Vision Loss News and Research

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Cocaine use linked to increased risk of open-angle glaucoma

A study of the 5.3 million men and women seen in Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinics in a one-year period found that use of cocaine is predictive of open-angle glaucoma, the most common type of glaucoma.

30 Sep 2011

Two computerized tests increase ability to detect remaining vision in patients with RP

Two new computerized tests increase the ability to measure remaining vision in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and other blinding diseases, reports a study in the October issue of Optometry Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

27 Sep 2011

Embryonic stem cell therapy for incurable Stargardt eye disease

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26 Sep 2011

ACT receives UK MHRA clearance for hESC-derived RPE cell trial for Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that it has received clearance from the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to begin treating patients as part of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy using retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) derived from human embryonic stem cells.

22 Sep 2011

Lucentis receives Health Canada approval to treat vision loss from DME

Health Canada has approved Lucentis (ranibizumab) as a treatment for vision loss resulting from diabetic macular edema, one of the major causes of adult vision loss and an important complication of the growing epidemic of diabetes.

14 Sep 2011

Amakem receives €18m in Series A round of funding

Amakem NV today announced it has raised €18m with a syndicate of leading life sciences investors to advance its ophthalmology drug development portfolio and progress its lead candidate, AMA0076 for glaucoma, to clinical proof of concept.

6 Sep 2011

Insight into molecular basis of Enhanced S-Cone Syndrome

A new research report published in The FASEB Journal will help ophthalmologists and scientists better understand a rare genetic disease that causes increased susceptibility to blue light, night blindness, and decreased vision called Enhanced S-Cone Syndrome or Goldman-Favre Syndrome.

2 Sep 2011

Optical treatment strategies to correct peripheral vision may slow progression of myopia

New scientific evidence on how feedback from the eye affects visual development may lead to more effective approaches to treating myopia (nearsightedness) in children, reports a paper in the September issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

29 Aug 2011

Seven research teams across the U.S. to develop new drugs for nervous system disorders

The National Institutes of Health has made awards to investigators across the United States for an ambitious set of projects seeking to develop new drugs for disorders of the nervous system.

19 Aug 2011

Lucentis receives Health Canada approval for treatment of retinal vein occlusion

Following a priority review, Health Canada has approved Lucentis (ranibizumab) as a treatment for vision loss resulting from retinal vein occlusion (RVO). This makes Lucentis the first approved treatment of its class in Canada for this debilitating condition. Patients will now have access to a treatment that is proven to be effective and has an established safety profile.

18 Aug 2011

Researchers team up to combat age-related macular degeneration

A professor at the University of California, Riverside Bourns College of Engineering has received a $100,000 grant to develop a new technique to fight a disease that gradually destroys vision.

8 Aug 2011

Early detection critical in preventing vision loss among Baby Boomers

Probably the most worrisome health concern for Baby Boomers as they age is the increased possibility of visual impairment or vision loss. For this reason, early detection is critical in successfully preventing and treating eye conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, before they lead to major visual changes.

27 Jul 2011

New convenient device can track degenerative eye disease

An ophthalmologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center has helped create a convenient device that lets patients who have a degenerative eye disease better track vision changes.

27 Jul 2011

African-Americans with glaucoma have higher oxygen levels than Caucasians

Measuring oxygen during eye surgery, investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered a reason that may explain why African-Americans have a higher risk of glaucoma than Caucasians.

12 Jul 2011

AHAF awards 22 new grants to scientists worldwide for innovative vision research

The American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF), a nonprofit organization with a history of funding cutting-edge research on age-related diseases, announced today that it has awarded 22 new grants totaling nearly $2.2 million to scientists worldwide who are studying glaucoma and macular degeneration. The two conditions are the leading causes of irreversible vision loss and blindness in the U.S.

8 Jul 2011

Healthy diet might help reduce risk of macular degeneration

Eating a diet high in vitamin D, as well as the nutrients betaine and methionine, might help reduce the risk of macular degeneration, according to new research conducted by Tufts Medical Center scientists. Their study of identical twins from the US World War II Twin Registry also found that the more a person smoked, the higher their risk of developing macular degeneration.

6 Jul 2011

Novel drug delivery device can treat diabetes-related retinal damage

A team of engineers and scientists at the University of British Columbia has developed a device that can be implanted behind the eye for controlled and on-demand release of drugs to treat retinal damage caused by diabetes.

1 Jul 2011

Positive results from RISE and RIDE Phase III trials of Genentech's Lucentis for diabetic macular edema

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced 24-month results from the two pivotal Phase III trials (RISE and RIDE) assessing the efficacy and safety of Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) in people with diabetic macular edema (DME).

29 Jun 2011

Cedars-Sinai receives National Eye Institute grant to develop gene therapy for corneal disease

Cedars-Sinai stem cell researchers investigating ways to prevent eye problems in diabetic patients have been awarded a $3 million grant from the National Eye Institute to develop gene therapy in corneal stem cells to alleviate damage to corneas that can cause vision loss.

17 Jun 2011

InNexus files patent protection for new Age-related Macular Degeneration therapeutic

InNexus Biotechnology Inc., a biopharmaceutical company creating and developing innovative solutions for cancer, inflammation and other difficult-to-treat diseases, announced today that it has filed for patent protection covering a novel antibody product for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and other eye disorders.

16 Jun 2011