioTime, Inc. is expanding its ongoing Phase I/IIa clinical trial for OpRegen® for treatment of dry AMD. by naming the first two sites that will treat patients in the U.S. Adi Mohanty, Co-Chief Executive Officer of BioTime, said, “We are honored to be working with two of the leading U.S. clinicians in ophthalmology, Dr. David
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March 8, 2017
Further Evidence of the Value of In-Home Occupational Therapy
Posted in: Latest News, Low Vision Rehabilitation, Research and Developments
A new study, published in the March 8 edition of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, has concluded that low-vision patients who improve in their daily living activities through at-home training with an occupational therapist (OT) have less severe symptoms of depression than similar patients who did not receive such training. Using outcomes from a recently
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February 15, 2017
Another Anti-VEGF Drug Falls Short
Posted in: Latest News, Research and Developments
by Dan Roberts We announced here in December 2016 that Fovista, Ophthotech’s once-promising experimental drug for treatment of wet macular degeneration, failed to show positive results in Phase 3 trials, resulting in a discontinuance of the research. Now, Ohr Pharmaceuticals has announced temporary suspension of a clinical study for its drug candidate, Squalamine, an eye
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January 27, 2017
Trials beginning for Emixustat Treatment of Stargardt Disease
Posted in: Latest News, Research and Developments
Acucela has announced that the first patient has enrolled in a study to evaluate emixustat hydrochloride (“emixustat”) in subjects with Stargardt disease. Approximately 30 subjects will be enrolled at 4 to 6 clinical sites in the United States, with subjects taking oral doses of the drug once daily in the evening for one month. Emixustat
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