Dr. Camras, inventor of most effective glaucoma drug, dies

Dr. Camras, who was 55, served as chairman of the UNMC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences since 2000. He came to UNMC in 1991 as a tenured professor of ophthalmology.

 

A native of Chicago, Dr. Camras devoted more than 20 years of his career to looking for a better drug to treat glaucoma. His quest began as an undergraduate student at Yale University and continued in medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgery. At Columbia, he studied under Laszlo Bito, Ph.D., a legendary researcher-novelist from Hungary who worked at Columbia from 1966 to 1998.

 

As a biochemistry major at Yale, Dr. Camras first conceived the idea that prostaglandins, a type of hormone found in virtually all tissues and organs, could lower the increased intraocular pressure that occurs with glaucoma. In 1996, using prostaglandins, Drs. Bito and Camras were the lead investigators in developing a new drug – latanoprost – for treatment of glaucoma.

 

The drug, sold under the trade name of Xalatan, was first marketed by Pharmacia. In short order, it became the most effective drug for the treatment of glaucoma. Since Xalatan was created, two additional glaucoma drugs using prostaglandins – Travatan and Lumigan – have reached the market place. With annual sales exceeding $2 billion, the three glaucoma drugs are by far the most lucrative ophthalmic pharmaceutical products in history.

 

Glaucoma is a disease caused by increased intraocular pressure (IOP) resulting either from a malformation or malfunction of the eye’s drainage structures. Left untreated, an elevated IOP causes irreversible damage to the optic nerve and retinal fibers resulting in a progressive, permanent loss of vision. Early detection and treatment can slow or even halt progression of the disease. 

 

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness affecting more than 2 million people in the United States. It’s estimated that another million people have glaucoma but have not been diagnosed.

 

“Carl Camras was a genius and one of the leading glaucoma specialists in the world,” said Tom Hejkal, M.D., professor of ophthalmology at UNMC. “I would have said the leading glaucoma specialist in the world, but I know Carl’s modesty would have prompted him to refuse such high praise. 

 

“Not only did Carl know all of the scientific literature in his field, but he knew most of the authors personally, where they went to school, their hobbies and the names of their spouses and children. Carl was also one of the kindest and most generous men I have had the privilege to know.”

 

Dr. Camras’ incredible research portfolio includes more than 280 published articles in scientific journals. His impact on glaucoma patients could possibly continue even after his death, as he has a patent on a glaucoma shunt which could help patients in years to come. He has been an invited speaker at literally hundreds of national and international conferences.

 

 

After completing medical school, Dr. Camras did his internship and residency training at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine. He then completed a fellowship in glaucoma at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He remained on the faculty at Mount Sinai from 1983 to 1991, when he accepted the position at UNMC.

 

Being an inventor came naturally to Dr. Camras. His late father, Marvin Camras, owned some 550 patents. An engineer in Chicago, Marvin’s research focused on preserving sound rather than sight. He invented magnetic recording, which was a forerunner to modern tape recording. The magnetic coatings he developed were used on VCR tapes and computer disks.

 

A recurring theme for all who knew Dr. Camras was the outstanding character of the man. “One of Carl’s greatest qualities was the way he treated all people with respect,” Dr. Hejkal said. “He treated even young students just starting out in his laboratory as colleagues and showed them as much consideration and respect as he showed the chairman of an ophthalmology department or the dean of a medical school.”

 

Survivors include: his mother, Isabelle Camras, Chicago; his brothers, Robert and Louis, both of Chicago, and Michael, San Francisco; a sister and brother-in-law, Ruth and Charlie Pikler, Chicago; his wife, Nancy; and two daughters, Lucinda and Melanie.

 

Continuing the family tradition of seeking new inventions, Lucinda, a graduate student in biomedical engineering at Duke University, has been working with her father on glaucoma drainage devices. Last May, father and daughter presented on the devices at a major glaucoma symposium hosted by UNMC.

 

The leading glaucoma experts in the world came to Omaha and made presentations at the symposium – most out of respect for Dr. Camras and his outstanding contributions to the field.  

 

 

 Memorial Service::

 

A memorial service for Dr. Camras will be held at 1 p.m., Sunday, at Heafey-Heafey-Hoffmann-Dworak-Cutler Funeral Chapel, 7805 W. Center Rd.

 

In addition, a second memorial service for the UNMC community will be held at 4 p.m., Friday, in the Mary Ann “Maisie” Paustian Amphitheater, Room 3001 of the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education.

 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Camras Memorial Fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation. The Web site is being developed and gifts may be made online early next week at www.nufoundation.org.

   

 

“Carl had a deep appreciation of how basic research insights can eventually lead to medical cures. His leadership and support for basic research is evident in the doubling of ophthalmology faculty in basic research and construction of state-of-the-art research facilities in the Stanley Truhlsen Eye Research Laboratories. One of his dreams was to build a world-class Eye Institute at UNMC, and I believe we are finally close to making this dream come true. Carl worked harder than anyone in the department. I would see his office alight when arriving at 7 a.m., and he would still be there if I drove past the office at 8 p.m. Balancing his love for his job, Carl also loved to socialize, and he and his wife Nancy threw huge parties a number of times each year. 

 

“Carl’s memory of glaucoma-related publications seemed at least as comprehensive as and better catalogued than PubMed. He could recall the authors, study, and specific findings of impressive numbers of publications conducted over decades. Right up to the end, he was much more concerned about how others were doing than he was about himself and his own health.”

 

“Dr. Camras is the greatest human being that I have ever known. He is the most ethical person with the highest values, incredibly brilliant, a wonderful physician and researcher, yet very humble, compassionate, caring and always thinking of others. He remembered birthdays and special events of all those around him. He knew our families, our life’s stories, joys and sorrows and remembered them. He never failed to say thank you and express his appreciation for anything that was done for him. 

 

“Dr. Camras was loved by his patients, despite some of them having long waits to see him. They brought food, handmade afghans, letters and other gifts. He was legendary at ophthalmology meetings for always being on the run. He would be in a suit with his tennis shoes. He had a prolific agenda for every meeting that he carefully planned out in advance.”

 

 

“Your body looks a little beat up but you are still Carl on the inside. There you were, praising and thanking me for my small gestures and contributions to the department yet you won’t listen to any praise or thanks yourself. Typical, humble Carl. You have mentored me for a good 15 years now. I will do my best to live up to your expectations and standards. Thank you for leading and growing the department over the past nine years. We look forward to seeing that Eye Institute built and the department grow even more. Thank you for your many small gestures such as the parties that united the department and the lunches to celebrate birthdays….and thanks for being my chairman, mentor, colleague and friend.You are irreplaceable.

“Tears are flowing down my cheeks, as I attempt to express my profound admiration and affection for you. I remember a time at an academy meeting – I think it was in New Orleans – when I had just arrived and was walking from a meeting to my hotel, and you not only walked the entire way with me – it was quite a few blocks – but insisted on carrying my bag. That moment has always stuck in my mind as an example of what a wonderful and considerate friend you have always been to so many people. Old friend, I honestly believe that we will all be together again one day. And until that day, I will never hesitate to tell whoever I meet about one of the finest men I ever knew.”

 

“Dr. Camras endured a long battle with heart failure from restrictive pericarditis, which was a complication of the radiation therapy he received for treatment of Hodgkin’s disease more than 25 years ago. Through his extensive review of the literature on this subject over the last two years, I believe he knew more about this condition than most of the experts in the field. I am confident that, given a little more time in good health, he would have discovered a cure.”