‘More efforts needed worldwide to prevent eye diseases’

BASEL — Eye care is one of the fastest-growing healthcare sectors, with more focus on responding to patients with “unmet needs”, according to medical experts, researchers and pharmacists.

With the growing world population and the increase of the ageing population, more attention should be given to eye care, especially diseases affecting people at a certain age, said experts convened at Novartis' “Innovating for Patients” media event in Basel, Switzerland recently.

Eye-related diseases and blindness, they said, are preventable with the right diagnosis and medication.

According to experts, out of the 39 million cases of blindness across the world, 51 per cent are caused by cataract, which can be treated by surgery. 

By 2030, this ratio will exceed 30 million.

“Cataract is a disease that will affect anyone eventually if not treated,” said Ahmet Tezel, head of IOL Franchise, research and development in Novartis, adding that “at least one in two people will develop cataract…It can’t be prevented.” 

As for glaucoma, it is referred to as the “silent thief of sight”, as many people have it but are unaware, and the cause of the disease remains unknown, with no cure for it.

Figures presented at the conference showed that there are 67 million people with glaucoma and 1.7 million live with presbyopia. They called for conducting extra research in this sector.

They also said up to one half of the more than 140 million contact lens wearers world wide experience some level of discomfort.

Globally, more than 285 million people live with vision impairment and blindness, according to Novartis.

During the conference, Novartis Pharmaceuticals launched an app for people with visual disabilities to use with the Apple Watch and other smart watches.

The hands-free nature of using ViaOpta app with wearable devices, such as Apple Watch and Android Wear, "provides users with an experience that seamlessly fits into their existing routines allowing those with visual impairments to navigate daily life with even ease", Novartis said in a statement. 

The app has been available on smartphones since 2014.

The company also announced that it is working in collaboration with Google and Alcon to “transform eye care”.

The products to be developed with Google will be like contact lenses that monitor glucose levels via “glucose sensing”.

The two-day conference also discussed developments and medications related to other diseases such as heart failure, psoriasis, spondyloarthritis, multiple sclerosis, lung cancer, and cell and gene therapy.

Discussions also tackled biomedical research and the latest advancements in the field.