OPT-302 Enters Phase 2A Trials for Wet AMD

Opthea Limited, a developer of novel biologic therapies for the treatment of eye diseases, has randomized and dosed the first patient in the Phase 2A dose expansion clinical trial of OPT-302 for wet AMD. OPT-302 is a soluble form of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) or ‘Trap’ molecule, that blocks the activity of two [Read More]

Smoking and AMD—Are E-Cigarettes the Answer?

by Dan Roberts You’ve heard it before: “Tobacco Smoking Is A Major Cause Of Age Related Macular Degeneration”. According to most research, individuals 65 years of age and over double their risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) if they smoke. Why? Because tobacco smoking: Reduces levels of plasma antioxidant, a substance in the blood [Read More]

Experimental Gene Therapies Still Raising Hopes

Wills Eye Hospital has announced that it has treated the first RESCUE trial patient in the United States enrolled in an FDA-approved gene therapy vision research study. A product called GS010 (GenSight Biologics), can be injected right into the eye and, in a sense, “re-wire” or lower the patient’s risk for getting the disease. The patient has [Read More]

Future Sustained Drug Delivery Methods for Choroidal Neovascularization

During the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Retina Subspecialty Day in 2015, Peter K. Kaiser, MD, described six alternative methods being looked at for delivery of anti-VEGF drugs into the retinas of individuals experiencing choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Periodic intraocular injections are currently the only procedure for halting damaging blood vessel growth and leakage. Injections are expensive, time-consuming, and burdensome on the patients, so [Read More]