Eye Health News and Research

Latest Eye Health News and Research

Bilingualism enhances multi-tasking skills

Once likened to a confusing tower of Babel, speaking more than one language can actually bolster brain function by serving as a mental gymnasium, according to researchers.

18 Feb 2011

Report finds neglected diseases research funding up in 2009, funding for related non-profits down

"A rise in global funding for research into neglected diseases needs to be matched by a continued focus on delivering practical new ways to curb sickness in the developing world," according to the third annual report by the Global Funding of Innovation for Neglected Diseases released on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

18 Feb 2011

Statin drug may help prevent blindness in diabetics

New University of Georgia research has found that a statin drug that is often known by the brand-name Lipitor may help prevent blindness in people with diabetes.

17 Feb 2011

Iris Pharma announces validation of new EIU model of ocular inflammation

Iris Pharma, a world leader CRO specialized in ophthalmology, today announced the validation of the Endotoxin-Induced Uveitis model, a new model of ocular inflammation.

17 Feb 2011

Inspire announces strategic corporate restructuring on its eye care business

Inspire Pharmaceuticals, announced today a strategic corporate restructuring designed to result in the Company focusing activities on its eye care business, allowing it to fully leverage existing commercial capabilities, pipeline assets and related corporate development and licensing opportunities.

17 Feb 2011

Inspire fourth quarter revenues increase 2% to $30.3 million

Inspire Pharmaceuticals, announced today financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2010. For the quarter ended December 31, 2010, the Company reported a net loss of $4.3 million, or per common share, compared to a net loss of $2.6 million, or per common share, for the same period in 2009.

17 Feb 2011

New computer application automatically detects subtle epileptic brain lesions in MRI scans

Researchers from the Department of Neurology at NYU Langone Medical Center identified potential benefits of a new computer application that automatically detects subtle brain lesions in MRI scans in patients with epilepsy. In a study published in the February 2011 issue of PLoS ONE, the authors discuss the software's potential to assist radiologists in better identifying and locating visually undetectable, operable lesions.

17 Feb 2011

Avesthagen completes development of microalgae based vegetarian DHA omega 3 essential fatty acid

Avesthagen Limited announced completion of a landmark project for the development of AvestaDHA(TM) - a vegetarian source of DHA (docohexanoic acid) omega 3 essential fatty acid based on an innovative approach using naturally occurring microalgae.

17 Feb 2011

GOP continues attack on Planned Parenthood, abortion funding

Abortion-rights advocates and abortion-rights opponents don't see eye to eye on much, but they do agree on this: Nobody hates Planned Parenthood quite as much as Mike Pence. The Indiana Republican is on a one-man crusade to deny all federal funding to the group — not just the money it gets for reproductive health and family planning services, but every penny it gets for anything (Kliff, 2/16).

17 Feb 2011

Inexpensive drug therapy shows promise in treating premature infants with childhood blindness

A readily available, inexpensive drug therapy showed a significant benefit in treating premature infants with the worst and historically most difficult-to-treat cases of retinopathy of prematurity.

17 Feb 2011

Assessment of child's learning strategies can reveal signs of vision problems

Parents across Ontario will be soon receiving the second round of newly formatted report cards emphasizing the importance of how students work and how this contributes to their overall academic success. As parents and teachers review each child's progress they may want to consider whether vision problems might be a contributing factor to performance and behaviour in class.

16 Feb 2011

Obesity associated with decreased risk of open-angle glaucoma in women, not men

Obesity may be associated with higher eye pressure and a decreased risk of open-angle glaucoma in women but not men, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

14 Feb 2011

OXiGENE, NCI/CTEP and GOG collaborate on ZYBRESTAT Phase 2 study in relapsed ovarian cancer

OXiGENE, Inc., a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics to treat cancer and eye diseases, announced today that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) to collaborate on the conduct of a randomized Phase 2 trial of ZYBRESTAT in combination with bevacizumab in patients with relapsed ovarian cancer.

14 Feb 2011

Study shows beneficial anti-fibrotic effects of Pentraxin-2 in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Promedior, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies to treat fibrotic and inflammatory diseases, announced today the publication of collaborative research in the International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology entitled, "TGF-beta driven lung fibrosis is macrophage dependent and blocked by Serum amyloid P."

14 Feb 2011

Phase III RISE study of Lucentis for DME meets primary endpoint

Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, announced today that one of two Phase III studies evaluating monthly Lucentis® (ranibizumab injection) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME), met its primary endpoint. DME is a serious complication of diabetes that affects up to 10 percent of people with the disease and can lead to blurred vision, severe vision loss and blindness.

14 Feb 2011

New clinical trial to test surgery specifically for Type 2 diabetes

A new clinical trial at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center is among the first to test surgery specifically for Type 2 diabetes. The aim of the study is to understand whether surgery can control diabetes, as well or even better than the best medical treatment available today. This is the first study of its kind open to patients who are overweight or mildly obese.

14 Feb 2011

Guide star and time-reversal mirror in biomedical imaging

Astronomers have a neat trick they sometimes use to compensate for the turbulence of the atmosphere that blurs images made by ground-based telescopes. They create an artificial star called a guide star and use its twinkling to compensate for the atmospheric turbulence.

11 Feb 2011

Study reveals beneficial anti-fibrotic effects of Pentraxin-2 in TGFβ1-induced lung disease

11 Feb 2011

New trial tests surgery for Type 2 diabetes

11 Feb 2011

Promedior initiates Phase 1b clinical study of PRM-151 in patients with IPF

Promedior, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies to treat fibrotic and inflammatory diseases, announced today that it has initiated a Phase 1b clinical study of PRM-151 to explore the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and phamacodynamics of PRM-151 in the treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

11 Feb 2011