Latest News from MD Support

Self-Monitoring Your Vision is More Important Than Ever

Those of us who have a vision threatening disease are probably more aware than most people of the need for frequent monitoring.

That means at least weekly checkups. But it just isn’t practical for us to visit the doctor every week, no matter how much we like making the trip and visiting for hours with all of those nice folks in the waiting room.

So, especially in light of the treatments now available, it is more important than ever to actively check our vision in between exams, and then contact our doctors if we notice anything unusual. But what is the best way to do that? What should we look for? What kind of testing should we be doing, and where do we get such tests?

These questions are addressed in the current month's session of the International Low Vision Support Group. In addition, we hear from Mark Roser, creator of Keep Sight Testing and Monitoring Solutions for AMD. He will review his new approach to self-monitoring and tell us about his research team's upcoming study, currently recruiting volunteers.

To access the presentation, look for "Self-Monitoring Your Vision" in the MD Support Audio/Visual Library, or go to the presentation directly right now by selecting this link.

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First study using human embryonic stem cells for macular degeneration shows they are safe and lead to some vision improvement

(AMD Alliance. January 23, 2012.) The Lancet today reports the use of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) to treat macular degeneration in human beings. It is the first report of the use of such cells in humans for any purpose.

The study involved one elderly patient and one young patient with different forms of macular degeneration that had led to severe vision loss. The transplants appeared safe after four months, and both patients had some improvement in vision. The future therapeutic goal will be to treat patients earlier in the disease process, in order to boost the prospects of improving or retaining sight in new patients.

The study is by Dr Robert Lanza, Chief Scientific Officer at Advanced Cell Technology, Marlborough, MA, USA, and Professor Steven Schwartz, Jules Stein Eye Institute Retina Division at the University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA, and their colleagues.

More . . .

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Lucentis Without the Needle

Genentech and Roche may soon be able to provide sustained delivery of Lucentis via an implantable ocular device. This would replace the current procedure of periodically injecting the drug into the eyeball. The companies have entered into an agreement with ForSight VISION4 for exclusive worldwide rights to its proprietary implantable ocular device, and an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for clinical testing will be submitted in the near future.

"This development reflects Genentechʼs commitment to ophthalmology and investigating new technologies that may potentially provide sustained delivery of Lucentis and reduce the frequency of injections,” said Hal Barron, M.D. (chief medical officer and head, Global Product Development). “The license agreement with ForSight VISION4 represents part of our ongoing strategy to support the retinal community by innovating and discovering new ways to help people with sight-threatening illnesses."

"The ForSight VISION4 technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we treat ophthalmic disease," said Eugene de Juan, Jr., M.D., (founder of ForSight VISION4, Inc.) "Genentech is an ideal partner, given their long-term clinical experience with Lucentis and pioneering work in anti-VEGF therapy."

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"The First Year: Age-Related Macular Degeneration"
An essential guide for the newly-diagnosed and anyone else affected by diseases leading to central vision loss.

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