Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of visual impairment in people over age 60. Because it affects millions of senior adults, it deserves a great deal of attention. Another common condition also deserving of consideration is dry eye. Dry eye often accompanies AMD, but only because it most commonly affects the same [Read More]
Category: Therapies, Treatments, and Procedures
Summary of Research and Development — 2018
Transcript of a presentation to the International Low Vision Support Group June 2018 Dan Roberts, Director Select this link for audio-visual format INTRODUCTION This is our 13th annual summary of leading research and developments occuring during the past 12 months in the fields of blindness and low vision. Sources for further information will appear beneath [Read More]
FDA Approves First Gene Therapy for Inherited Retinal Dystrophy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec-rzyl), a new gene therapy developed by Spark Therapeutics, to treat an inherited form of vision loss that can result in blindness. The most prevalent inherited retinal dystrophies are retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) and Stargardt disease (SD), all of which have [Read More]
Can Retinal Degenerative Diseases Cause Headaches?
by Dan Roberts Retinal diseases are not, in themselves, painful. Prolonged ultra-close viewing, however, is often practiced by people with visual impairment. That can cause headaches of the type reported by some members of our low vision community. Generally referred to as eye strain, such discomfort may be caused by stress on the large medial [Read More]
Anti-VEGF Treatment Should Not Be Expected to Improve Vision
Clearing up a misunderstanding Anti-VEGF drugs for treating wet age-related macular degeneration are highly successful at inhibiting neovascularization, but they are limited to that alone. Clinical trials for Lucentis (ranibizumab) and Eylea (aflibercept) are showing better than 90% success at blocking the growth factors responsible for uncontrolled blood vessel growth into the retina, and off-label [Read More]