Rockville, Md.—The nation’s vision community is ramping up its defense of the National Eye Institute (NEI) and its 57-year track record of progress amid mounting threats to slash federal vision funding and consolidate the NEI into a broader institute on brain and dental research.
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO), American Academy of Optometry (AAOptom), and National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR) and Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR) are working together to staunchly oppose any proposal to consolidate the NEI into a broader Institute on Neuroscience and Brain Research and to preserve critical funding for vision research.
This week, we launched our #SeeWhatMatters campaign, an educational and grassroots advocacy effort to elevate the profile of federally funded vision research, reinforce the critical need to keep NEI independent, and demonstrate the human impact of discoveries in vision science. The campaign provides all stakeholders, including patients, researchers, clinicians, industry, and advocates with a unified message and shared tools to tell the story of why vision research matters to every American.
A few examples of what it means to #SeeWhatMatters:
- NEI research powered the development of a non-invasive imaging technology, ocular coherence tomography, that has revolutionized treatment of several blinding eye diseases and saved both Medicare and patients billions of dollars.
- NEI funding paved the way for the first vision-restoring treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This powerful class of drugs, called anti-VEGFs, stop vision loss in more than 90 percent of patients with AMD and improves vision in about one-third.
- NEI-supported scientists have used gene therapy to partially restore vision – for the very first time – to people with a blinding disease that begins in childhood, called Leber's congenital amaurosis. NEI-funded researchers are now moving rapidly to develop gene therapy approaches for a range of inherited retinal diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa.
- NEI is an early investor in groundbreaking work to end blindness in diabetes patients using artificial intelligence. Since 2004, NEI has continuously funded the work of ophthalmologist Dr. Michael Abramoff’s pioneering research. Dr. Abramoff is the first physician in any medical field to receive FDA clearance for an autonomous artificial intelligence system. The platform, LumineticsCore™ (formerly IDX-DR), can instantly diagnose diabetic retinopathy in a primary care physician’s office, a breakthrough that could prevent vision loss in thousands of people with diabetes annually.
- Now is not the time to diminish or defund the NEI. As our population ages, nearly every American will personally face a visual disease or disorder. Adequately funding NEI can prevent billions in expenditures across Medicare and Medicaid, private insurance, and family care costs. Vision loss is expected to cost the U.S. economy nearly $200 billion in 2025 alone through direct medical expenses and lost productivity.
“Sight is one of our most valued senses, and protecting it depends on sustained investment in both basic and clinical vision research,” said Iris M. Rush, CAE, executive director of ARVO. “The National Eye Institute plays a critical role in advancing discoveries that prevent blindness and restore vision. Continued robust support from the NIH is not optional — it is essential to fuel the breakthroughs that millions of Americans are counting on.”
We invite the entire vision research and eye care community to stand with us.
Learn more, explore the tools, and share your voice by visiting #SeeWhatMatters.org. Because speaking up for vision research now will protect the future of sight-saving treatments and cures.
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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include approximately 12,000 eye and vision researchers from over 60 countries. ARVO advances research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders. Learn more at ARVO.org.
Media contact:
Jenniffer Scherhaufer, MMC, CAE
Assistant Director, Communications
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
1.240.221.2923
jscherhaufer@arvo.org
ARVO.org
