In Trial, Drug Aids Vision of Elderly

NY Times ^ | May 24, 2005 | ANDREW POLLACK

[neverdem]

A drug developed by Genentech significantly improved the eyesight of people with a condition that is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, the company said yesterday.

The results represent the first time that a drug for the disease - age-related macular degeneration - has been able to improve vision, not just preserve it, in a large clinical trial. It thus represents a potentially big advance.

"If this pans out, it would be a significant advantage," said Dr. Julia A. Haller, a professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University who was involved in the trial and has occasionally consulted for Genentech. "People want to be able to read and drive; they don't want to just hold on to moderate vision loss."

There are two drugs already approved to treat macular degeneration, Visudyne, from QLT and Novartis; and Macugen, from Eyetech Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer. Both drugs slow the deterioration of eyesight but do not generally improve it.

Shares of Eyetech fell 30 percent after hours, after Genentech's announcement at the close of regular trading. Shares of Genentech rose to $79.02 in after-hours trading after closing the regular session at $76.60, up 70 cents.

The results continue a hot streak for Genentech, which has...

[Fam4Bush]

I know as parents we definitely are reading the same chapter; I totally expect to be on a different page. You'll catch up to mine soon enuff...

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Good Christians didn't for the longest time. (Those pagan Romans bathed, and they were eeeeevil).

In that case, I guess it's amazing that Christians reproduced at all...

[eleni121]

Null and void is throwing everything but the kitchen sink into his painfully ignorant and logically upside down arguments for fetal cell exploitation by the researchers from hell.

He's a red herring hoot.

[null and void]

Name one red herring I've dragged across your trail.