Eye Health News and Research

Latest Eye Health News and Research

Lundbeck to launch Sabril in the US following FDA's NDA approval

Lundbeck Inc. (“Lundbeck”), a wholly owned subsidiary of H. Lundbeck A/S in Denmark (Copenhagen: LUN), announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted two New Drug Application (NDA) approvals for Sabril® (vigabatrin) Tablets and Oral Solution. Lundbeck plans to launch Sabril in the United States in the third quarter.

24 Aug 2009

As Democrats eye going it alone, some recommit to bipartisan reform

While some Democrats maintain that bipartisan health care reform work still has potential, others seem to be hedging their bets. The Christian Science Monitor reports that "In all likelihood, (White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and press secretary Robert Gibbs) are engaging in creative ambiguity, designed to send signals to multiple audiences - friend and foe - and keep options open as long as possible."

20 Aug 2009

Aton Pharma markets preservative-free drugs for glaucoma

Aton Pharma, Inc., a diversified specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced it has launched new education, distribution, sampling and reimbursement programs for TIMOPTIC(R) in OCUDOSE(R), the only preservative-free medication for glaucoma available in the United States. Aton acquired the U.S. marketing rights in February to the TIMOPTIC product line from Merck & Co., Inc. TIMOPTIC (timolol maleate) is a non-selective beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent indicated for the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma. As many as 2.25 million Americans suffer from open-angle glaucoma.

20 Aug 2009

Researchers find connection between eye disease and arginase

Elevated levels of the enzyme arginase contribute to vascular eye damage and Medical College of Georgia researchers say therapies to normalize its levels could halt progression of potentially blinding diseases such as diabetic retinopathy.

19 Aug 2009

New "micropatterning" method useful in gene expression studies

Like oil and water, two water-based liquids can mingle without mixing in a new University of Michigan technology developed for biological experiments.

19 Aug 2009

TBI's new Ocular Services Division to replace its Tissue Distribution and Information Center

TBI/Tissue Banks International, Inc. today announced it has developed an Ocular Services Division to replace the Tissue Distribution and Information Center at the organization.

19 Aug 2009

Neurofeedback 'brain training' helps surgeons improve skills

A team of researchers have found that trainee eye surgeons can significantly improve their surgical skills by regulating their own brainwave activity, using a process called neurofeedback.

18 Aug 2009

Medicine lessons from the Arabic world

You've heard of Louis Pasteur and George Washington Carver, no doubt. And probably Joseph Priestley, one of the founders of modern chemistry. Names like Antoine Lavoisier, John Dalton, and Amadeo Avogadro may even bring a twinkle of recognition to the eye for their famous roles in establishing chemistry as a modern science.

17 Aug 2009

Discovery of first gene involved in regulating the optimal length of human sleep

Scientists have discovered the first gene involved in regulating the optimal length of human sleep, offering a window into a key aspect of slumber, an enigmatic phenomenon that is critical to human physical and mental health.

13 Aug 2009

Clinton announces U.S.-Nigeria Commission

At a town hall meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, on Wednesday, the fifth stop of her seven-nation African tour, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Nigeria to fix its "flawed electoral system," and "pledg[ed] U.S. assistance in efforts to bring peace to the volatile and oil-rich Delta region," the Wall Street Journal reports.

13 Aug 2009

Sleep patterns can identify adolescents at greatest risk for depression

Sleep patterns can help predict which adolescents might be at greatest risk for developing depression, a researcher at UT Southwestern Medical Center has found in a five-year study.

13 Aug 2009

Remarkable vision improvements after gene therapy for inherited blindness

One year after a trio of young adults received gene therapy for an inherited form of blindness, researchers have documented that the patients are still experiencing the same level of remarkable vision improvements previously measured within weeks.

13 Aug 2009

Building a comprehensive child vision care system

Even though universal comprehensive eye exams for children prior to starting school would result in more children being diagnosed and successfully treated for vision problems and eye diseases, requirements vary widely from state to state and only three states require eye examinations for school-age children, according to a new report from the National Commission on Vision and Health.

13 Aug 2009

Same-sex mating found in most common human fungal pathogen Candida albicans

Brown University researchers have discovered that Candida albicans, a human fungal pathogen that causes thrush and other diseases, pursues same-sex mating in addition to conventional opposite-sex mating.

12 Aug 2009

$3.2M grant to explore how chemicals affect human health

Most people would agree that arsenic, lead, mercury, benzene and carbon monoxide pose dangers to humans. Not many, though, realize that the average person is exposed to about 10,000 different chemicals per day.

12 Aug 2009

Many senior drivers unaware of potential impact on driving performance associated with taking medications

The findings, released today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, indicate that 95 percent of those age 55 and older have one or more medical conditions, 78 percent take one or more medications, and only 28 percent have an awareness of the risks those medications might have on driving ability.

12 Aug 2009

Scientists discover how new drug kills roundworms

A PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases study found how a new drug developed by scientists in China effectively kills roundworms – "a parasite that lurks in the intestines and which affects nearly two billion people in tropical countries," Reuters reports. "Roundworms are particularly harmful to children and pregnant women," Reuters writes.

12 Aug 2009

An analysis of key provisions in health care legislation released to-date

The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) today released a side-by-side comparison of chronic care provisions contained within health reform legislation passed out of committee.

11 Aug 2009

Akorn reports Q2 2009 financials

Akorn, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKRX) a specialty pharmaceutical company, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2009.

11 Aug 2009

Gene Signal publishes phase I data on GS-101 for diseases of the eye

Gene Signal, a company focused on developing innovative drugs to manage angiogenesis based conditions, has announced publication of data from a phase I study demonstrating that the antisense oligonucleotide GS-101 (eye drops) is safe, with no signs of intolerability following administration to healthy volunteers.

11 Aug 2009