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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 in the ruder eyes of rabbits and pigs, which are more similar to human eyes.
This latest study, also published in IOVS, demonstrates that eye drops can deliver a therapeutically effective amount of drugs to the larger mammalian eye retina.
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 "From the beginning, 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 for patients and professionals of the health 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.
"They will be transformative to patients who currently have to organize their lives around monthly clinical visits for uncomfortable intraocular injections,"
Keith Roizman, Founder, Executive Chairman and Director of technology at Macregen, said: "Macregen and future strategic partners and licensed significant investments in proof-of-concept studies in the laboratory, research and development programs, and subsequent clinical trials.
"We will also continue the regulatory programs necessary and necessary to make these eye drops accessible to patients."
Source: GNA [19659021]
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