Eyelash Enhancer Gains Approval
Allergan Inc. said it received Food and Drug Administration approval to market Latisse, a beauty treatment that increases the length, thickness and darkness of eyelashes by using a drug the company developed to treat glaucoma. full story
12/30/2008
When Corks Fly, Watch the Eyes
Be careful with the bubbly or you could be among the estimated 1,500 Americans in the ER this holiday season with an eye injury from a flying champagne cork. full story
12/26/2008
OCT Accurately Detects Corneal Thinning In Keratoconic Eyes
Pachymetry mapping with optical coherence tomography accurately and reliably identified corneal thinning in keratoconic eyes.
Full Story
12/22/2008
Detachment Rate Reduced After Presoaking DSEK Donor Grafts In Balanced Salt Solution
Detachment rate was reduced to 0% in 20 grafts presoaked in a balanced salt solution before Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty. full story
12/17/2008
MRI Scans Can Predict Effects Of MS Flare-Ups On Optic Nerve
One of the most pernicious aspects of multiple sclerosis (MS) — its sheer unpredictability — may finally be starting to yield to advanced medical imaging techniques. full story
12/15/2008
Researchers identify genetic mutation responsible for some cases of uveal melanoma
A mutation of heterotrimeric G protein alpha-subunit, or GNAQ — a gene responsible for regulating growth of melanocytes — turns off inhibitive pathways, leading to unchecked growth of the skin cell. The mutation may be the cause of about 45% of all uveal melanoma, as well as a key factor in blue nevi, a type of benign skin mole, according to the report published online at Nature. full story
12/13/2008
Give gift of sight for Christmas
This holiday season, I urge readers to call EyeCare America’s Seniors EyeCare Program at 1-800-222-EYES (3937), to see if someone they love may qualify for medical eye care at no out-of-pocket cost. By calling EyeCare America’s help line and connecting a loved one with an eye exam, friends and family members may be giving the best gift of all — the gift of sight! This year-round program is designed for seniors, age 65 and older, who have not seen an ophthalmologist (a medical eye doctor) in three or more years. Eligible patients will be matched with a nearby volunteer ophthalmologist. Seniors receive a comprehensive medical eye examination and up to one year of care for any disease diagnosed during the initial visit at no out-of-pocket cost.
full story
12/11/2008
For Lazy Eye, Drops Instead of a Patch
One of the most common childhood vision problems is amblyopia, or “lazy eye,” which occurs when one eye is significantly weaker than the other. But correcting the disorder can be hard, because kids often reject the treatment — a patch worn over the stronger eye.
This week, the journal Archives of Ophthalmology reports on a new study that compares patch therapy for amblyopia with another technique — a weekly regimen of medicated eyedrops that essentially work as a patch by blurring vision in the stronger eye. full story
12/09/2008
Rising Tide of Diabetic Eye Complications Predicted
Prevalence of retinopathy, glaucoma, and other vision problems related to diabetes are projected to rise dramatically over the next four decades. With rising diabetes rates, the number of Americans 40 and older with diabetic retinopathy will triple by 2050, Jinan B. Saaddine, M.D., M.P.H., of the CDC here, and colleagues reported in the December issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology. The number of diabetic patients with cataracts and glaucoma will likely double or triple as well, the researchers said. full story
12/03/2008
New Optometry School to Open in California?
A new school of optometry in California could open by 2009 if all goes as planned.
Officially, Western University of Health Sciences, in Pomona, Calif., will not confirm or deny plans to open a new optometry school. But, a 10-year strategic plan found on the university’s Web site predicts the opening of a new school of optometry by 2009. The university has also advertised for a dean. full story
12/02/2008
Eye Disorders Linked to Statin Drug Use in Some Patients
Statin medications are used to lower patients’ cholesterol levels, thus helping prevent coronary heart disease, stroke and other deaths related to high cholesterol levels. Statin use has grown rapidly since 1992, and seems likely to increase in light of the recent, widely-reported Jupiter Study on statin benefits in patients with low cholesterol but elevated C-reactive protein. Eye disorders related to statins are rare, occurring in about 0.1 percent of patients (0.5 to 2.5 percent when gemfibrozil, another type of cholesterol-lowering drug, is taken simultaneously). The study led by F.W. Fraunfelder, MD, of the Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, is the first to systematically report on the association of eye disorders with statin use.
full story
11/27/2008
Midwestern University to Open the First Optometry school in Arizona
Midwestern University opens the doors of its Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree program in the Fall of 2009.
