Source: National Institute for Health Research – Service, Delivery and Organisation programme
Area: News
The first year results from an NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme funded trial, IVAN (inhibit VEGF in age related choroidal neovasc…
Author: NeLM - Ophthalmology
CADTH systematic review on intravitreal bevacizumab for diabetic macular oedema
Source: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)
Area: News
The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) has published the results of a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of intravitreal be…
Iluvien® approved by the MHRA for chronic diabetic macular oedema
Source: BioSpace
Area: News
According to BioSpace, the MHRA has approved Iluvien® (intravitreal insert releasing fluocinolone acetonide for up to 36 months) for the treatment of vision impairment associated with chronic diabetic macular oedema consi…
Large study of male physicians suggests vitamin C and E supplementation unlikely to have a significant effect on early AMD
Source: Ophthalmology
Area: News
According to research published early online in, supplementation with high-dose vitamin E and vitamin C, alone or in combination, is unlikely to have a beneficial effect on the incidence of early AMD.
The …
Review: Age-related macular degeneration
Source: Lancet
Area: News
This review article looks at the epidemiology, genetics and pathogenesis, clinical features and classification, prevention and treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of blindness worldwide. T…
Review: Myopia
Source: Lancet
Area: News
This review article looks at the biological basis, epidemiology, causes, environmental and genetic risk factors, and ocular morbidity of myopia, and interventions (including pharmacological) to control the disease. The …
Two year data for CATT study reinforce safety concerns for intravitreal bevacizumab
Source: BioSpace , PharmaTimes, Ophthalmology
Area: News
The full two year data from the Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials (CATT) which compared bevacizumab (AvastinT) and ranibizumab (LucentisT) intravitreal injections…
Implications of "not me" drugs for health systems: lessons from bevacizumab/ranibizumab
Source: BMJ
Area: News
The BMJ has featured an analysis of the controversy surrounding the use of new drugs for age related macular degeneration, using intravitreal bevacizumab as an example of a “not me” drug. This example, probably the first of its …
Horizon scanning: Iluvien® (fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant) approved in Austria for chronic diabetic macular oedema
Source: Globe Newswire (via BioSpace)
Area: News
The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety has approved Iluvien® (fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant) for the treatment of vision impairment associated with chronic diabetic macular oedema…
NHS faces legal challenge from Novartis over use of intravitreal bevacizumab (AvastinT) for wet AMD
Source: BBC Health
Area: News
The BBC has reported that Novartis is challenging the NHS on the use of intravitreal bevacizumab (AvastinT) instead of the NICE-recommended ranibizumab (LucentisT) for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneratio…
Ocular adverse effects of systemic treatment with isotretinoin: retrospective cohort study
Source: Arch Dermatol
Area: News
Ocular adverse effects (AEs) have been reported with the use of isotretinoin, resulting mostly from changes to the eyelids and the surface of the cornea or lacrimal abnormality that leads to dry eye. There have been re…
Physico-chemical stability of high-concentration ready-to-use ophthalmic solutions: literature review
Source: Annales Pharmaceutiques Francaises
Area: Evidence > Medicines Management > References
Introduction: Ophtalmic infections and inflammations are often encountered during hospitalisation. They require the preparation of ‘fortified’ …
Horizon scanning: Randomised, sham-controlled study of aflibercept (VEGF Trap Eye) for macular oedema in CRVO
Source: Ophthalmology
Area: News
Six-month results from the COPERNICUS study evaluating intravitreal aflibercept ophthalmic solution (VEGF Trap-Eye) in the treatment of macular oedema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) have now been fu…
Intravitreal bevacizumab or laser therapy (BOLT) in the management of diabetic macular oedema: 24-month RCT data
Source: Archives of Ophthalmology
Area: News
The 2-year outcomes of the BOLT study, a prospective RCT evaluating intravitreal bevacizumab* and modified Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) macular laser therapy (MLT) in patients with per…
Inflammatory ocular adverse events with use of oral bisphosphonates: retrospective cohort study
Source: CMAJ
Area: News
Following reports of inflammatory ocular adverse events, mainly uveitis and scleritis, among patients on oral bisphosphonates, this retrospective cohort study examined the risk of these adverse events in residents of British C…
Case-control study suggests fluoroquinolones may be associated with a small absolute increase in risk of retinal detachment
Source: JAMA
Area: News
According to research published in JAMA, use of oral fluoroquinolones may increase the risk of developing a retinal detachment; the absolute risk increase (if any) however appears to be small.
The authors note that f…
Two phase III studies evaluate the use of combination verteporfin photodynamic therapy with ranibizumab for subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation secondary to AMD
Source: Ophthalmology
Area: News
According to the results of two phase III studies published in Ophthalmology, the addition of verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT) to ranibizumab injections is no better than ranibizumab alone for treating subfoveal…
Use of carboplatin for children with retinoblastoma associated with ototoxicity
Source: JCO
Area: News
The Journal of Clinical Oncology has featured a study suggesting that younger patients who were treated with systemic carboplatin for retinoblatoma had a high incidence of ototoxicity.
Carboplatin-induced ototoxicity …
Review: Diabetic Retinopathy
Source: N Engl J Med
Area: News
In this review, the authors highlight the principles underlying metabolic control and anti-VEGF therapies in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. They also discuss the molecular interactions of neuronal, glial, and va…
Is memantine effective in the treatment of nystagmus?
Source: Regional Drug and Therapeutics Centre
Area: Evidence > Medicines Q & A
Nystagmus is a disorder of the eyes in which fast, uncontrollable movements of the eyeball occur. Usually, vision is not affected, and the patient may not be aware of t…