Possible Future Therapies

VEGF Trap-Eye received unanimous recommendation from an FDA drugs advisory committee for approval. The drug, now called EYLEA, is due for final FDA decision on August 20, 2011.

The advantage of this fusion protein (aflibercept) is that it will be administered every two months, after the initial three monthly doses. The present VEGF blocking drugs usually require ongoing monthly injections. A generally favorable safety profile was observed in the two Phase 3 trials of the drug.

 

Dr. Balamurali Ambati, a Utah eye doctor, has invented a device to store and deliver medication to AMD patients, replacing the need for monthly injections. The implant, called iVeena, is a clear horseshoe-shaped ring that can be implanted in the area behind the eye’s lens during cataract surgery. It holds six to eight months of medication and can be refilled with new medicine through a needle and small valve, sparing the patient from ever having a direct injection. Although preclinical research is almost finished, it will take about five years for the device to be on the market.

In an experimental study at Schepens Eye Research Institute, red mice were used to convert skin cells into retinal neurons and thus restore visual function. They found a significant increase in electrical activity in the newly reconstructed retinal tissue, signifying that connections were being made between the new photoreceptor cells  and the rest of the retina.   Michael J.