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Scientists develop eye drops to cure age-related blindness

Scientists Have Developed New Eye Drops To Treat An Age-related Eye Disorder, Spelling The End For Painful Injections Used To Combat One Of The Leading Causes Of Blindness.

News Nation Bureau | Edited By : Himani Garg | Updated on: 16 May 2017, 06:33:07 PM
Scientists develop eye drops to cure age-related blindness

New Delhi:

Scientists at Britain’s University of Birmingham have created a new kind of eye drop to treat an age-related eye disorder, that will replace painful injections used to combat one of the leading causes of blindness.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a common eye disorder that can result in the loss of one's central vision.

In the UK, AMD is currently treated by repeated injections into the eye on a monthly basis over at least three years.

Not only this an unpleasant procedure for patients to undergo but the injections can cause tearing and infections inside the eye and an increased risk of blindness.

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The drop uses a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) to deliver the drug to the relevant part of the eye within minutes.

Felicity de Cogan, who led the study said, "The CPP-drug has the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment of AMD by revolutionising drug- delivery options".

"Efficacious self-administered drug application by eye drop would lead to a significant reduction in adverse outcomes and health care costs compared with current treatments", said de Cogan.

"The CPP-plus drug complex also has potential application to other chronic ocular diseases that require drug delivery to the posterior chamber of the eye", she said.

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The study published in the journal Investigative Opthamology and Visual Science.

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First Published : 16 May 2017, 06:23:00 PM

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