Monrovia, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/14/2011 -- Bala Ambati, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Associate Professor and Director of Corneal Research at the Moran Eye Center, will present on The Capsule Drug Ring at GTC’s 3rd Ocular Diseases & Drug Discovery Conference on May 26-27, 2011 in Boston, MA.

Bala Ambati will present research on a novel endocapsular implant capable of delivering pharmaceuticals to the posterior segment of the eye. Implanted concurrently or subsequent to cataract extraction, the capsule drug ring is capable of delivering Avastin to the retina and choroid at pharmacologically active concentrations. Preliminary stability and biocompatibility studies indicate appropriate stability at body temperature and absence of toxicity in the rabbit eye. This versatile platform will allow implantation by the general ophthalmologists and minimize the need the for intravitreal injections.

GTC’s Ocular Diseases conference will also have featured presenters Susan Schneider from GSK and Barbara Wirostko from Altheos. This event will also bring together leaders from ORA, Neurotech, Santen, Allergan, and more. Updates on age-related macular degeneration, recent drug developments and mechanisms, rho kinase inhibitors, and the future of ocular disease therapeutics will be addressed and discussed.

GTCbio’s 3rd Ocular Disease & Drug Discovery Conference will provide cutting edge information and a chance to exchange ideas from leading experts in the field. Don’t miss this opportunity to register for GTC’s Ocular Diseases conference at https://www.gtcbio.com/index.php?option=com_register&cn=3rd%20Ocular%20Diseases%20&cid=23