Dr. Deupree Lectures on Exciting New Macular
Degeneration Treatment
Occulogix recently invited Dr. Deupree to speak
to 65 eye doctors in Miami about Rheopheresis
 Miami,
September '04 -- OccuLogix, Inc., an ophthalmic
therapeutic company founded in 1996 to commercialize
innovative treatments for eye diseases, recently
invited Dr. Deupree to
Miami to lecture to 65 eye doctors on the importance
and rapidly-advancing technology of Rheopheresis.
Rheopheresis ("Rheo"), a blood filtration
technology, utilizes therapeutic apheresis
methodology to treat
Age-Related Macular
Degeneration (ARMD).
Dr. Deupree, one of very few physicians in the
United States to be involved in Rheopheresis, was
the principal investigator in the FDA clinical trial
for Rheo.
Rheo works by removing excess amounts of certain
macro-proteins and fatty components that have been
associated with certain diseases, like
macular
degeneration. These macro-proteins may be
harmful when circulating in a person's blood.
In Rheo, blood is filtered in a closed circuit
outside the body using special filters. No blood
products or medications (other than Heparin or other
blood anti-coagulants are used to prevent clotting
in the tubing system) are added.
Results from recent clinical trials suggest that,
for the first time, treatment of the most common
form of AMD, the so-called "Dry" AMD, may now be
possible for many patients.
Since not all patients with AMD may be eligible to
receive Rheo, a thorough screening examination,
including an eye exam, as well as a series of blood
tests is required before undergoing the procedure.
At this time, Rheopheresis is not available in the
United States. It is available in Canada at
the time of this writing. Until Rheo is approved
in the U.S., Dr. Deupree is not performing this
procedure.
|
