A small study shows that an inexpensive HIV pill might become a new treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME), a common cause of vision loss in people with diabetes.
Currently, DME patients often receive monthly eye injections, which can be uncomfortable and inconvenient. Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati from the University of Virginia said that an oral drug improving vision would be a major breakthrough.
In the study, 24 patients in Brazil with DME were randomly given either the oral antiviral drug Epivir (lamivudine) or a placebo for four weeks. After that, all patients received a standard injection of Avastin (bevacizumab), a common treatment for DME.
After four weeks on the pill, patients taking lamivudine improved their vision by nearly 10 letters on an eye chart, about two lines better, while those on placebo saw a slight decline.
Four weeks after the Avastin injection, patients who had taken lamivudine improved by nearly 17 letters, over three lines on the chart. Those who only received Avastin improved by just over five letters.
This research suggests lamivudine could enhance vision treatment for diabetic patients and offer a more convenient alternative to injections.
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