A brilliant Indian student received a top medical award for discovering a new way to restore sight to patients of all ages.
In the spring of 2022, at the annual meeting of the European Ophthalmology Congress, an incredible event took place. The entire hall of experts stood up to honor a young man who delivered a 10-minute speech.
This boy’s name was Manoj Agarwal, an Indian medical student. He had invented a unique formula to restore sight to prevent blindness. Manoj’s idea was implemented by some of the country’s best medical researchers. Experts from the Institute of Ophthalmology and other medical research institutions were also involved in the development of the drug. This new drug is already showing very good results.
Reporter: Manoj, you are one of the top ten smartest medical students in the world. What inspired you to work on the problem of vision loss?
I don’t like to discuss the reasons behind this, but my motivation was somewhat personal. A few years ago, my mother’s eyesight suddenly began to deteriorate. She couldn’t see through glasses or contact lenses, and her vision was deteriorating rapidly. The doctor had decided to operate on her, but a week before the operation, it was discovered that the reason for her progressive deterioration was a lack of proper blood supply to the lens and fundus. Therefore, surgery was out of the question. My grandmother also went completely blind a few years ago due to this same condition. That’s when I started studying eye diseases. I’ve been deeply immersed in this subject for the past three years. In fact, I came up with the idea for this new method of vision correction while I was writing my thesis. I knew it was very new, but never imagined it would create such a stir in the medical and business fields.
As soon as the article about my new method was published, I started receiving calls from numerous investors who wanted to buy my idea. First, a French company offered me 120,000 euros. An American pharmaceutical holding company even offered up to $33 million to buy my idea. I became distraught, changed my phone number, and began distancing myself from society, as I was receiving offers from everywhere.
As far as I know, I haven’t sold my formula? That’s true. Look, this may sound unpleasant, but I didn’t create it to make rich people in other countries even richer. If I sell this formula abroad, do you know what will happen? They will patent it and prevent others from making this drug. Then, its prices will be raised. I’m still young, but I’m not stupid. At this rate, the common man will never be able to afford it. When I received an offer from a national research institute to develop a drug specifically for the Indian market, I immediately jumped in. I worked with the team at the Institute of Ophthalmology, which was a wonderful experience. Now, clinical trials are complete, and the drug is available to everyone. We asked them to share their insights on this new discovery.
Reporter: “What’s the crux of Manoj Agarwal’s idea? Can it truly restore vision to people of all ages?”
Manoj’s idea represents a completely new way to combat eye disease, and it also has benefits for those caused by genetic factors. Experts know that the drugs currently available on the market only work in the early stages of the disease. Unfortunately, some doctors prescribe drugs that only delay the progress. And when the patient finally reaches the point where they can’t see anything, they are immediately sent for surgery. For these doctors, this is just a business; they have no interest in treating their patients.
In the early 2000s, Indian scientists discovered that 90% of vision problems are caused by a lack of blood supply to the eye. This results in the inability of nutrients to reach the lens, sclera, and cornea. Manoj’s idea helps increase blood supply to the human eye system. This way, you can reduce the risk of vision loss in the early stages of the disease. But this isn’t enough to combat advanced disease when the patient is almost blind. Many doctors and medical experts have been trying to create a drug based on this formula that can restore vision at any age. This has no basis. It’s simply a ploy by big pharmaceutical companies to make more money. It’s long been proven that our body’s system has the ability to heal itself. You just need to provide a little help by reducing inflammation, increasing blood supply, and removing dead cells and toxins.
Reporter: “But how were eye diseases treated in the past? How many types of eye medications are sold in pharmacies today?”
That’s right, there are many such medications on the market. But they all rely on the same principle I explained at the beginning of our conversation. These medications only provide some relief from symptoms. The patient gets temporary relief, but nothing more. Manoj is absolutely right. If you check the formulations of medications sold in pharmacies today, any doctor will tell you that they should only be taken when there is no other option.
Reporter: “What’s the difference between those medications and yours? Can it restore vision?”
The difference is that our medication stimulates the growth of new tissue and restores blood supply to the eyes. And this happens every time you take the medication. This is the main principle of this treatment. Like Manoj, we also tried to look at the problem of restoring vision from a new perspective. This medicine is far superior to the chemical formulas of medicines available in the market. This herbal extract is unique and highly concentrated in its own way. This makes it the most effective and safe treatment compared to existing methods. Cells begin to regenerate, and vision returns to normal even in the most advanced cases.
Composition:
Lutein (Free Lutein) – Each 500 mg capsule contains: Lutein ester 20 mg from marigold flower extract
Reporter: “But will your medicine be available in pharmacies? By the way, what will its price be?”
You probably know that as soon as news spread that we were developing something new and effective, major pharmaceutical companies began trying to contact us. They wanted Manoj to sell them our formula. But these companies had no plans to manufacture the medicine. On the contrary, they simply wanted this medicine to never be produced on a large scale. Today, the market for eye treatments is huge. Medicines worth crores of rupees are sold in India alone. Those who manufacture these medicines also understand that it is vital that such medicines reach the people of our country. We have pledged that we will never send this formula abroad or export this medicine; it will only be sold in India.