Prognosis
A Needle in the Eye May Soon Improve Care for Blinding Glaucoma
- Drug sales may reach $6.6 billion by 2023, Market Scope says
- Eye condition may afflict 80 million people worldwide by 2020
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Caroline Tupcienko would rather have a needle in her eye than tilt her head back for drops several times a day to prevent the blinding effects of glaucoma.
The 73-year-old received an experimental ocular implant in July, the first of its kind that dispenses a constant daily dose of medicine as it dissolves over six months. The rod-shaped device -- made by Melbourne-based PolyActiva Pty Ltd. and inserted via a fine needle through the cornea into the front of the eye -- represents the vanguard of therapies promising to improve treatment for glaucoma, the most common cause of irreversible blindness.