Modern medicine makes strides in innovation

The world commemorates May 20 as the date of the first controlled testing of a life-saving intervention, which took place in 1747 when British naval physician Dr James Lind experimented with various potions to try and cure scurvy, a disease that killed many sailors during long sea voyages.

His tests showed that including citrus fruit in sailors’ diets did save lives, and we now know Vitamin C prevents scurvy.

This method of testing and observation paid dividends during Covid-19 when the tests were conducted, with thousands of participants permitting the health authorities to test vaccines and identify an effective tool against the virus.

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Clinical studies often include relatively small participant numbers and can take several years to finish.

There are three stages, all under the careful supervision of regulatory agencies like the European Medicines Association and the US Federal Drug Agency. In SA, the Department of National Health is in charge of clinical trials.

Retina South Africa participated in an international clinical trial to test a drug to slow vision loss in the rare Stargardt Disease, which affects some people.

This genetic condition usually starts in children and young adults, robbing them of their central vision, and most often occurs in families with no recorded history of blindness.

The intervention used was a drug called Emixustat that showed some effect in very young trial participants but not enough overall to justify registration and commercialisation of the drug.

Retina South Africa maintains a comprehensive database of individuals suffering from various types of vision loss, including retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and deafblindness caused by Stargardt disease and Usher syndrome.

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Retina South Africa’s national secretary, Claudette Medefindt, advises all South Africans suffering retinal vision loss to register with the organisation.

“Many international clinical trials are underway, and we are collaborating with experts to expand the number of these exciting investigations to include South Africa.”

To ascertain if they qualify for gene-specific studies and upcoming treatments, individuals with genetic retinal diseases must undergo a genetic test, stated Medefindt.

Retina South Africa offers all the guidance and details required regarding therapies, coping mechanisms, and technology easily available for those suffering from retinal vision loss.

Reach them via their website, www.retinasa.org.za