Happy Cinco de Mayo! Also Kentucky Derby Day! Things happening all over the place.
I got to the bagel shop for a chicken salad bagel sandwich today. That sort of thing is big news when you don’t drive any more. No unplanned stops when you ride transportation. I had been thinking about chicken salad on a bagel for a couple of months. Sad but true. Interested enough to keep thinking about it, but not interested enough to plan a special trip.
Sometimes it is the little things that drive home the impact of visual impairment.
But I got there and I am getting to the conference too. That is tomorrow. Trying to figure out what to pack. I am thinking I am going to need a Sherpa. I have my CCTV, plus MaxTV glasses, plus handheld reader, plus my binders from DBT class. I have to take clothes for five days. One colleague asked if I were taking workout clothes. Maybe we could find a yoga studio…that doesn’t mean I need to take my mat, does it? Another colleague asked if I were taking a bathing suit. Oy vey. Like I said, I think I need a Sherpa! I was bad enough before my vision impairment; now I am hopeless.
Oh well, we plod along.
And in other news, I see Medscape revisited the concept of combo therapies for wet AMD. In their May 4, 2018 post they reported Regeneron had tried to boost the effectiveness of Eylea with an antibody, rinucumab. It did not work but they will keep trying new things. Not to be too cynical about this, but at least part of the reason is Regeneron’s earnings are not growing as fast as they were. Lack of profits, like necessity, can be the mother of invention.
Regeneron had paired with Bayer on rinucumab. Bayer usually comes out on top somehow. Historical note: Bayer’s parent company used slave labor during the Holocaust. It also had significant holdings in the company that made the poison gas for the gas chambers. They did apologize. In 1995. I believe that was at least several years after my parents gave me Bayer baby aspirin. ? Go figure. Like I said, though, Bayer generally comes out on top, so it is probably a good company to have in our corner.
But I digress, again, still, whatever. I assume most of you have lively minds and find some interest in these little diversions.
Regeneron has tried several other compounds paired with Eylea already. None have been very successful but I doubt they are done trying. One of these attempts is going to find something that will significantly improve the efficacy of Eylea and thus improve the lives of you wet folks.
Just keep the faith. Amazing things are happening all over the place.
Written May 5th 2018