A low-cost HIV medication could offer a new way to treat diabetic eye disease, avoiding painful eye injections, according to a small recent study.
Diabetic macular edema (DME) causes vision loss by damaging the retina due to diabetes. Current treatments often require frequent injections directly into the eye, which can be inconvenient and costly.
Researchers in Brazil tested an oral antiviral drug called lamivudine, commonly used to treat HIV, on 24 patients with DME. After four weeks, those taking the pill improved their vision by nearly two lines on the eye chart, while the placebo group showed no improvement.
Following this, patients received a standard eye injection called Avastin. Four weeks later, the group that had taken lamivudine first improved by more than three lines, compared to just over one line for the injection-only group.
The drug works by blocking an early inflammatory process that damages the eye, a different method than current treatments. This suggests lamivudine could be used alone or with injections for better results.
Lead researcher Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati said this pill could be life-changing, especially for patients in areas with limited access to eye specialists or those who cannot afford frequent injections, which can cost thousands of dollars. The HIV drug costs about $20 per month, making it a potentially affordable and convenient alternative.
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