June through September turned out to be busier than anticipated. A number of new technologies emerged that I decided to write about. Included in these were a new sustained release drug delivery system, Iluvien; the use of lasers to treat…
Author: Irv Arons
Avastin/Lucentis Update 42: One-Year Results of Controlled Comparison Study Published
Last October, I came across the six-month results of one of the first blinded, double-masked comparison studies run between Avastin and Lucentis, sort of a mini-CATT Study. This study was done by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine …
INDEX/SEARCH
INDEX/SEARCHFor your convenience, and because only the last ten posts are shown on the opening page, here is a means for finding all of my posts in an easy-to-use fashion.Use the Blog Search box in the upper left-hand corner of the header above, enter …
Using Lasers to Treat Vitreous Floaters: Laser Vitreolysis in the UK and Europe
In July, I decided to write about the use of lasers to treat eye floaters. I found three doctors in the United States specializing in this technique. After obtaining information about their practices, I wrote about their experiences in treating floater…
Apeliotus Vision Science’s AdaptDx Device for Early Detection of Dry AMD – A First Report
I follow The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) on Twitter, and late last month I noticed a message looking for candidates to participate in a trial using the Apeliotus AdaptDx to detect the early stages of AMD. This was the first I had h…
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) Technology for Treating Open-Angle Glaucoma to be Featured on the Discovery Channel
I received the following press release from Lumenis, that it’s SLT technology was going to be featured on the Discovery Channel’s Health Heroes program during the September 24-27, 2010 period. It got me thinking about how I have always been a belie…
A Primer on the Use of Stem Cells in Ophthalmology
I recently came across an interesting news release from International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) announcing that it had formed a new business unit, Cytovis, to focus on stem cell programs in ophthalmology, including CytoCor for the cornea and CytoRet…
Stem Cells in Ophthalmology — An Update: AstraZeneca Joins the Fray
As reported by The Guardian (UK), AstraZeneca and University College London (UCL) have announced a research partnership, to develop medicines that use stem cells to repair damaged eyesight in people with diabetes.Under the three-year partnership, funde…
Femtosecond Laser Cataract Removal: The Second Revolution? And, What is Laser Photolysis?
I read the following writeup on the use of femtosecond lasers for cataract removal and thought it was especially well written. It also piqued my curiosity about some of the “new” applications suggested for femtosecond lasers, including the use of
Using Lasers to Treat Vitreous Floaters: Laser Vitreolysis – Part 2
Dr. Scott Geller was the first ophthalmologist in the United States to use a laser to treat eye floaters. He was trained by Dr. Franz Fankenhauser of Switzerland, probably the first ophthalmologist to use his YAG laser in doing work in the vitreous.Whe…
Using Lasers to Treat Vitreous Floaters: Laser Vitreolysis
About twenty years ago, in the early 1990s, while in southern Florida to give a presentation, I came across an ad in the local newspaper about a clinic in Ft. Myers, FL that was using a laser to treat floaters. I called the doctor, Scott Geller, MD, an…
Iluvien and the Future of Ophthalmic Drug Delivery Systems
I was recently sent a news release from Alimera Sciences, who have filed an NDA requesting priority review for its Iluvien sustained release drug delivery system for treating diabetic macula edema, which if granted could result in an action letter gran…
A New Laser-based Diagnostic to Detect Malignant Breast Cancer Tumors
It has been some time since I last addressed a medical laser application not connected with ophthalmology on this site. As many of you who visit this Journal regularly know, the vast majority of my consulting time was spent in ophthalmology, including …
Avastin/Lucentis Update 41: The Story Behind the Invention of Avastin and Lucentis
Several months ago, I received a request from a university student writing a paper about Lucentis and Avastin. She asked about the references I had used in my first writeup on the two drugs. I sent her a copy of the reference and she used several quote…
Ellex 2RT Updated Clinical Results: ARVO 2010
Following up on my April 19th writeup (ELLEX 2RT Retinal Regeneration Laser: An Update – First Clinical Results), a report on the first clinical results from the trials being undertaken in London, here are the first results of some key pilot studies …
Avastin/Lucentis Update 40: Lucentis is Approved for Treating Macular Edema in Retinal Vein Occlusion
According to an announcement from Genentech, Lucentis has been approved by the FDA for treating macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO)Here is Genentech’s news release:FDA Approves Genentech’s Lucentis (Ranibizumab Injection) for the Tr…
Menu – Part 16: Updates for April to June 2010
Since the last menu posting in late March, I have added three updates on Avastin vs. Lucentis; five updates on AMD topics; one CATT update; and two new postings. One new posting is an update on the Ellex 2RT treatment, including the first clinical resu…
Avastin/Lucentis Update 39: And the Controversy Continues
This article was published in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal. It again illustrates how Medicare operates with one hand tied behind its back.Medicare Eye Study Finds Untapped SavingsWSJ, June 17, 2010By Alicia MundyMedicare could save more than $500 …
CATT Study Update 11: More on the Story Behind the Story of the CATT Study
As we await publication of the first results of the CATT Study, probably sometime early next year, I found another interesting account of the “story behind the story” of how the CATT Study became a reality. Just published by the Health Care Reform …
AMD Update 12: Artificial Retina Created From Human Embryonic Stem Cells
As reported by Medical News Today, UC Irvine scientists have created an eight-layer, early stage retina from human embryonic stem cells, the first three-dimensional tissue structure to be made from stem cells. It also marks the first step toward the de…