Eye drops developed by Hema-Quebec have prevented blindness in a young child with a severe ligneous conjunctivitis.

The Quebec boy suffered from a blood plasminogen deficiency (a protein deficiency), which led to conjunctivitis. Dr. Isabelle Laliberté, pediatric ophthalmologist at the Hospital of the University of Laval, had tried everything to treat it, including fresh plasma transfusions and surgeries.

She had learned that it is possible to manufacture plasminogen concentrated  eye drops, but they are not readily available on the market, due to the rarity of the disease. She contacted Louis Thibault’s team at Hema Quebec, who took on the special task and succeeded in making them. The three-year-old boy can now carry out normal day-to-day activities.

 

 

The Argus II is the first retinal prosthesis system of its kind to be approved by Health Canada from Second Sight Medical Products. The “bionic eye” is used for treating outer retinal degeneration and  Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) blindness.

The system provides electrical pulses to stimulate the retina’s remaining cells, resulting in a perception of light patterns in the brain. The implant aids shape and large object recognition, as well as people and object identification, such as finding doorways, and following lines or edges.

An estimated 13,000 people in Canada and 1.2 million people worldwide have RP. Argus II is implanted in more than 100 individuals worldwide. This Canadian approval will allow service expansion into additional provinces beyond Ontario. In June 2014, the first Canadian patient received the Argus II at the Toronto Western Hospital.

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