The Arizona College of Optometry (AZCOPT) fosters lifelong learning through excellence in education, postgraduate programs, and scholarship. The four-year professional curriculum will help prepare optometrists who will provide exemplary patient care, serve the needs of the public, and improve the health and well-being of society. More information about the program
11/25/2008
Brain adapts to visual field change in patients with macular degeneration
The study findings may significantly enhance vision for patients with macular degeneration. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology saw that when patients used a non-diseased part of their retina to compensate for visual field loss, the brain reorganized neural connections to adapt. The study included 13 volunteer subjects who underwent tests designed to stimulate their peripheral vision. When patients used non-diseased, preferred retinal locations, brain activity increased in areas of the visual cortex normally activated when patients focused on the central visual field. “While there is evidence with other tasks that suggests that the brain can reorganize itself, this is the first study to directly show that this reorganization in patients with retinal disease is related to patient behavior,” the release said.
source: Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2008;26(4-5);391-402.
11/23/2008
Melatonin May Save Eyesight In Inflammatory Disease
Current research suggests that melatonin therapy may help treat uveitis, a common inflammatory eye disease. The related report by Sande et al., “Therapeutic Effect of Melatonin in Experimental Uveitis,” appears in the December issue of The American Journal of Pathology. They found in an experimental model of uveitis that levels of two factors that contribute to inflammation, TNFα and NFκB, were reduced with melatonin treatment. Importantly, melatonin treatment also decreased the appearance of clinical symptoms of uveitis such as inflammation, blood vessel expansion and cataract, and protected the blood-ocular barrier integrity. full story
11/20/2008New Clinical Ocular Toxicology Book Identifies 96 Drugs Detectable By Selected Color Vision Testing
A new book, entitled Clinical Ocular Toxicology – Drugs, Chemicals and Herbs, discusses in detail chemical and herbal medicines that cause or may cause adverse ocular effects. Among such effects are those that can be detected by some color vision tests. full story
11/18/2008
A Less-Invasive Glaucoma Procedure
A new minimally invasive surgery for glaucoma called canaloplasty is nearly as effective as traditional surgery and has fewer complications, according to a company that sells equipment used in the procedure. Two-year data on canaloplasty look promising, but some physicians warn that little is known about its long-term outcome.
fully story
11/14/2008
Respected Names in Ophthalmology Notice Local Eye Site’s Unique Approach
Local Eye Site (LES) launched in April 2008, as an online networking community for all eye care professionals. Local Eye Site originally started with a regional focus, but management soon realized the national need. Seven months and tens of thousands of site visits later, LES has customers from Chicago to Miami. The website’s attention and early success results from a unique approach – adding viral networking to an online presence.
full story
11/14/2008
Poor Night Vision May Predict Age-Related Eye Disease
Poor night vision might be a predictor of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a new study says.
More than 1,000 people with early signs of AMD were given a 10-item questionnaire asking them to rate their difficulties with night driving and low-light activities like reading or watching movies, then were followed annually for up to six years. Those with the worst night vision at the start were most likely to develop reduced visual acuity and one of two types of advanced AMD—geographic atrophy (GA) or choroidal neovascularization (CNV).AMD destroys the macula in the eye’s retina, the area that normally provides detailed, central vision. Study leader Gui-shuang Ying, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, said the simple questionnaire could prove useful in identifying patients at high risk of vision loss and advanced AMD. The study was published in the November issue of Ophthalmology.
