A National Eye Institute (NEI) study* confirms that anti-VEGF treatments have greatly improved the prognosis for patients with the wet form of age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) during the past decade. In the study of nearly 650 people, half still had vision 20/40 or better, typically good enough to drive or to read standard print, after five years of treatment with […]
(Updated 12/5/2017) On February 16, Charles C. Wykoff, MD, PhD, announced to the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting that Iluviuan (fluocinolone acetonide) treatment, after 1.3 injections over 3 years in the FAME trials, “significantly reduced progression to prolific diabetic retinopathy from 31% to 17%, a similar reduction as observed with monthly anti-VEGF treatments.” Iluvian […]
NIH-funded clinical trial marks first major advance in therapy in 40 years A clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health has found that the drug ranibizumab (Lucentis) is highly effective in treating proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The trial, conducted by the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCR.net) compared Lucentis with a type of laser […]
Ocata Therapeutics, Inc. (now owned by Acucela) announced on March 31, 2015 that the company has completed dosing of its Phase 1/2 studies for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Stargardt’s Macular Degeneration (SMD). A total of 38 patients have been safely dosed. The 200,000 cell cohort, the highest level planned, was successfully completed, paving […]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that they have expanded the approved use for Lucentis 0.3 mg (Genentech) to treat diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetic macular edema. The FDA previously had approved Lucentis to treat DME and macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusions, both of which cause fluid to leak into […]
By Dan Roberts Implants devised by two different companies for treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) have been approved by the FDA for use in the United States. The companies are Allergan and Alimera, and the new drugs are Ozurdex and Iluvien respectively. Both drugs are corticosteroids that have demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of […]
by Dan Roberts April 2014 Updated August 18, 2018 Research has shown that corticosteroids produced by the body (endogenous) and administered externally (exogenous) can raise adrenaline levels, which can harm the central retina. Some people have high levels of endogenous steroids that can lead to a condition called central serous retinopathy (CSR), aka central serous […]
Kellogg retina surgeons implant Argus II Retinal Prosthesis, or ‘bionic eye,’ for two patients with end-stage retinitis pigmentosa ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Retina surgeons at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center have performed the first – and second – surgeries in the United States to implant an artificial retina, or “bionic eye,” since the U.S. Food and […]
The principal difference between the two leading FDA-approved anti-VEGF drugs, Eylea and Lucentis for treatment of retinal hemorrhage has been accepted as the difference in length of time between injections. A new study, however, found no significant difference in injection scheduling between the drugs. The overall mean days between injections differed by only 1.8 days […]
Early treatment with a new drug called JETREA® (formerly called ocriplasmin) has shown effectiveness in lessening the risk of macular pucker, macular hole, and vitreomacular traction (VMT). These conditions are caused by the tugging on the macula by the vitreous gel, which is attached to the retina at several points. As the vitreous shrinks with […]