Preventing sight loss in people with diabetes

That this House congratulates Queen’s University Belfast on its breakthrough study, led by Professor Tim Curtis and Dr Josy Augustine of the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, which found that a novel drug, 2-HDP, can protect retinal nerve cells and blood vessels in diabetic eye disease; highlights that diabetic retinal disease is the leading cause of vision loss in adults and that current treatment can only target the latest stages of damage; notes that the research which is supported by Diabetes UK, signals the possibility of earlier, preventative treatments for vision loss in people living with diabetes; urges the Government to accelerate this work into trials and pathways for treatment; and calls upon the Department for Health and Social Care to consider their support for protecting vision by targeting early intervention, to prevent against sight loss for people with diabetes.