They are the main cause of world blindness with over half of those aged 65 and over affected by cataract developments in one or both eyes.

But now scientists have created a revolutionary drug that could prevent the clouding that gradually develops over the lens.

Revealed by a team at Adelaide University in Australia this is the first time a non-surgical cure for the debilitating condition has been discovered.
Now testing of a new drug compound developed in collaboration with Calpain Therapeutics has shown to significantly slow cataract progression.

Lead inventor Professor Andrew Abell, who has been working on the project for the past decade told the Australian Advertiser: ‘Optometrists can tell very early on whether you have signs of cataracts, well before they affect vision.

‘By using the drug early, you could slow their development so much it would not actually develop.’

Childhood cataracts are very rare, affecting about 3 in 10,000 children in the UK.

Currently the procedure to remove a cataract lasts 30-45 minutes, with vision improving almost immediately and with glasses about 95 per cent of people report normal vision.

Dr Tim Lovell CEO of Calpain Therapeutics said: ‘Our drug could be either drops or a cream that you put in your eyes each night before you go to sleep.
‘Through a routine eye exam, optometrists and ophthalmologists can see the early stages of a cataract forming, likely before the person has any idea they have it.

‘Once it’s detected, then you could start to use the drug to slow its progress.’

He added to The Advertiser in Australia: ‘Because we know that if you have a cataract in one eye you will most likely get one in the other eye, you could start to apply the drug to both eyes, delaying the onset of a cataract in one while slowing the growth of the cataract that has been diagnosed.’
The drug has been named as one of five finalists in The University of Queensland Business School’s Enterprize business plan competition.

Courtesy: http://www.dailymail.co.uk