Plugging away at glaucoma!
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know Blog
Did you know? Researchers are investigating a novel method to deliver medications to the eye. A study sponsored by the QLT Corporation placed medication for glaucoma in a small plug, inserted into the lower punctum of the eye. You have probably noticed these tiny openings in your eyelids which drain tears from the eyes into the nose. By placing a plug in the punctum, the drug within slowly dissipates. Some of the drug travels back upstream through the tears and into the eye. In this case, the drug, Xalatan, lowered the eye pressure for twelve weeks, and nearly as much as when given as an eyedrop. The study was not perfect (lots of patients dropped out) but it certainly tells us that this is a promising area which could lead to use for many ocular conditions.
Did you also know? Many studies have shown that up to half of patients do not take their prescribed eyedrops for glaucoma. A drug-impregnated punctal plug could be a huge benefit for these patients!
(image courtesy Diogo Melo Rocha, creative commons)
