Eye Implants to Fight Progressive Blindness

September 15, 2008

A novel medical device could treat eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fast-tracked a novel treatment for two eye diseases: age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. The treatment, developed by the Lincoln, RI, biotech company Neurotech, is a capsule that’s surgically implanted in the eye. Inside the capsule are genetically engineered cells that produce a protein that may prevent light-sensitive cells in the retina from dying–thereby protecting vision. The device is currently in phase II clinical trials.  (Technology Review)