Articles

Fovea Pharmaceuticals has received designation as Orphan Medicinal Product from the European Commission for rh-RdCVF, its treatment for retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

Performing cataract surgery using a fluid-based method of phacoemulsification results in less corneal endothelial cell loss compared with conventional ultrasound phacoemulsification.

A new online database of retinal topography maps has been launched by the Optometrists Association of Australia.

A company in the US, Chakshu Research, claims that it has developed an eye drop that can remove cataracts and restore vision.

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.

It has long been noticed that one side effect of the glaucoma drug Lumigan (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution; Allergan) is increased eyelash growth, however, nobody could have predicted that cosmetic companies would start using small quantities of prostaglandins in products specifically designed for the "beauty" market.

Treatment with bimatoprost (Lumigan; Allergan) alone is as effective at lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) as a fixed combination of latanoprost and timolol.

NicOx and Pfizer have initiated a dose-ranging Phase II clinical study of PF-03187207, a treatment for glaucoma, in Japan.

January/February's product news

The pros and cons of surface ablation procedures were reviewed at the opening session of the refractive surgery subspecialty day at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

January/February research news

I recently attended a party where I was drawn into a conversation by some people who had one thing in common – LASIK. Somebody amongst the group had undergone the procedure six years ago (incidentally, that was my sister) whilst another underwent wavefront-guided LASIK just weeks prior. Each of the four people had a story to tell about their experience with the procedure but, overall, each claimed they were happy with the end result.

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

Tempted?

The World Economic Forum has selected 39 companies as Technology Pioneers for 2008 and NuLens is one of those honoured with this title.

With additional training, optometrists are at least as accurate as junior ophthalmologists in diagnosing glaucoma.

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).

Barry G. Caldwell has been named as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of STAAR Surgical.

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.

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?

Read Ophthalmology Times' extensive coverage from the 2007 annual meeting in New Orleans, USA.

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.