Resveratrol may help wet macular degeneration
Resveratrol has made the news again and this time it is hopeful news for those who have the wet form of macular degeneration. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago experimented with resveratrol in age-related macular degeneration in 17 patients who had not received any benefit from all other forms of treatment. The results [...]
Wet Macular Degeneration Treatment causing Medicare Budget to “Hemorrhage”
If you’re a careful shopper, then you wouldn’t spend $2000 on something when something that costs $40 would do just as well. Yet despite a growing mountain of evidence, that’s exactly what’s happening with the two leading treatments for wet macular degeneration. Lucentis costs $2000 per dose. Avastin costs $40 per dose. Both are made [...]
You won’t cry your eyes out if you drink alcohol
Dry Eye and drinking don’t mix. In a recent study in the prestigious professional journal, Ophthalmology, researchers found that drinking alcohol worsened dry eye. Specifically, they analyzed tear film and ocular surface changes in 10 healthy subjects and controls who drank a measured dose of alcohol with a meal at dinner. When the alcohol waded its [...]
“Pump me Up!” Steroid implant approved in the UK to treat diabetic retinal disease
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (the equivalent of the FDA here in the U.S.) has granted permission for a new treatment that helps to improve the vision in diabetic patients. The new drug, Iluvien, is used to treat vision impairment as a result of chronic diabetic macular edema (DME) in those people who [...]
Celebrate May as Healthy Vision Month!
While you are out and about enjoying the colorful blossoms and blooms that abound in Spring, take time to educate yourself about vision health as a way to acknowledge Healthy Vision Month during the month of May. As a way to elevate awareness about vision and eye health problems, the National Eye Institute (NEI) has [...]
Study shows transplant can restore vision in night blindness
Researchers at the University College London successfully restored partial sight in mice with night blindness. 200,000 rod cells were transplanted into mice who did not have rods. Within 4 to 6 weeks of the transplants, some of the cells had formed nerve connections and the mice were able to navigate a maze in low lighting. [...]
$40 Drug Works as well as $2000 Drug in Treatment of Wet Macular Degeneration
A head-to-head comparison of the two major drugs used to treat wet macular degeneration - differing in cost by almost $2000 per dose – determined that they were both equally effective in treating the disease. Prior to this study, Lucentis and Avastin had never been compared head-to-head. The study was set up to compare the [...]
Drink Up! Caffeine a possible treatment for Dry Eye.
A new study indicates that caffeine appears to boost tear production and may be a source of a possible treatment for dry eye syndrome. Dry eye syndrome affects roughly 5% of the U.S. population and typically those who are over the age of 50. The study involved 78 people who had normal tear production and [...]
New Dry Macular Degeneration eyedrop nearing approval by FDA
On April 11th, MacuCLEAR announced that it will begin Phase III clinical studies for MC-1101, a topically administered eye drop that treats early-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). MacuCLEAR is a pharmaceutical company that focuses on developing solutions to treat vascular disorders of the eye. Following positive results with Phase II trials and support from the [...]
Pigs may hold the key to curing Retinitis Pigmentosa
The potential for developing a new treatment or cure for retinitis pigmentosa may be found through studying genetically modified pigs. Retinitis pigmentosa is the most common inherited retinal disease in the United States and affects about 1 in 4000 Americans. Previously, rodents were used in studies but their eyes lack some vital retinal structures and [...]
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