Solvay’s Fenofibrate May Prevent Diabetic Eye Diseases

Solvay said that its cholesterol drug fenofibrate significantly reduced the need for treatment of the main causes of vision loss in patients with type 2 diabetes in a study published in the Lancet.

The study shows that fenofibrate decreases the need for laser therapy for diabetic eye disease by more than 30%. In addition to reducing the need for laser therapy in the overall population, fenofibrate showed, in a substudy of approximately 1,000 patients with pre-existing eye disease, a significant reduction in the progression of the disease.

Additional results from the fenofibrate intervention and event lowering in diabetes study show that fenofibrate significantly decreased the risk of non-traumatic amputations. Earlier data demonstrated that fenofibrate also significantly reduces microalbuminuria, a marker of the risk of progressive renal disease.