Researchers in England have found new treatment for an inherited disease of the retina, called Leber’s congenital amaurosis. The gene injection has successfully improved sight in three patients suffering with the condition. This gives a hope for thousands of other such blind people. The condition in which faulty genes stop cells in the retina from functioning properly had no cure until now. Medical experts have further expressed the hope of use of this technique in treating a variety of other retina diseases that have been inherited.

Irvine of Allergan, Inc. will be giving $6.25 million to Asterand, an eye research company under an exclusive license agreement for selective compounds. These compounds arise from Asterand’s R99 development programme and are effective in reducing intra-ocular pressure. Allergan is planning to launch these compounds in market, once through with clinical development. Along with this amount, Asterand will be receiving other benefits such as payments for sales milestone, leading to a total of $56 million, excluding royalties.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Bausch & Lomb to commercially launch the Akreos™ Advanced Optics Aspheric Lens  (model AO60) (model AO60) in the market of United States. A foldable acrylic IOL, the lens is implanted with Bausch & Lomb’s single-use AI-28 inserter. This enables single-handed insertion through an un-enlarged standard phaco incision. The lens delivers quality vision, and enhanced contrast sensitivity. Its unique properties make Akreos lens a pathway to micro-incision cataract surgery. This will enable novel lens technologies that can be inserted through smaller incisions.

Healionics Corporation has entered into a multi-year agreement in manufacturing, supply and distribution with TR BioSurgical, for use of its flagship STAR™ biomaterial scaffold in TRBIO’s TR-ClarifEYE, an implant used for treating glaucoma in animals. This implant will be out in market on a limited basis in early 2009. It relieves the elevated ocular pressure by trying to restore outflow of intraocular fluid from the anterior chamber of the eye to the surrounding vascular network. Healionics’ proprietary STAR (Sphere Templated Angiogenic Regeneration) supports the healing of implanted medical devices.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has tracked a new treatment in the form of a capsule that promises to benefit patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa. In both these vision disorders, retina’s light-sensitive cells that relay signals to the brain begin to degenerate over time. Ultimately, it results in vision loss. The suggested product is an innovation from a Lincoln, RI, biotech company Neurotech. The capsule consists of genetically engineered cells which produce a protein that helps in protects the light-sensitive cells in the retina.

Researchers from Emory University in Atlanta have developed a new treatment for corneal disease called Keratoconus. This special procedure stabilizes the cornea, while reversing some of the other permanent changes in the integrity and curvature. The treatment called Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking includes few steps. Firstly, patients are given a topical anesthetic to avoid discomfort during the treatment. Removal of a thin layer of cells from the top of the cornea follows. Then, riboflavin drops are placed into the eye. This saturates the cornea for half an hour. After that, the eye is exposed to Ultra Violet A light for 30 more minutes. The UVA light interacts with the riboflavin to form chemical bonds between the collagen molecules in the cornea, stiffening it and helping it to retain a rounder shape. A soft contact lens is placed in the eye to protect the cornea. It is removed after three to five days. As the cornea heals and stiffens, the curvature gradually improves

In a study designed to compare the effects of contact lens wear versus spectacle wear on children on their sight, the use of soft contact lenses does not, clinically, accelerate myopic progression in children. These results, combined with earlier data on the safety of soft contact lenses in children, make a strong case that children can safely wear soft contact lenses. The author of the study that was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Dr. Jeffrey J. Walline presented results at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting. After using contact lenses for 3 years, the contact lens wearers weren’t more nearsighted than the spectacle wearers.