Carl B. Camras (November 23, 1953 – April 14, 2009) was an American

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Followin ...

known for his research on the treatment of

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...

. He discovered a new class of drugs to treat glaucoma—

prostaglandin analogue Prostaglandin analogues are a class of drugs that bind to a prostaglandin receptor. Wider use of prostaglandin analogues is limited by unwanted side effects and their abortive potential. Uses Prostaglandin analogues such as misoprostol are used ...

s. Specifically, he developed

latanoprost Latanoprost, sold under the brand name Xalatan among others, is a medication used to treat increased pressure inside the eye. This includes ocular hypertension and open angle glaucoma. It is applied as eye drops to the eyes. Onset of effects i ...

sold under the trade name

Xalatan Latanoprost, sold under the brand name Xalatan among others, is a medication used to treat increased pressure inside the eye. This includes ocular hypertension and open angle glaucoma. It is applied as eye drops to the eyes. Onset of effects i ...

, which is the most widely used glaucoma medication.

Biography

Carl Camras grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He was the son of the engineer and inventor Marvin Camras who held over 550 patents. His father invented magnetic recording which was later used on VCR tapes and computer disks.

Undergraduate work

As a molecular biophysics and biochemistry major at Yale University, Dr. Camras first conceived the idea that low doses of prostaglandins could be effective in lowering intraocular pressure in glaucoma.

Medical school

In medical school at Columbia University, Dr. Camras sought out a research adviser who would work with him on his project. After many rejections, he partnered with a renowned researcher-novelist Dr. László Z. Bitó who agreed to work with him on the project. Together with the help of Johan Stjernschantz at Pharmacia, the three developed the prostaglandin analogue, latanoprost, which remains the leading treatment in glaucoma therapy.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Camras, Carl B. 1953 births 2009 deaths American ophthalmologists Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni University of Nebraska Medical Center faculty People from Glencoe, Illinois University of California, Los Angeles alumni