11/12/2008
Anti-VEGF more effective than photocoagulation, combination therapy in treating DME
Diabetic macular edema regresses more after treatment with ranibizumab rather than laser photocoagulation or combination therapy of ranibizumab plus laser photocoagulation.
full story
11/12/2008
High Temperatures Decrease Antifungal Properties Of Contact Solution
Exposure to prolonged temperature elevation reduces antifungal activity of a contact lens solution that was implicated in the epidemic of the eye infection Fusarium keratitis that occurred between 2004 and 2006, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
full story
11/11/2008
Control diabetes now, see later
A 25-year study of people with Type 1 diabetes in Wisconsin has some good news: people who controlled their blood-sugar levels over the long term were more likely to reverse certain abnormalities, caused by the disease, in the retina’s small blood vessels.
But then there’s the bad news: serious eye disease is a very common side effect of diabetes. Based on the Wisconsin findings, 185,000 to 466,000 Americans with Type 1 diabetes may eventually develop proliferative diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can lead to severe visual impairment.
full story
11/11/2008
Aging: A Law Reduces Driving Deaths, but Why?
A Florida law requiring drivers 80 and older to have their vision tested appears to have reduced the number of driving deaths among older people. Writing in the November issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, researchers say the fatality rate for drivers in that age group went down 17 percent after the law was passed, even though the overall rate in Florida rose 6 percent in the same period.
full story
11/10/2008
Depression more likely for AMD patients who give up activities
ATLANTA — Depression is more likely to affect age-related macular degeneration patients who give up three or more of their activities, a surgeon said here. Out of 206 patients studied, 23 patients, or 14.4%, declined cognitively, William S. Tasman, MD, FACS, said during Retina Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.
“What we noticed was those who gave up three activities were almost four times more likely to become demented than those who gave up none and subjects who dropped five activities were almost 10 times more likely to decline than those who dropped only one,” he said. “So the conclusions from this is that the number of activities dropped was a predictor of cognitive decline, particularly under the age of 80,” Dr. Tasman continued. “And then prevention becomes important.”
He suggested involving family and friends, encouraging acitvities at senior centers and, most importantly, preventing people from becoming isolated.
11/08/2008
Mirrors Made With Highly Reflective Liquids May Lead To Better Eye Exams, Improved Telescopes
Scientists in Canada are reporting progress toward a new type of “liquid mirror” – mirrors made with highly reflective liquids – whose shape can be changed to provide superior optical properties over conventional solid mirrors. The advance could lead to improved instruments for diagnosing eye disease, more powerful telescopes, and other applications, the researchers say. Their research will be described in the November 25 issue of ACS’ Chemistry of Materials, a bi-weekly journal.
11/07/2008
LASIK gives way to alternatives; refractive surgeons more commonly undergo refractive surgery
ASIK continued waning as lens-based refractive procedures gained ground in certain cases in 2008 while refractive surgeons and their families are more likely to undergo refractive surgery than the general population, according to a physician speaking here. Refractive surgeons and their families have undergone refractive surgery themselves at four times the rate of the general population, Dr. Duffey said. full story
11/06/2008
Soft Contact Lens Materials Not Effective For Drug Delivery
The time course for uptake and release was too fast for effective drug delivery when ciprofloxacin was tested for topical extended release from soft contact lens materials.
11/05/2008
Allergan launches eye drop for treating post-LASIK dry eye
Allergan has added a preservative-free eye drop to its line of Optive artificial tears for treating LASIK-induced dry eye syndrome, the company announced in a press release.
full story
11/04/2008
Stem cells may protect retina from progressive degeneration, study says
A proprietary purified human neural stem cell product (HuCNS-SC, StemCells), when transplanted into a well-established animal model, may protect the retina from progressive degeneration, according to researchers. In this preclinical study, conducted by Raymond Lund, PhD, researcher and professor, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, and his research team, stem cells were transplanted into the Royal College of Surgeons rat, a well-established animal model of retinal degeneration. The study showed that the stem cells survived the transplants and engrafted, and the eyes transplanted with the cells showed preservation of the photoreceptors and stabilization of visual function. “This study confirms the results of previously published academic studies evaluating neural stem cell transplantation into the retina and provides us with the rationale to pursue clinical testing of HuCNS-SC cells for retinal disorders,” said Stephen Huhn, vice president and head of the CNS program at StemCells. “We are already conducting additional preclinical studies and a pre-investigational new drug (IND) meeting has been scheduled with the FDA in December 2008 to determine the pathway to a successful IND filing,” he added.
