Macular Degeneration News and Research

Latest Macular Degeneration News and Research

Controlled trial comparing Bevacizumab to Ranibizumab finds no difference in efficacy

Investigators from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the VA Boston Healthcare System have shown, at 6 months in a small group of patients, that there is no difference in efficacy between Bevacizumab (Avastin) and Ranibizumab (Lucentis) for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

9 Oct 2009

Valensa initiates licensing patent for the use of the astaxanthin as a dietary supplement

Valensa International (Orlando, FL USA) announced today that it has initiated a broad out licensing effort for University of Illinois patent (US 5,527,533 and its foreign equivalents) for the use of the astaxanthin in eye healthcare dietary supplement applications.

8 Oct 2009

Macuclear and Mystic announce groundbreaking results from Phase Ib Clinical Trial for Macular Degeneration

MacuCLEAR, Inc. and Mystic Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today preliminary successful results of a Phase Ib Clinical Trial for the treatment and prevention of the progression of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The preliminary results indicated that MacuCLEAR’s MC-1101 drug is safe and well tolerated by study participants, and has a biological effect on blood flow in the back of the retina.

8 Oct 2009

Mimetogen Pharmaceuticals completes its equity financing

Mimetogen Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Mimetogen"), a privately held drug development company announced today that it has successfully completed an equity financing, co-led by Boston-based VIMAC Milestone Medica Fund and Montréal-based iNovia Capital.

8 Oct 2009

Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research to study vision impairment and blindness

Real-time biomedical studies of factors leading to vision impairment are now possible through the world's largest ocular research center at Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research.

8 Oct 2009

Roche and Genentech obtain license to use SurModics’ drug delivery system

SurModics, Inc., a leading provider of drug delivery and surface modification technologies to the healthcare industry, announced today that it has signed a License and Development Agreement with Roche and Genentech, Inc., a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group.

7 Oct 2009

Uncertainty regarding clinical effectiveness is a key issue in coverage decisions: Study

A comparison of national agencies that play a role in determining drug coverage decisions in Britain, Canada and Australia finds that uncertainty regarding clinical effectiveness is a key issue in coverage decisions, with other factors including the ability to negotiate price and societal values, according to a study in the October 7 issue of JAMA.

7 Oct 2009

Government of Alberta reimburses first medication to improve vision and restore quality of life

Alberta residents with neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss over the age of 50, have received a dose of good news with the decision by Alberta Health and Wellness to reimburse the innovative treatment Lucentis* (ranibizumab) on the Alberta Blue Cross insurance plan.

6 Oct 2009

Genentech announces two Phase III study results of Lucentis

Genentech, Inc., a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group, today announced results from two Phase III studies of Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) in macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion (RVO), which showed, on average, patients given either of two doses of Lucentis had a clinically and statistically significant improvement in vision as measured by the primary endpoint of mean change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at six months compared to patients receiving sham injections.

5 Oct 2009

Researchers engineer antidotes for blood-thinner aptamers

Imagine a surgical patient on a blood-thinning drug who starts bleeding more than expected, and an antidote that works immediately - because the blood thinner and antidote were designed to work together. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have engineered a way to do this for an entire, versatile class of drugs called aptamers and published their findings in Nature Medicine.

4 Oct 2009

Study finds that visual impairment in T1D patients may be decreasing

People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in recent years are less likely to develop diabetes-related vision loss than those diagnosed in earlier years, says a new study funded by the National Eye Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health. Forecasts of visual impairment prevalence in T1D patients may need to be amended, the researchers suggest, since current predictions assume that the earlier incidence rates will continue.

3 Oct 2009

Eye treatment reimbursement change could cost Medicare millions

A change in the reimbursement rate for the drug Avastin, used off-label to treat an eye illness in the elderly, could lead Medicare doctors to use a much costlier drug that would cost the system millions, The New York Times reports.

3 Oct 2009

MacuSight's clinical development update on its proprietary ocular sirolimus product

MacuSight, a developer of innovative therapeutics for the treatment of severe ocular diseases and conditions, today provided a clinical development update for Perceiva, the company's proprietary ocular sirolimus product.

30 Sep 2009

Omega-3 fatty acids prevent and slow age-related macular degeneration

Researchers are seeing more benefits of omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3s), such as their ability to help prevent and slow age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease that is the leading cause of severe vision loss in older people.

30 Sep 2009

ThromboGenics completes enrollment for MIVI-TRUST clinical trial

ThromboGenics NV, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for eye disease, vascular disease and cancer, announces today that it has completed the enrolment of the US Phase III trial evaluating microplasmin for the non-surgical treatment of eye disease.

24 Sep 2009

Enrollment for pSivida's pilot FAVOR clinical study commences

pSivida Corp., a leading drug delivery company that has developed two of the only three products approved by the FDA for the long term, sustained release delivery of drug to treat chronic back of the eye disease, today announced that enrollment has begun for a pilot study to assess the safety and efficacy of Iluvien in patients with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion.

24 Sep 2009

Electrically stimulating nerve cells can restore some vision

Results: MIT engineers have designed a retinal implant for people who have lost their vision from retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration, two of the leading causes of blindness. The retinal prosthesis would help restore some vision by electrically stimulating the nerve cells that normally carry visual input from the retina to the brain.

24 Sep 2009

Alimera Sciences starts pilot study of Iluvien intravitreal insert

Alimera Sciences, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company that specializes in the research, development and commercialization of prescription ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, today reported that enrollment has begun for a pilot study to assess the safety and efficacy of Iluvien(R) in patients with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion.

23 Sep 2009

Update from Advanced Cell on pre-clinical activities for its RPE cell program

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (Advanced Cell, ACT) (OTC: ACTC) provided an update on pre-clinical activities in preparation of its first IND filing with the Food and Drug Administration for its retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell program for the treatment of various eye diseases.

23 Sep 2009

Austin Retina partners with MVRF to sponsor SupportSight seminar

Austin Retina Associates has joined with the Macula Vision Research Foundation (MVRF) to sponsor a SupportSight seminar in Austin on October 3rd. SupportSight is the national series of educational seminars for people affected by macular degeneration and for those who would like to learn more about this disease affecting more than 25 million people in this country.

22 Sep 2009