Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley: Catch that Cataract

Just under one year ago, Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley gave you a general rundown of the enemy of eyesight that is the ‘cataract.’ As June is Cataract Awareness Month, we feel that this is a subject that needs attention…and review. (Click here if you want to reread the blog from last year.)

Today’s blog is very timely, because just this week, the Omeros Corporation received approval from the FDA for the use of Omidria™ in the treatment of cataract. No doubt you are wondering what the two foreign-sounding words that begin with the letter “O” are. Very briefly, the Omeros Corporation, based in Seattle, WA, is a biopharmaceutical company that researches and develops small-molecule and protein medicines. Omidria™ (pronounced “oh-MID-ree-uh”) is a phenomenal new treatment which maintains pupil size during cataract surgery and reduces pain after the operation. If you want to read the full, in-depth article, click here. The long and the short of this is that although still serious a threat, a big step has been taken to handle and alleviate the condition of cataract. (Let’s give a special shout out to “Market Watch: The Wall Street Journal” for posting this!)

We don’t want to sound overly-optimistic, but could this be a sign of things to come in the treatment of eye conditions and vision loss? Here’s hoping. As we stated above, the serious damage that cataract can have on one’s vision cannot be understated, and the discovery and approval of Omidria™ is not going to make the condition vanish. This treatment is an effective advance, not a cure. The help in fighting the chances for developing cataract (yes, here it comes), is prevention. Have you had your annual eye exam? When was the last time you had an upgrade to your for eyeglasses, sunglasses and/or contact lenses? If you have taken care of both of these tasks this year – congratulations; you are taking good care of your eyes. For those of you who haven’t…what are you waiting for?

In a perfect world, cataract would not exist at all. We are hoping that breakthroughs from the Omeros Corporation and other research laboratories keep making progress. In the meantime, the secret words are “care” and “prevention.”

Thanks for reading. Be safe…and keep your sites on healthy vision.