Existing drugs may prove useful in treating eye diseases

A preliminary study done at the Penn State College of medicine has shown that minocycline, a common antibiotic often used to treat acne, may slow or prevent diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic Retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in persons aged 20 to 74.

Additionally, a Juvenille Diabetes Research Foundation funded human clinical trial has shown that the drug Ranibizumab may be useful in treating diabetic macular edema. Ranibizumab is currently approved to treat age-related macular degeneration.

These findings are part of a new approach to research by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The foundation is targeting drugs that are already on the market or close to FDA approval for other conditions, and using these already approved drugs to treat diabetes-related problems. This saves time, reduces research costs and shortens the amount of time it takes to get the drug from research stage to the patient.

Both treatments will undergo secondary studies before they are approved for public use.