Retina

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).

Smokers with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) should not be taking the age-related eye disease study (AREDS) formulation of vitamins and antioxidants, as it puts them at an increased risk of developing lung cancer, according to a presentation given at the Retina Subspecialty Day of this year's AAO congress in New Orleans, US.

Transvitreal optic neurotomy (TON) improves the visual acuity and visual fields in patients with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) of recent onset.

Concomitant delivery of focal radiotherapy and bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) showed promise in a small multicenter feasibility study of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

The use of medical adjuvant therapy for macular holes during vitreous surgery seems to be decreasing in macular hole surgery, said Alain Gaudric, MD, of Lariboisière Hospital, Paris.

Intravitreal therapy for venous occlusive disease is promising in the short term, however, multiple injections are needed, dosing schedules are presently unclear, and rebound has to be evaluated.

The surgical approach chosen by Borja Corcóstegui, MD, to repair vitreous detachments is driven by the classification of the detachment.

Off-label use of intravitreal drugs may have a promising future in the treatment of patients with diabetic retinopathy, but currently the dosing of these drugs is suboptimal.

The initial clinical results were announced of a continuous study for non-thermal Retina Regeneration Therapy (Ellex 2RT, Ellex Medical Lasers Ltd.). The results showed the therapy's potential to make improvements in and stabilize visual acuity, as well as reduce retinal edema in patients with diabetic maculopathy and macular edema without causing any damage to the photoreceptors.

Topical dorzolamide (Trusopt, Merck) may offer hope for the treatment of macular edema in some patients with retinitis pigmentosa and X-linked retinoschisis.

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), the latest generation of the technology, is a breakthrough because it has dramatically cut the time required to obtain images by eliminating the moving mirror that was a component of standard OCT.

Topical therapy to treat posterior segment disease is possible despite the limitations of the blood-retinal barrier.

The results of the PrONTO Study, an exploratory open-label trial, indicated that intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (Lucentis, Genentech) produces rapid improvements in visual acuity and findings on optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients treated for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

VEGF Trap (Regeneron Pharmaceuticals) has been seen in two studies (CLEAR-IT AMD 1 and CLEAR-IT AMD 2) to be safe, bioefficacious, and tolerated in the eyes of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

New extended delivery methods are under development and in the future should facilitate more effective administration of numerous types of ocular agents.

Spectral (fourier domain) optical coherence tomography (SOCT) represents a significant development in the field of retinal imaging.

Alimera Sciences and pSivida have completed enrolment for the FAME (Fluocinolone Acetonide in diabetic Macular Edema) study of Medidur.

Randomized data from a large cohort of women with cardiovascular disease or at a high risk of it indicate that seven years of daily supplementation with folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to William G. Christen, ScD, PhD.

A variant form of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been discovered to be responsible for the inflammation and altered retinal vascularization that occurs in conditions such as diabetic retinopathy.

25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) appears to be safe and effective for the treatment of epiretinal membranes.

The majority of vitreoretinal surgeons use dyes to stain the internal limiting membrane (ILM) and/or epiretinal membranes.1Dyes are mostly used to assist surgeons during macular hole and pucker surgery, with the gold standard for such procedures being indocyanine green (ICG).