11/01/2008
Adjusting IOP for CCT does not Appear to Affect Glaucoma Prevalence
Calculating the impact of central corneal thickness on IOP levels through correction algorithms appears to not affect the prevalence of open-angle glaucoma, but CCT remains an important risk factor for the disease. full story
11/03/2008
Christmas Gift Ideas—Give the Gift of Sight
If you are looking to give something really special this holiday season, perhaps a gift with the potential to actually changes lives, then consider a gift from Operation Eyesight. Gifts include cataract surgery, eye exams for children and technician training. Each gift includes a personalized card and can be mailed directly to the recipient. Visit the homepage & click on “2008 Gift Guide” for complete details.
10/30/2008
Case Series Finds Increasing Incidence Of In-The-Bag IOL Dislocations
A retrospective case review revealed that one-quarter of IOL dislocations occurred within the first 24 hours after implantation, but the majority of dislocations occurred after 1 month. full story
10/29/2008
Diabetes Threatens the Eyesight of Many Unsuspecting Americans, Risks Especially High for Hispanic-Americans
An estimated 24 million Americans now have diabetes, with the number expected to grow at least five percent annually in future years. One serious consequence of the disease can be vision loss or blindness. November is Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology urges anyone who may be at risk for diabetes to see their ophthalmologist and primary care physician. The earlier diabetes is caught and appropriate lifestyle changes and treatment begin, the better the chance of avoiding vision loss and other health consequences. full story
10/28/2008
Seeing Color In ‘Blindsight’
By manipulating the brain noninvasively in a new way with magnetic stimulation, researchers have shown that they can restore some experience of color where before there was no visual awareness whatsoever. They report their findings in the October 28th issue of Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. full story
10/27/2008
Where Are We After Twenty Years Of Cornea Research?
Twenty years ago corneal research and treatments looked very different. Contact lens or glasses were the norm and LASIK was only a dream. Large refractive errors were actually treated by using a procedure that froze, lathed and then sutured a piece of corneal tissue into the eye. There was no database to track corneal transplants and outcomes; most reports looked at small series within a year’s follow-up. People with debilitating conditions, such as Fuch’s dystrophy, keratoconus, and other ocular medical challenges, faced a full-thickness transplant with an arduous recovery. Flash forward to 2008
10/24/2008
No More Four-Eyes – Drops Could Cure Myopia
For up to two billion people around the world wearing glasses for myopia or short-sightedness there may be a surprisingly simple solution on the horizon – eye drops to shrink their larger than normal eyeballs, potentially correcting their vision and in severe cases preventing blindness.
full story
10/23/2008
Kuwaiti discovers gene responsible for child cataract disease
Prof Abdulmutalib Behbehani, who is due to participate in Kuwait’s 10th conference on ‘Ophthalmology for children’ which begins this Sunday, said that the discovery of the ‘CY1B1’ gene, which has been published in a US medical journal, opens the door for finding a genetic cure in the future. full stoy
10/22/2008
Get Inspired! Teen’s efforts help the poor of rural India to see
Ravishankar, a 19-year-old N.C. State University sophomore, raised the money for and organized two daylong “eye camps” in rural villages in India, providing 945 eye screenings, 130 same-day prescription eyeglasses and 257 cataract surgeries. All free, for the poorest of the poor, who queued up in long lines. full story
10/22/2008
Bascom Palmer Gains Top Spot In Annual Survey
The economic downturn might have the nation feeling a little unsettled these days, but one thing that remains in focus is the commitment by America’s ophthalmology programs to provide quality patient care, train excellent physicians, and dig deep for treatments for vision problems.
