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A gene therapy for a rare inherited eye disorder which can improve vision could soon be available on the NHS.
Today the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec) for use in the NHS in England, making it the first available treatment for an inherited retinal dystrophy.
People with a mutation of the RPE65 gene will be suitable for the new treatment.
In the gene therapy, a healthy copy of the gene is injected directly into the eye so a working protein can be produced. Patients have to have some functioning retinal cells for it to work. The gene should provide the instructions to make a protein that is key to normal vision.
Research has shown that, in the short term that the drug improves vision and prevents the condition from getting worse.
This treatment is only for the treatment of Leber congenital amaurosis type 2 (LCA2) and severe early-onset Retinitis Pigmentosa caused by mutations in a specific gene called RPE65.
For more information click here
Barbara Watson has just completed a further qualification by Moorfields/UCL London – the Professional Higher Certificate in Glaucoma, which she will be able to put into practice in her hospital work, in her Domiciliary and Practice based work
Police to test drivers’ eyesight and confiscate licences if they fail
Police have launched a crackdown on drivers with poor vision to address road safety concerns.
In September, police officers can pull over motorists and test to see if they can read a number plate from 20 metres away. Drivers who fail to show that they can pass the test will have their driving licenses immediately rescinded.
Make sure you are getting regular sight test from your optician, especially if your prescription changes.
Are you having problems putting in your eyedrops?
AutoDrop® and AutoSqueezeTM have been designed to help you, by preventing you from missing the eye with the drop, it also helps prevent last minute blinking and if you have difficulty squeezing the bottle the AutoSqueeze on its own or used with the Autodrop can make a difference.
Simple and easy to use with most eye drops
French landscape astrophotographer Laurent Laveder shows how some simple props and a bit of imagination can turn the moon into anything you like.
A diet rich in green, leafy veg is recommended to prevent Age Related Macular Degeneration but if you are taking anticoagulant medication such as warfarin, check with your doctor about the intake of green, leafy vegetables and eat them in small to moderate amounts at regular intervals rather than irregularly in large amounts.
National Glaucoma Awareness Week is 6th – 12th June 2016
The focus of this week is to encourage close relatives of someone with glaucoma to have regular eye examinations. The International Glaucoma Association have discovered that relatives are not aware of the increased risk of glaucoma. If the relatives are over 40 years of age then they will get a free eye examination under the NHS if their father, mother or children have glaucoma. Everyone over 60 years will receive a free NHS eye examination
