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New
Hope In Treatment For Glaucoma: Drug Blocks Toxic Substances That Destroy
Eye's Nerve Cells (2001)
-- Researchers at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary are investigating a
drug called Memantine, which has been used in Europe for 20 years for
various neurologic disorders, to determine its effectiveness in treating
glaucoma. "In
the past, treatment for glaucoma has focused on lowering fluid pressure
within the eye using drugs, laser therapy or surgery, said Robert
Ritch, M.D., chief of the Glaucoma Service and the lead researcher at
The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary for a nationwide, multi-institutional, phase III study.
"We are looking at a new approach. It involves protecting healthy
optic nerve cells from toxic substances in the eye that are released by
near-by, dying nerve cells." How
does the drug work? When injured nerve cells die, they release toxic
substances into the local environment. These toxic substances harm
previously healthy nerve cells, which sicken and die, a process known as
secondary degeneration. "The aim of our study is to determine if
Memantine can limit and prevent damage to the retina and optic nerve by
blocking secondary degeneration," said Dr. Ritch. "Memantine
has been shown to be effective at blocking the excitotoxic response of
retinal ganglion cells both in culture and in vivo. These phase III trials
will indicate how effective it is for patients with glaucoma," he
said. The trial involves 600 patients, many of them in New York City, and
is sponsored by Allergan.
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