I just received this reply from Ventura Laboratories:
Greetings,
I am sorry to inform you that we prohibit our product for human use, as it is strictly for animal use. I am aware that other scientist groups are working to make it available for humans but Lanomax must not be used on humans.
Regards,
Lanomax Service Team
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To which I replied:
Dear Lanomax,
I am sorry to inform you that you place more priority on dogs than humans.
It is irrelevant whether other groups are working to make lanosterol available for human use, or not. Until it is available for human use, the first priority of Ventura Laboratories should be to humans, not dogs.
When lanosterol becomes available for human use, then and only then will Ventura Laboratories be morally entitled to make a product that works only in dogs. By forcing humans to suffer all the risks and sequelae associated with surgery while dogs are allowed to avoid them, we consider this position as cruelty to humans, and therefore Lanomax is an unethical product which infringes human rights. In view of this infringement, we are advising dog owners not to use Lanomax.
Regards
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The same infringement of human rights applies to the other eyedrop, "Kinostat", which is intended for and may be effective only to prevent/halt cataracts in dogs. "Kinostat" contains an aldose reductase inhibitor (ARI). It is named after the famous Japanese cataract researcher Jin Kinoshita who devoted most of his life to finding a non-surgical cure for human cataracts - not dog cataracts. ARI ameliorate the complications of diabetes, and the use of topical eyedrops containing ARI could halt cataracts in human diabetics. Therefore, use of his name and misappropriation of his work to brand a product that works only in dogs is a disgrace to all of humanity, to the eye profession, and to the name and memory of Jin Kinoshita.
It was explained to me by a member of the eye profession that "cataract surgery is their bread-and-butter", and "they don't care about dogs" (meaning, they don't make any money from dog cataract surgery), which is why effective non-surgical solutions now exist for dogs only.
We therefore respectfully request the makers of these various eyedrops to modify them for human use, and to put their great knowledge and skill to work for the sake of humanity.