A New 10-Year Vision For Glaucoma

Main Category: Eye Health / Blindness
Article Date: 01 Oct 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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World experts map new directions for future research and management of the world's second leading cause of blindness

A 10-year outlook for innovative and forward-looking glaucoma management, and the future of research into the condition: key topics put under the spotlight in a new supplement to International Glaucoma Review (IGR).

About the Supplement:

• Published this week (30 September), expert findings from a global summit of over 50 leading glaucoma specialists brought together by Pfizer Ophthalmics, a recognized leader in advancing the science of glaucoma.
  
  
• This is the second meeting of its kind, sponsored by Pfizer Ophthalmics, to discuss key needs and opportunities in advancing therapies for patients.

Expert Point of View:

"There is a need to advance the science of glaucoma beyond the traditional approach of utilizing intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering therapies, by establishing new, definitive surrogate markers for progression and addressing the potential benefits of novel approaches, while identifying next steps for achieving more targeted drug delivery in glaucoma treatment," said Dr. Robert N. Weinreb, President of the American Glaucoma Society, Past President of the World Glaucoma Association and Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Diego, USA, who co-chaired the summit and served as Editor for the new supplement. "The summit allowed the world's most forward-thinking glaucoma minds an opportunity to discuss crucial issues for glaucoma management."

Key Highlights:

Topics discussed at the summit included:

• The potential of innovative future drug delivery systems to improve both convenience and adherence to therapy, an ongoing problem in glaucoma management.
  
  
• Establishing new surrogates for disease progression and novel glaucoma endpoints beyond functional vision loss; fundamentally important considerations in advancing the science in the interests of patients.
  
  
• How the development of new imaging and biological biomarkers in glaucoma may benefit patients by leading to more efficacious and individualized therapies.

The summit challenged participants to identify, explore and analyze the potential of emerging technologies for the treatment of glaucoma.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Background:

The Global Glaucoma Summit Meeting took place in Los Angeles, CA, in January 2008.

Source: Con Franklin
Resolute Communications