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The priorities
defined by Keratos so far:
I.
Reimbursement issues and drug policy:
1) Tear substitutes without
preservatives and reimbursement of the new generation of tear
substitutes that only benefit from partial reimbursement (ex: sodium hyaluronate
or hyaluronic acid).
2) Achieve a total reimbursement
of slceral for therapeutic purposes. See
Scleral Lenses
for additional information.
3) Adapt
reimboursement
rates and policy to favour unpreserved eyedrops.
II.
Medical care:
1)
Favour the creation of referral centres on Ocular
Surface Diseases and severe Dysfunctional Tear Film.
2) Raise
awareness on new and innovative treatments such
Scleral Lenses
and their new therapeutic
possibilities, cyclosporine, amniotic membrane and autologous serum.
III.
Social care for Ocular Disabilities, including
professional reinsertion in the context of ocular surface disorders.
1) Raise Awareness on OSD and dry
eye syndromes amongst the general population (including
social, professional and health care difficulties).
2) At
the professional level - adaptat
disability evaluation to the specific realities and challenges of ocular
surface sufferers.
3) [Only
applicable to France].
IV. Incite
Research and increase
pharmaceutical investments
in this sector of ophthalmology:
1)
and notably in stem cells based research, growth factors
including NGF, research in favour of understanding the mechanisms of
tear and corneal regeneration to create tomorrow's drugs.
2) Carry
out studies on scleral lenses and new tear substitutes.
3)
Generalise unpreserved eyedrops (see our website:
Preserve our Eyes, not our Drops!).
You'll find our advocacy and awareness-raising
activities there.
4) Favour research
on new tear substitutes capable of reproducing tear elements -mucin,
aqueous and lipids (and not just the regular palliatives) and their
natural benefits (lasting hydration,
cleansing,
antibiotic activity, nutritive
properties, etc).
Our
main current actions
Reimbursement
of Scleral Lenses - Since Keratos'
inception, we have been sending queries to the few teams in the world
working on ocular surface therapeutic applications of scleral lenses.
Since 2006, we started to work on scleral lenses-related advocacy and
other specific needs of severe ocular surface diseases sufferers. Our
joint efforts (with other our French partners) have lead to the
recongnition that scleral lenses should be reimbursed. We hope to
be able to give you excellent news very soon...
Fight
preservative use in eyedrops: Keratos
started to work on this field in 2005 and has now launched a website to
address this particular issue. We hope to sensitize laboratories
involved in ocular surface market to to produce eyedrops and gels that
respect the needs of the ocular surface and certainly not cytotoxic,
allergenic and tear-disruptive ones! We also want to convince the French
drug agency to adopt a new policy in favour of preservative-free
products for the anterior segment. Please visit our website:
Preserve our Eyes, not our Drops!
Socioprofessional insertion and the recognition of ocular surface
disabilities -Keratos has been raising awareness on the unknown
impact of ocular surface diseases in professional and social life. We
have done our utmost to explain what the main challenges for ocular
surface sufferers are in terms of finding and securing a job.
Keratos became an observer member of a French group on work and chronic
illnesses. If you read French please visit:
http://www.pathologies-et-travail.org/
Research on
Research
- Keratos is relagularly in contact with laboratories,
researchers and other specialists involved in lachrymal dysfucntions,
corneal healing based research. In sum, Keratos tries to inform its
members on tomorrow's treatments and research leads ahead. These efforts
are detailed in our newsletter.
Future
projects
Referral Center
and Foundation for OSD - Keratos is currently working with other
association to create a partnership leading to the creation of a
Foundation for Ocular Surface Diseases or even smaller referral centers.
in progress
;-)
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Keratos 2005-2007
