BDM-E is a small synthetic peptide being developed for the treatment of retinal eye diseaseLATEST NEWS - 20 August 2008 MACULAR DEGENERATION Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major health issue, and it is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the Western world. In the USA there are 200,000 new cases each year, and a prevalence of 1.6 million individuals with late stage AMD. At least 10% of individuals between the ages of 65 and 75 have lost some central vision as a result of AMD. Until recently there were few options for treating AMD. Essentially, persons with the wet form of macular degeneration now have three options: thermal (heat laser), Photodynamic Therapy, or anti-VEFG drugs 
DIABETIC RETINOPATHY Vision impairment is a frequent complication of diabetes, for both Type 1 and Type 2. Long term sufferers of diabetes are exposed to the risk of blindness as a result of diabetic retinopathy. This is a term used for the abnormalities of the small blood vessels of the retina caused by diabetes, such as weakening of blood vessel walls or leakage from blood vessels. Retinopathy progresses from non-proliferative or background retinopathy to proliferative retinopathy. Proliferative retinopathy, the more serious form, occurs when new blood vessels branch out or proliferate in and around the retina. It can cause bleeding into the fluid-filled centre of the eye or swelling of the retina, and lead to blindness. Nearly all patients who have Type 1 diabetes for 20 years or more will have evidence of diabetic retinopathy. Up to 21% of people with Type 2 diabetes have retinopathy when they are first diagnosed with diabetes, and most will eventually develop some degree of retinopathy. In the United States, diabetes is responsible for 8% of legal blindness, making it the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age. Each year, 12,000 to 24,000 people lose their sight because of diabetes. TREATMENT FOR DIABETIC RETINOPATHY Treatment for diabetic retinopathy is currently limited. Laser surgery is used to seal leaking retinal vessels. The small laser scars that result will reduce abnormal blood vessel growth and help bond the retina to the back of the eye, thus preventing retinal detachment. Intraocular steroid injection helps reduce the amount of fluid leaking into the retina, resulting in visual improvement. Due to the chronic nature of diabetic eye disease, this treatment may need to be repeated or combined with laser therapy to obtain maximal or lasting effect. FEATURES OF BDM-E BDM-E is a potential treatment for the two major causes of blindness: Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). It is a small synthetic peptide which has been shown during in vitro studies at Sydney University’s Save Sight Institute to stimulate growth of new retinal pigmented epithelial cells and inhibit growth of choroidal endothelial cells associated with unwanted neovascularisation. In vitro studies have shown that BDM-E has a tissue-specific trophic effect on cells of the retina. In vivo studies in rabbit models of toxic retinopathy have shown that BDM-E is able to reduce the degree of retinal damage. BDM-E has also been shown to have a retinoprotective effect in a spontaneous genetic model of retinitis pigmentosa in the rat. COMMERCIAL STRATEGY After years of neglect and lack of any advances for patients with diseases of the retina such as AMD and diabetic retinopathy, awareness is now building with new products entering the market. During the last 18 months two new products, Lucentis™ and Macugen™ were approved for the treatment of wet AMD. These products represent the first major advance in the treatment of retinal eye disease for many years. Macugen and Lucentis are the first of a new generation of drugs and act by inhibiting blood vessel formation in the retina (angiogenesis), which is the characteristic feature of wet AMD. Since it was approved 18 months ago, Macugen® has become an important treatment in the US for wet AMD with more than 40,000 new patients treated to date. Lucentis has just entered the market, having been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in June 2006. Preliminary conversations with key international companies in the industry suggest strong interest in BDM-E is likely .
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