UCLA Expert for Macular Degeneration Coverage

Main Category: Eye Health / Blindness
Article Date: 02 Feb 2005 - 21:00 PDT


Dr Christine Gonzales: An assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA, Dr Gonzales is an expert on age-related macular degeneration.

She was also the lead researcher in the clinical trials for Macugen, developed by Eyetech Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer Inc. for the treatment of AMD-the leading cause of vision loss in older patients in the developed world.

The U.S Food and Drug Administration approved Macugen on Dec. 17. Dr. Gonzales is available to speak with the media about macular degeneration, including causes and treatment options. She can also speak about Macugen, which targets vascular endothelial growth factor, a protein that triggers the abnormal blood vessel growth and leakage characteristic of the condition. Educated at UCLA and the University of California, San Francisco, where she earned her M.D., Dr. Gonzales is an expert in the treatment of macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, which can also be treated with the new drug. She has lectured throughout the world on macular degeneration and related topics. She has also published papers in the field's top journals, including Ophthalmic Epidemiology, the American Journal of Ophthalmology, and Ophthalmology.

924 Westwood Blvd., Ste. 350
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Phone 310-794-0777
Fax 310-794-2259
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

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