Health trust pioneers treatment for eye disease

A Surrey health trust says it is to become the first in the UK to trial a drug for a debilitating eye condition.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust has recruited its first patient for a weekly injection to tackle thyroid eye disease.

Caused by an overactive thyroid gland, the disease can cause eyes to feel dry and gritty, become bulging and swollen and sensitive to light, and can lead to blurred or double vision, according to the NHS.

The new treatment will involve patients injecting themselves with pre-prepared syringes over the course of 24 weeks, rather than having to make regular visits to hospital.

The drug being trialled, Efgartigimod, reduces the antibodies thought to trigger the disease.

Dr Anuradha Jayaprakasam, consultant ophthalmologist and principal investigator for the research study, said she had seen the "devastating side effects" of the condition.

"Rather than dealing with the problems that have happened, they can have a drug such as this which would prevent the condition escalating," she said.

"The drug has the potential to impact on all aspects of the disease, including the appearance changes, and potentially prevent the disease advancing to the level of sight loss.

"It is a great motivation for me to be involved in work that could change the course of the disease for many of our patients."

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