Drugs used to treat blindness-causing disorders could be successfully administered by eye drops rather than unpleasant and expensive eye injections
Drugs used to treat blindness-causing disorders could be successfully administered by eye drops rather than unpleasant and expensive eye injections, according to new research led by UCL scientists that could be a breakthrough for the millions worldwide suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other eye disorders.
1 in 5 people over 75 have AMD with well-known sufferers including actress Dame Judi Dench and author Stephen King. The research findings are significant due to growing patient numbers and an increasing demand for the eye injections that halt the progression of the disease.
The research, demonstrated in animal models and published today in nanotechnology journal Small, demonstrates that it is possible to create formulations of tiny nanoparticles loaded with the AMD drug Avastin and deliver significant concentrations to the back of the eye.
Lead author Professor Francesca Cordeiro (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology) said: “The development of eye drops that can be safely and effectively used in patients would be a magic bullet – a huge breakthrough in the treatment of AMD and other debilitating eye disorders.
“The current treatment of injecting drugs into the eye is uncomfortable, detested by patients and often needs repeated monthly injections in hospital for as long as 24 consecutive months. It’s impossible to exaggerate the relief patients would feel at not having to experience injections into their eyes.”
The NHS is currently overburdened with patients who need repeat eye injections and the numbers are set to rise exponentially over the next ten years. Demand is so high that injections are difficult to administer, time-consuming and very expensive. The treatment also carries a risk of infection and bleeding, increased by the frequency of recurrent injections into the eyes.
In the USA, well over one million ocular injections were given in 2010. In the UK, 30,500 injections were estimated to have been given in 2008 – a 150-fold increase in 10 years.
Effective delivery of drugs to the retina of the eye is considered one of the most challenging areas in drug development in ophthalmology, due to the presence of anatomical barriers. It was previously thought that drugs used to treat AMD such as Avastin and Lucentis have molecules that are simply too large to be effectively transported in an eye drop.
First author Dr Ben Davis (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology) added: “There is significant interest in the development of minimally invasive systems to deliver large drug molecules across biological barriers including the cornea of the eye.
“We have shown in experimental models a formulation system to get substances including Avastin across the barriers in the eye and transport them across the cells of the cornea. In theory, you could customise the technology for different drugs such as Lucentis, commonly used for AMD treatment in the UK, as it is a smaller molecule than Avastin so likely to be delivered effectively via this method.
“All the components we used are safe and well established in the field, meaning we could potentially move quite quickly to get the technology into trials in patients – but the timescales are dependent on funding.”
The Latest on: Age-related macular degeneration
[google_news title=”” keyword=”age-related macular degeneration” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Age-related macular degeneration
- Luxa Biotechnology Awarded $4 Million CIRM Grant to Support Clinical Trial of Adult RPESC-RPE-4W Therapy for Dry Age-related Macular Degenerationon May 1, 2024 at 4:00 am
Luxa Biotechnology (LuxaBio), a joint venture between Y2 Solution Co. Ltd, Seoul, South Korea and the Neural Stem Cell Institute (NSCI) in Rensselaer, New York, today announced receipt of a $4 million ...
- Lighthouse Guild Receives Grant from American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF)on April 30, 2024 at 3:30 am
This number is expected to double by 2050, particularly due to age-related vision diseases like macular degeneration. While numerous assistive technology devices are now available, many people with ...
- Global Age-Related Vision Dysfunction Industryon April 29, 2024 at 5:33 am
Global Age-Related Vision Dysfunction Industry size raise at a CAGR of 3.7% & surpass US$ 130 Billion by 2033 | FMI Report Reveals ...
- Age related macular degeneration: What to ask your doctoron April 28, 2024 at 5:00 pm
We've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your ...
- Local group helps macular degeneration patients cope with vision losson April 26, 2024 at 3:07 am
To provide opportunity for encouragement, Phoenix-based Associated Retina Consultants, in coordination with the International Low Vision Support Group, has established a Macular Degeneration Support ...
- High dose aflibercept may be promising for treatment of age-related macular degenerationon April 24, 2024 at 2:55 pm
Aflibercept 8 mg was non-inferior to 2 mg for best-corrected visual acuity at 48 weeks. 2. Ocular adverse events were comparable across treatment groups. Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent) Study ...
- Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degenerationon April 17, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Choroidal neovascularization is the primary cause of visual loss in patients with age-related macular degeneration. Current treatments, proven to offer a benefit for these patients through ...
- Wet vs. Dry Macular Degeneration: What Is the Difference?on April 14, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Both types of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can cause blurriness and visual changes. Dry AMD progresses slowly and causes permanent damage, while wet AMD is more severe but more treatable.
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Nephropathy: Is there a Connection?on April 9, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Opens in a new tab or window Share on LinkedIn. Opens in a new tab or window Diabetic nephropathy and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) both lead to serious complications; diabetic ...
- Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degenerationon April 5, 2024 at 5:00 pm
A randomized clinical trial, part of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and led by the National Eye Institute, was conducted in order to try to evaluate the effect of antioxidants and zinc ...
via Bing News