Euroscience Open Forum 2012

Diseases of the brain and retina are notoriously difficult to treat. An estimated 98% of EMEA/FDA-approved drugs that could have potential to treat conditions ranging from Alzheimer disease (AD) to Grade IV brain tumours that do not easily cross the blood vessels in the brain and retina. Moreover, as is the case in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), regular and costly injections of therapeutics directly into the globe of the eye carry risks of infection and serious adverse effects.
Here, we will present information on the emerging therapies that are being developed here in Ireland, Europe and the US with regard to the treatment of debilitating diseases of the retina such as AMD and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). This session aims to inform the public on how emerging medicines are being developed and the promise that these medicines hold for diseases of the brain and retina.