LinkOPH

A blood or urine sample may be analyzed to identify genetic mutations associated with retinitis pigmentosa.Retinitis pigmentosa patients were found to have mutations in the dehydrodolichol diphosphate synthase (DHDDS) gene, a key enzyme in the production of dolichols, a type of lipid in cells of the body, according to a news release from Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.“The biomarkers we discovered are a functional readout of dolichol metabolism. We can now assess whether dolichol biosynthesis is impaired by a simple biochemical test of a blood or urine sample,” Byron L. Lam, (Read more...)

Oxford BioMedica has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and ANSM, the French regulatory agency, to resume recruitment for three studies using existing clinical trial material, according to a press release.In June, Oxford BioMedica voluntarily stopped recruitment for the phase 1 RetinoStat, phase 1/2a StarGen and phase 1/2a UshStat phase studies as a precautionary measure while it investigated the detection of low concentrations of a potential impurity in its clinical trial material derived from a third-party raw material, the release said.

Read more →

Mimetogen Pharmaceuticals has begun enrolling patients in a pivotal phase 3 clinical study of an ophthalmic solution for the treatment of dry eye syndrome, according to a press release.MIM-D3 ophthalmic solution is the first in a class of molecules called TrkA agonists, the release said. It stimulates the production of mucin, which plays a role in the protection and health of the ocular surface, and it may have further benefits, such as improving neural function, which may improve corneal sensitivity and integrity.

Read more →