[AUTOLOGOUS SERUM AS A TREATMENT FOR THE OCULAR SURFACE DISEASE].

INTRODUCTION: The autologous serum drops treatment is an advanced, effective and safe treatment for severe dry eye and recurrent epithelial erosions. It contains growth factors, proteins, and vitamins, similar to the tear layer. In a recent review by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, many studies included showed a significant effect of serum drops in treating dry eye and recurrent epithelial erosions. Notwithstanding the above, to date, no randomized controlled clinical trials have investigated the effectiveness of autologous serum drops. Moreover, serum drops concoction has strict regulations, and in Israel, it is available in a small handful of hospitals, which causes limited accessibility to this valuable treatment. Precautions must be taken when using serum drops to avoid bottle contamination and infections during storage.

[ROCK (RHO-KINASE INHIBITORS) FOR THE TREATMENT OF OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA AND OCULAR HYPERTENSION].

INTRODUCTION: Netarsudil ophthalmic solution 0.02% is a new treatment for open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension, which was approved for treatment in the United States and in the European Commission. The drug is a rho- kinase inhibitor (ROCK) that lowers intraocular pressure by enhancing the outflow at the trabecular meshwork and decreasing both aqueous humor production and episcleral venous pressure. This literature review aims to present this new treatment, characterize its specific mechanism of action, and discuss its effect and adverse events profile. The efficacy and safety of the drug were studied in the ROCKET and MERCURY clinical trials, in which Netarsudil was compared to other common drugs, including Timolol (Beta-blocker), Latanoprost (Prostaglandin analog), and a combination drop containing Netarsudil and Latanoprost. These trials showed a reduction of 16%-21% in the intraocular pressure (IOP) when using Netarsudil. Moreover, it was found that when using a combination of Netarsudil and Latanoprost, 64.5% of these patients achieved ≥30% reduction in mean diurnal IOP versus 28.8% of patients treated only with Netarsudil and 37.2% of patients treated only with Latanoprost (P<0.0001). The most common adverse event reported was conjunctival hyperemia, which was more frequent in patients using Netarsudil. However, this did not significantly affect the drug tolerance.