CHICAGO—Oxurion NV (formerly known as ThromboGenics), is supporting the fight against vision loss and blindness caused by diabetes during Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month this November. The biopharmaceutical company, which develops innovative treatments to preserve vision in patients with diseases affecting the back of the eye, has partnered with Prevent Blindness, to promote awareness and education of the damaging effects that diabetes may have on vision and eye health, according to an announcement from Prevent Blindness.

“Diabetes is a disease that takes a terrible toll on many parts of the body, including our eyes,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “By working across multiple sectors, as with this partnership with Oxurion, we can help provide the public with the information they need to work with their doctors to help preserve healthy vision.”

More than 8.1 million Americans suffer from diabetic retinopathy according to Prevent Blindness’ recent study, Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Costs of Vision Problems. This projected total will increase to 10.9 million by 2032, and 13.2 million by 2050, the study said. Diabetic retinopathy patients have an average of 66 years which is the youngest of all the leading eye diseases including cataracts, glaucoma and age related macular degeneration.

CEO of Oxurion NV, Patrik De Haes, MD, added, “We are proud to support Prevent Blindness’ efforts to preserve vision for people living with diabetic eye disease, a leading cause of blindness for adults of working age worldwide. It is crucial for our team to partner with organizations such as Prevent Blindness as we work together to raise awareness and provide educational information for patients and their families during Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month and beyond.”

According to The National Eye Institute, diabetic eye disease can cause as many as 25,000 new cases of blindness every year. Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults according to the Center of Disease Control. For more information on diabetic eye disease, visit preventblindness.org/diabetes.