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"Glaucoma Cure Not A National Priority"

With a growing threat of blindness from glaucoma looming, "finding a cure or therapies that can avert this threat is simply not an urgent national imperative," reports Allen Poirson, PhD, the new Director of Scientific Programs and Licensing for the Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF), previewing the results of his "Glaucoma Research and Development Efforts" (GRaDE) as the Daniel Scott Weston Glaucoma Research Lecturer of GRF's Silicon Valley chapter fall event.

"We looked at several basic indicators," Poirson reported, "and documented in the government sector the low priority glaucoma research funding has at the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the resulting small amount of new research this low standing affords. In the corporate sector, medications reaching market approval are incremental advances."

"For some time now," said Thomas M. Brunner, President and CEO of GRF, "our donors and stakeholders have been asking us: 'Where is the cure? What is being done nationally to address this pressing challenge?' Now, with Dr. Poirson's report, GRaDE, we are able to give a complete answer." GRaDE, Brunner said, will be released in the next few weeks, and will be available to the community.

Brunner noted that the appointment of Dr. Poirson was the result of an exhaustive and nearly year-long search last year. "Dr. Poirson's training in visual neuroscience and his impressive experience commercializing scientific and clinical discovery over the past ten years has ideally prepared him for his role here. He is the former Vice President of Medical Systems at Science and Technology International, obtained both his BA and PhD at Stanford University, and has published extensively in the areas of biology and medical imaging."

Art Takahara, a member of GRF's Board of Directors and chair of the Silicon Valley chapter, reinforced the urgency of the moment, reporting that "we're hearing from leading researchers GRF has been able to fund that glaucoma has the potential of being one of the very first neurodegenerative diseases we can actually solve in our lifetime! It's just a matter of stepping up the amount of research momentum we are able to galvanize behind this globally beneficial goal. And that takes people and money."

Poirson reported that, at the NEI in 2007, glaucoma research received only 10% of the extramural research budget. "Federal glaucoma research spending ranks fourth at the NEI, behind Retinal Diseases (which received four times the amount glaucoma receives), Sensorimotor Disorders (which received more than twice the amount glaucoma receives), and Corneal Diseases (which received one-third again more than glaucoma).

"Attracting and supporting talented new researchers with fresh ideas to the field of glaucoma is instrumental in finding a cure for the disease," said Poirson. Citing his examination of the publicly-available database (CRISP) on federally funded medical research he concludes: "That just isn't happening through the NEI funding mechanism. Over the past two years (FY2008 and FY2007), a total of $4 million distributed among fourteen new research grants (R01, R15, R21) represents the total government commitment to new research programs emphasizing neurodegeneration, neuroprotection, genetic and stem cell approaches to understand and treat the disease."

For each of those grants awarded, commented Brunner, there are at least five applicants. And even in light of that tough competition - and as a testament to the validity of GRF-funded research - two of these fourteen principal investigators are members of the GRF-funded Catalyst For a Cure research consortium. Philip Horner, PhD (University of Washington) and David Calkins, PhD (Vanderbilt) both were able to use results of research funded by GRF as supporting and preliminary information in their grant submissions to the NEI.

Turning to the non-profit sector, Poirson reported that combined funding in Fiscal 2007 provided through the non-profit sector totaled $2.8 million in grants awarded by the American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF), The Glaucoma Foundation (TGF) based in New York, and the Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) based in San Francisco.

And finally, by way of illustrating current research trends in the corporate sector, Poirson reported that, as of September 26, there were six open phase III clinical trials using medications to treat glaucoma, and which can lead to availability in the marketplace. "None of the drugs in these six studies represent a new 'mechanism of action' to reduce pressure, and none of these drugs attempt to preserve the optic nerve," Poirson said.

"Mind you," reminded Brunner, "we are fortunate that several forward-thinking pharmaceutical companies have invested so much in developing drugs that have controlled vision loss for so many. We are especially grateful for leadership demonstrated by companies that have made innovative - and expensive - investments in more experimental clinical trials of alternative uses for currently approved medications. Those trials might not have led to a therapy, but they show the kind of aggressive commitment to those at risk we all need to make to solve this problem once and for all."

Globally, over 60 million people have glaucoma, though with a rapidly aging population, this number will increase exponentially. In the United States, there are about 4 million people of all ages with glaucoma, though only half are likely to be aware of their diagnosis. Scientists estimate the number of those affected could reach 6 million in just the next ten years. And glaucoma left undiagnosed and untreated, without a cure, leads to irreparable damage of the optic nerve, vision loss, and possibly blindness.

Located in San Francisco and now celebrating its 31st Anniversary year, GRF is the nation's most experienced foundation dedicated solely to glaucoma research and education. In addition to funding innovative research like the Catalyst For a Cure research consortium and its Shaffer Fund for Innovative Glaucoma Research, GRF also is the "go to" agency for education materials. These include the definitive reference for newly diagnosed, Understanding and Living with Glaucoma (available in both English and Spanish editions); brochures serving those at highest risk, including African-Americans and Latinos; a comprehensive booklet for children with glaucoma and their families; and a toll free phone line, 800-826-6693, staffed during office hours with an information specialist to handle a variety of inquiries.

For more information about the Glaucoma Research Foundation, visit their website http://www.glaucoma.org.

Glaucoma Research Foundation





"A nu vindecã glaucom prioritate naþionalã" - "Glaucoma Cure Not A National Priority" - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate