Retina

A research report published in the December issue of the FASEB Journal, describes a new experimental drug, endostatin, which can significantly reduce or eliminate abnormal blood vessel growth within the eye.

23-gauge instruments offer numerous advantages over other instruments, such as less irritation, no induction of astigmatism, shorter operation time and lower costs.

A controversial decision by NICE to limit the use of the anti-VEGF drug Lucentis in treating patients with wet AMD, is being reconsidered.

Take a look at what happened in the Retina field in 2007 and what exciting developments are round the corner in 2008.

Click here to read Genentech's open letter to ophthalmologists, outlining its reason for imposing restrictions on the use of Avastin.

OPKO Health has completed its acquisition of Ophthalmic Technologies Inc. (OTI), a privately owned Canadian company.

OccuLogix has announced that it is indefinitely suspending its RHEO System clinical development programme in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The FDA has approved Triesence, Alcon's preservative-free synthetic coricosteroid for visualization during vitrectomy.

Fovea Pharmaceuticals has entered into a collaborative research agreement with Genzyme Corporation.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) seems to be responsible for apoptosis of the photoreceptors in certain visual disorders.

Have a look at the AMD therapies taking the first step along the path to approval.

What therapies have made it to Phase II clinical trials?

Take a look at the therapies that have reached Phase III clinical testing.

Take a look at the therapies that have already reached the market.

What are doctors using off-label to treat their AMD patients?

Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) performs better than verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the management of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in age-related macular degeneration.

Ophtherion has licensed the worldwide rights to develop diagnostic products for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) associated with specific variations in genes on Chromosome 10, from the University of Pittsburgh, USA.

Triple therapy consisting of vitrectomy, intravitreal triamcinolone and macular laser photocoagulation may facilitate early recovery of vision in patients with intractable diabetic macular oedema.

A study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology, suggests that retinal changes have possible prognostic implications regarding the survival of persons with diabetes.

Patients undergoing 25-gauge vitreoretinal surgery are more likely to experience postoperative serous choroidal effusion and hypotony than patients undergoing 20-gauge procedures.

Genentech is delaying its plan to restrict the use of Avastin by ophthalmologists in the US until January 2008.

A telemedicine system using nurse-captured retinal images could potentially improve retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) management.

Results of a clinical trial investigating Ellex's non-thermal Retina Regeneration Therapy (2RT), demonstrates the therapy's potential to improve and stabilize visual acuity (VA) and reduce retinal oedema in patients with diabetic maculopathy and macular oedema without causing damage to photoreceptors.

Results published online by The Lancet, from the Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes (FIELD) study have revealed that fenofibrate is the first lipid modifying agent found to reduce the risk of diabetic retinopathy.

Neurotech Pharmaceuticals has completed enrolment for three ongoing clinical studies evaluating NT-501 as a treatment for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).