Discover
the unmet need
of patients with
uveitic glaucoma
Discover
the unmet need
of patients with
uveitic glaucoma
a rare and blinding
disease of the eye.
a rare and blinding
disease of the eye.
Uveitic glaucoma is a rare, blinding, chronic and still not well-known ocular disease.
Its diagnosis requires special attention, and treatment is a real challenge. It is considered an end-stage disease, comprised of two distinct eye diseases, each of them serious and complex by itself: non infectious uveitis and glaucoma.
Non Infectious Uveitis
is an inflammatory
blinding disease of the eye.
is an inflammatory blinding disease of the eye.
Glaucoma
is a disease that damages the optic nerve, and is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide.
is a disease that damages the optic nerve, and one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide.
“Secondary glaucoma
is one of the major
causes of permanent
visual loss and blindness
in non-infectious
anterior uveitis.”
“Secondary glaucoma is one of the major causes of permanent visual loss and blindness in non-infectious anterior uveitis.”
Uveitic glaucoma in numbers
30%
Of uveitis patients
develop also glaucoma –
uveitic glaucoma
>35
Is the mean
age of a
uveitic patient
30,000
New cases of blindness per year
in the U.S. due to uveitis and
uveitic glaucoma
>100,000
Patients with
uveitic glaucoma
in the U.S.
20
Years to become blind
in at least one eye
due to glaucoma
$ 27.5B
Estimated economic burden of visual impairment in the U.S. population younger than 40 years old
Early diagnosis and proper intervention are crucial, as many patients
with uveitis are young, and need to preserve eyesight for many decades.
Uveitic glaucoma
in numbers
30%
Of uveitis patients develop also glaucoma – uveitic glaucoma
>100,000
Patients with uveitic glaucoma
in the United States
>35
of a uveitic patient
20
Years to become blind in at least one eye due to glaucoma
30,000
New cases of blindness per year in the U.S. due to uveitis and uveitic glaucoma
$ 27.5B
Estimated economic burden of visual impairment in the U.S. population younger than 40 years old
Early diagnosis and proper intervention are crucial, as many patients with uveitis are young, and need to preserve eyesight for many decades.
Uveitic glaucoma is a debilitating disease
Uveitic
glaucoma
is a
debilitating
disease
According to a recent survey, Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) from the International Uveitis Study Group (IUSG), emphasized the unique characteristics of uveitic glaucoma, including its complexity, the lack of available treatments and the worse prognosis compared to uveitis alone.
KOLs stated that in uveitic glaucoma
there is a significantly higher risk for visual field loss in the long term compared to uveitis alone.
According to a recent survey, Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) from the International Uveitis Study Group (IUSG), emphasized the unique characteristics of uveitic glaucoma, including its complexity, the lack of available treatments and the worse prognosis compared to uveitis alone.
KOLs stated that in uveitic glaucoma
there is a significantly higher risk for visual field loss in the long term compared to uveitis alone.
Responding KOLs believe that uveitic glaucoma patients require more clinical visits, compared to uveitis patients without glaucoma:
“A potent agent
is needed for the control
of the intraocular
inflammation without elevating
intraocular pressure”
60%
More visits for a uveitic glaucoma patient than a uveitis patient without glaucoma.
40%
Longer visits for a uveitic glaucoma patient than a uveitis patient without glaucoma.
Longer visits for a uveitic glaucoma patient than a uveitis patient without glaucoma.
80%
Of KOLs believe that glaucoma surgeries
for uveitic glaucoma
patients, are likely to fail.
Of KOLs believe that glaucoma surgeries for uveitic glaucoma patients, are likely to fail.
The burden of care for
uveitic glaucoma patients
is thus substantially higher
than for uveitis patients
without glaucoma.
The burden of care for
uveitic glaucoma patients is thus substantially higher than for uveitis patients without glaucoma.
“A potent agent is needed for the control of the intraocular inflammation without elevating intraocular pressure”
“As a result of uveitis alone being a rare ocular disease, the familiarity with one of its main and most devastating complications, uveitic glaucoma, is low; even among the general Ophthalmology community and stakeholders. Consequently, it is important to shed some light about its unique complexity, worse prognosis, and great challenges in treatment“, Dr. Stephen Foster, Key Opinion Leader in Ocular Immunology.
Available treatments for uveitis alone are not suitable for uveitic glaucoma. This unmet need calls for greater awareness of the problem, and for development of effective treatments.
Blindness causes the greatest fear
New treatment options are needed to prevent blindness
Blindness severly reduces quality-of-life (of patients and their families). Economic effects are also severe: it reduces productivity and puts burdens on healthcare systems.
Blindness severly reduces quality-of-life (of patients and their families). Economic effects are also severe: it reduces productivity and puts burdens on healthcare systems.
what causes
uveitic glaucoma?
Glaucoma may occur as a complication of uveitis:
inflammatory debris may cause blockage of the
trabecular meshwork (the “drainage system”),
resulting in decreased fluid outflow from the eye, which leads to increased intraocular pressure.
Often, uveitic glaucoma develops as an adverse effect of steroid-based treatments for uveitis.
Steroids can make the trabecular meshwork less permeable to aqueous humour, resulting again in decreased fluid outflow from the eye and increased intraocular pressure.
Glaucoma may occur as a complication of uveitis:
inflammatory debris may cause blockage of the trabecular meshwork (the “drainage system”), resulting in decreased fluid outflow from the eye, which leads to increased intraocular pressure.
Often, uveitic glaucoma develops as an adverse effect of steroid-based treatments for uveitis.
Steroids can make the trabecular meshwork less permeable to aqueous humour, resulting again in decreased fluid outflow from the eye and increased intraocular pressure.
Is uveitic glaucoma treatable?
There are available treatments for uveitis alone or glaucoma alone
Steroid eye drops are considered very effective in treating uveitis and suppressing the inflammation.
However,
For uveitic glaucoma patients, these pose a “double-edged sword” situation, as steroid eye drops also tend to negatively affect glaucoma by elevating the intraocular pressure.
There are no adequate treatments
for uveitic glaucoma
While available treatments for uveitis alone may be adequate for some patients; for uveitic glaucoma, there are no adequate treatments.
Given the limitations of existing therapies, there is a need for new topical anti-inflammatory agents that are as efficacious as corticosteroids, without the known steroid-associated side effects.
Given the limitations of existing therapies, there is a need for new topical anti-inflammatory agents that are as efficacious as corticosteroids, without the known steroid-associated side effects.
“We definitely
need more
options under our
armamentarium”
“We definitely need more
options under our armamentarium”
“As a result of uveitis alone being a rare ocular disease, the familiarity with one of its main and most devastating complications, uveitic glaucoma, is low; even among the general Ophthalmology community and stakeholders.
Consequently, it is important to shed some light about its unique complexity, worse prognosis, and great challenges in treatment“,
Dr. Stephen Foster, Key Opinion Leader in Ocular Immunology.
“As a result of uveitis alone being a rare ocular disease, the familiarity with one of its main and
most devastating complications, uveitic glaucoma, is low; even among the general
Ophthalmology community and stakeholders. Consequently, it is important to shed some light
about its unique complexity, worse prognosis, and great challenges in treatment“, Dr. Stephen Foster, Key Opinion Leader in Ocular Immunology.
