Dear Patients, I will be updating my website soon to include educational links for you to learn more about your conditions. Please stay posted! If any interesting reading comes across my desk, I will post links to them up here on my blog for those of you who are interested. Aloha, Gene Ng, MD
Read MoreIn the Press: Dr. Ng and A Child with Ocular Toxocariasis
A nice, recent article about one of our dear patients, pediatric retinal diseases, and ocular parasitic infections. http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-news/fundraiser-set-help-kona-family-whose-daughter-has-rare-eye-disorder By Carolyn Lucas-Zenk West Hawaii Today clucas-zenk@westhawaiitoday.com When 9-year-old Jade Hao did the annual vision screening last March at Kealakehe Elementary School, there was one thing amiss: She couldn’t see out of her left eye. Her mother, Hoolai Berman, made a followup appointment with an optometrist, thinking Jade needed to be fitted with new glasses. Instead, x-rays were ordered and the results revealed a mass in the back of her eye on the retina. What the mass was and why it had arrived was not known. Her parents never noticed anything out of the ordinary, and Jade had never complained about vision problems, only occasional headaches. Jade and her family went to five different eye doctors on Hawaii Island and Oahu, seeking an explanation. Berman said it was Dr. Eugene Ng, a retina surgeon who thought the mass had to do something with a parasite. With the mass was growing in size and spreading immensely, he urged the family to leave the state to get the specialized treatment needed. He recommended Dr. Khaled Tawansy, founder of the Children’s Retina Institute in Los Angeles. Berman and Jade embarked on “a journey to resolution,” leaving for California July 21. After several days of testing and even reviewing an old college textbook, Tawansy confirmed a diagnosis — Ocular toxocariasis. The family got the news shortly after Jade’s 1oth birthday, which she celebrated July 28 at Universal Studios. The surprise visit to the theme park was a welcomed, worry-free break from the constant medical visits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, toxocariasis is an infection transmitted from animals to humans caused by the parasitic roundworms commonly found in the intestine of dogs and cats. While anyone can become infected with Toxocara, young children and pet owners have a higher chance of becoming infected. People can become infected by accidentally swallowing dirt that has been contaminated with dog or cat feces that contain infectious Toxocara eggs. Although rare, people can also become infected from eating undercooked meat containing Toxocara larvae. “Ocular toxocariasis occurs when Toxocara larvae migrate to the eye,” according to the CDC. “Symptoms and signs of ocular toxocariasis include vision loss, eye inflammation or damage to the retina. Typically, only one eye is affected.” Pinpointing how Jade got this eye infection is difficult. The family does not have pets. Still, Tawansy was upfront about what that diagnosis meant. While toxocariasis is treatable with medication and surgery, he was unsure if or any of Jade’s vision would return, Berman said. This month, Jade underwent a two-hour surgery, followed by several days of recovery. A recent check up showed her left eye is healing nicely and a test showed about 25 to 30 percent of peripheral vision was back. The family remains positive...
Read MoreAerpio Therapeutics Shows Promising Results in Early Stage Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Trials
Aerpio Therapeutics Presents Full Results from Phase 1b/2a Study of AKB-9778 Aerpio Therapeutics Presents Full Results from Phase 1b/2a Study of AKB-9778 for the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema at ARVO Annual Meeting, Cincinnati, OH, May 5, 2014. In the study, one month of daily AKB-9778 treatment was well-tolerated, produced clinically meaningful reduction in retinal thickness, with concomitant improvement in visual acuity, in some of the patients. Tie2 plays a central role in maintaining vascular integrity, which prevents vascular leak seen in conditions such as DME. AKB-9778 activates Tie2 by inhibiting the natural brake of Tie2, human protein tyrosine phosphatase β (HPTP β). This is the first study to show that activation of Tie2 can have a beneficial effect in patients with DME. “Alternative therapies are needed for treating patients with DME who have persistent macular edema and vision loss despite frequent anti-VEGF injections and also for patients who don’t want or don’t tolerate intravitreal injections,” said Jeffrey Heier, MD, Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston. “Based on these early clinical data, AKB-9778 may provide a patient self-administered alternative that could be helpful in the treatment of diabetic macular edema.” “We are highly encouraged by the pilot efficacy and continued favorable safety profile for AKB -9778 in this Phase 1b/2a study and have recently initiated a larger, confirmatory Phase 2 study,” commentedJoseph Gardner, PhD, President and CEO of Aerpio. “We are hopeful that AKB- 9778 could represent anovel, more convenient therapy for patients with DME either as monotherapy or in combination with VEGF inhibitors, the current standard of care.” Dr. Eugene Ng serves on the clinical advisory board of Aerpio...
Read MoreDr. Ng Opens New Office in Honolulu
Dear Patients, I have just opened a new location in Honolulu (615 Piikoi Street, Suite 1510) at the corner of Piikoi Street and Kapiolani Boulevard, and am seeing patients Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so am very available now in Honolulu for retina care and consultations on anything complex. At this point, these are the following locations at which you can see me and my staff: – Honolulu (Oahu) – Kailua (Oahu) – Kona (Big Island) – Hilo (Big Island) – Waimea (Big Island) So we now have good coverage of Oahu and Big Island. Please see my Contact page for addresses and maps of all locations. Aloha! Gene Ng,...
Read MoreAerpio Therapeutics Initiates Phase 1b/2a Trial of AKB-9778 in Diabetic Macular Edema
Biotechnology company Aerpio Therapeutics has advanced its novel small molecule drug for diabetic macular edema (DME) into a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial (dose-range finding in patients). Aerpio’s lead compound, AKB-9778 affects the Ang/Tie pathway, an exciting and very promising target in diabetic macular edema. Dr. Ng serves on the clinical advisory board of Aerpio Therapeutics. For more information, please go to...
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