New drug for DMO and wet AMD trialled in US

A new drug, which could treat both diabetic macular oedema (DMO) and wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is in clinical trials in America. 

The early-stage study, of the drug known as 'SF0166', will primarily monitor how well the patient groups tolerate the drug. 

It is being trialled on a group of 40 patients with DMO and a further group of patients with AMD. 

A key feature of the new pharmaceutical, which was developed by pharmaceutical company SciFluor Life Sciences, is that it is able to reach the retina in high concentrations when used topically – in contrast to current anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs that must be injected.

SciFluor’s vice president of research, Dr Ben Askew, told Optometry Today that: “Getting something to the back of the eye is the challenge.”

Patients will either receive a low