New Glaucoma Drug Could Protect Vision
Commitment to Finding New Treatments

Ophthalmologists will have an entirely new class of medication to protect the vision of patients with glaucoma, if the current clinical trials of the drug, Memantine (AXURA^®) show impact in treating glaucoma patients.

Dr. Shan Lin

"Many people have called this the most important current clinical drug trial in glaucoma,," says glaucoma specialist, Assistant Professor Shan Lin, MD, who is Principal Investigator for the study at UCSF; Professor Robert Stamper, MD, Director of Glaucoma Services, is the co-Principal Investigator.

"The use of Memantine may protect the optic nerve from glaucoma damage by inhibiting the toxic effects of glutamate on neurons," Dr. Lin explains. "Standard glaucoma medications lower internal eye pressure. If we can protect the optic nerve, it will make a big difference to people with poorly controlled glaucoma."

Memantine has been used by over 15,000 patients in Europe, and recently received EU approval for treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. Initial studies suggest that the drug can also protect cells in the optic nerve from glaucoma damage.

Carefully Selected Trial Group

Glaucoma patients at UCSF who met strict study criteria will be taking Memantine or a placebo in this 4-year study (study enrollment has ended). Patients visit UCSF for vision testing and drug monitoring throughout the trial, but they do not know who receives the active drug.

The current clinical trial tests Memantine on thousands of patients, with a high possibility of success (over 70% of drugs in Phase III tests are approved). The Phase III trial follows small-scale studies and extensive laboratory research to show the drug's safety and efficacy.

Looking for Solutions

"Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the U.S., and the leading cause of blindness for African-Americans," says Dr. Lin, as he describes his long-standing interest in finding the optimal treatment for the disease. It is estimated that as many as 6 million Americans have elevated eye pressure and are at risk of developing open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of the disease.

"I became interested in medicine from my undergraduate biological sciences research at UC Berkeley," Dr. Lin explains. Prior to his faculty appointment in 1999, Dr. Lin was a Clinical Fellow at UCSF, under the direction of Jorge Alvarado, MD, engaging in glaucoma research and patient care.

Promising Drug Studies

In other studies, researchers have discovered that eye drops used to treat elevated eye pressure can delay the onset of glaucoma. At UCSF, 58 patients participated in the 6-year multi-center Ocular Hypertension Study, which showed that the drops reduced the development of open-angle glaucoma by 50% (Archives of Ophthalmology, June 2002). Dr. Lin and Michael Drake, MD, were co-Principal Investigators.

"Glaucoma can be silent, unless it is found in an annual eye examination, but it can lead to devastating complications and blindness," says Dr. Lin. "We are committed to finding new treatments."

National Eye Institute Glaucoma Facts - did you know...

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness for African-Americans.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the U.S.

As many as 6 million Americans have elevated eye pressure and are at risk of developing open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of the disease.

http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_facts.htm