Dr. Maryo Kohen from Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital Receives $55,000 Knights Templar Eye Foundation Grant to Fight Pediatric Glaucoma Complications

Dr. Maryo Kohen from Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, OH received a $55,000 grant for the research entitled: Novel Drug Delivery Device for Pirfenodine to Reduce Fibrosis in Pediatric Glaucoma Drainage Device Implantation

Pediatric glaucoma is a potentially blinding disease, accounting for about 18% of blindness in blind institutions and 5% of overall pediatric blindness worldwide. It has heterogeneous etiologies characterized by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). The mainstay of treatment in pediatric glaucoma is the surgical reduction of IOP. Although the main choice of surgery is directed to opening the blocked iridocorneal angle, many cases eventually do require insertion of glaucoma drainage devices. However fibrosis and hence capsule formation around the glaucoma implants are the main reasons for glaucoma implant failure. Occasionally, removal of these fibrous capsules leads to a drop in IOP, but in some patients these cysts reappear and require repeated surgical procedures.

Dr. Kohen will test the efficacy of a novel drug delivery device f or pirfenodine to reduce this complication. Pirfenodine is a FDA approved drug to prevent lung fibrosis and its fibrosis preventive effects on eye has also been shown in the literature. However to this date there is no a slow release mechanism for the aforementioned drug which is needed for long term success.