JUL 05, 2019
By Anni Griswold, Kanaga Rajan and Keng Jin Lee
Comprehensive Ophthalmology, Cornea/External Disease, Retina/Vitreous
A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.
A second bevacizumab biosimilar won FDA approval last week, according to Pfizer. Zirabev was OK'd for 5 types of cancer, including colorectal and lung cancer. Those hoping to procure the drug should exercise patience, however, considering the first bevacizumab biosimilar Mvasi (Amgen) has yet to hit U.S. markets despite being approved in 2017. Reuters
When a 43-year-old man presented with an ulcer in the left bulbar conjunctiva, doctors suspected autoimmune disease or a viral infection … conjunctival neoplasm, maybe. But further probing revealed an eyelash entrapped in the superior punctum and directed toward the globe (pictured above). Doctors removed the eyelash and prescribed erythromycin. The patient healed within 10 days. Ophthalmology
Oxurion’s potent plasma kallikrein inhibitor is a promising therapy for diabetic macular edema, phase 1 findings suggest. The novel drug, THR-149, targets the VEGF-independent plasma kallikrein pathway implicated in the condition. A single intravitreal injection of THR-149 triggered rapid, safe and sustained effects, improving BCVA by 6.5 letters in 90 days. Oxurion
A low-cost retinal scanner could help prevent blindness worldwide, Duke researchers say. The team constructed a scanner that is 15 times lighter—and one-tenth less expensive—than current systems. A clinical study published in Translational Vision Science and Technology describes how the scanner produced 120 retinal images that were 95% as sharp as images produced by commercial systems. Duke University