Scientists Are Preparing to Develop a Revolutionary Treatment for Eye Drops | Health

Scientists at the University of Birmingham are a little closer to developing eye drops that could revolutionize the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world. Its prevalence is increasing dramatically as the population ages and it is estimated that by 2020 there will be about 200 million people worldwide with this disease.

In his press release, copied to the Ghana News Agency, there are more than 500,000 people with late AMD

. According to AMD, ocular drug injections are currently being administered by health professionals

. The Institute of Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham has invented a method of delivering these drugs otherwise injected in the form of ophthalmic drops.

Laboratory research, published last year in Ophthalmology Investigative & Visual Science (IOVS), showed a therapeutic effect similar to that of the drug injected in the rat.

Birmingham researchers have now pushed their research further by studying the effect of eye drops This latest study, also published in IOVS, shows that ophthalmic drops can deliver a therapeutically effective amount of drugs into the retina of the biggest mammal eye.

The technology behind the ophthalmic drops is a peptide penetrating the cells that can deliver the drug to the retina (the back of the eye).

Scientists' pending patents for ophthalmic drops are now owned by Macregen Inc. and a team of Birmingham researchers are working with the company to develop a new range of therapies for both AMD and AMD. other eye diseases.

The combined team is now accelerating proof-of-concept studies to confirm the validity of the therapy.

Clinical trials will be imminent once these studies are completed, and could begin in the spring of 2019.

Dr. de Cogan said, "For several years, our team has focused on the challenge of delivering drugs to the population. back of the e "From the outset, we understood that the administration of drugs by eye drops would allow patients to administer their treatment themselves, which would be less expensive, would save time to patients and health care professionals and reduce potential complications. "We have now shown that eye drops work in the eye of mammals, and we appreciate Macregen's commercial investments and expertise, so that we can carry out a structured research and development program that should bring concrete benefits. "

Professor Robert Scott, ophthalmologist consultant and honorary professor of ophthalmology at the University of Birmingham, said:" The peptides entering the cells will drive the next generation of treatment for people with AMD. "

will be transformative for patients who currently have to organize their lives around monthly clinical visits for uncomfortable intraocular injections, which in the Keith Roizman, founder, executive chair and chief technology officer of Macregen, said: "Macregen and future strategic and licensed partners of the the company should make significant investments in the laboratory. proof-of-concept studies, subsequent research and development programs, and clinical trials.

"We will also continue the regulatory programs necessary and required to make these eye drops available to patients."