Nowhere is that commitment to excellence more pronounced than at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, which—for the first time—has earned recognition as the best overall ophthalmology program in the country in the 2008 Ophthalmology Times Best Programs survey. See how others ranked
10/18/2008
Research Suggests Link Between Thyroid Disorder and Glaucoma
New research from UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) says that thyroid disorder may be a risk factor for developing glaucoma. In a study posted online today in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, the researchers say people diagnosed with glaucoma are 38 percent more likely to have had a thyroid condition during their lifetime.
full story
Decrease seen in number of eyes progressing to stage 5 retinopathy of prematurity
Since implementing Early Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity guidelines in 2003, there has been a decrease from 10.3% to 1.9% in the numbers of eyes that have developed stage 5 retinal detachment, a study has shown. “The Multicenter Trial of Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity showed that 44% of eyes with a history of severe ROP had a visual acuity at age 10 years of 20/200 or worse,” Dr. Alme said, which prompted implementation of the ETROP guidelines. Five hundred eighty-one patients were examined before implementation of ETROP guidelines, and 464 were examined after implementation. The average estimated gestational age at birth was 26.3 weeks in the before group and 25.2 weeks in after group, with average birth weights of 888 g and 707 g, respectively.
10/14/2008
An eye doctor gets pink eye, and sees it as a learning tool
What happens if an ophthalmology resident contracts pink eye? It’s a more serious situation, given the potential for rapid spread to other eye patients. full story
10/13/2008
Age Related Macular Degeneration: New Genetic Association Identified
A team of clinicians and scientists at the University of Southampton has identified a major new genetic association with age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in developed countries.
full story
10/10/2008
Eye Drops Linked To Depression
Medicated eye drops containing beta blockers are prescribed to reduce eye pressure and limit damage to the optic nerve. But, says Australian Professor Isaac Schweitzer of the Melbourne Clinic and the University of Melbourne’s Department of Psychiatry, the eye-saving drugs cause a rare, but real, side-effect that can go unnoticed. “Depression is often dismissed in older people as a normal reaction to aging, chronic illness or loss,” Professor Schweitzer told the Australian Associated Press. He warned that older people who suffer from depression should not be prescribed this class of drugs, and called for doctors to be aware of the link.
10/09/2008
Type 1 Diabetes Vaccine May Preserve Some Insulin Production
Immunotherapy against a major autoantigen in type 1 diabetes may preserve beta-cell function early after disease onset but not reverse the process, researchers said. full story
10/09/2008
Campaign ‘08: Healthcare Promises in the Candidates’ Own Words
10/08/2008
Advanced Medical Optics Receives FDA Approval For Healon D® Viscoelastic For Ophthalmic Surgery
Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. (AMO) (NYSE:EYE), the global leader in advanced refractive technologies for eye care professionals and patients, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted premarket approval (PMA) of Healon D® viscoelastic, a clear dispersive ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) for use as a surgical aid in cataract extraction, intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, corneal transplant, and glaucoma filtration surgery.
10/07/2008
Impact Of Smoking On Cataract Formation Difficult To Gauge
Physicians in India have known for years that smoking has become an epidemic in their country, but it is only recently that studies have been conducted to determine whether there is a specific correlation between smoking and ocular complications. fully story
10/04/2008
Eye Quiz: Test Your Knowledge here
10/03/2008
Newer Contact Lenses Don’t Cut Infections
Neither the newer contact lenses that allow more oxygen into the eye nor daily disposable lenses have reduced the risk of a dangerous eye infection as hoped, according to two new studies.
Whatever the type of lens, sleeping with them in is the biggest risk factor for a painful infection of the cornea called microbial keratitis, the researchers also find.”If you wear any of these lenses overnight, you have five times the risk of infection,” says John Dart, DM, a consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. He is the lead author of one study and co-author of the other. “These are the first well-designed studies to look at daily disposables and the newer silicone hydrogel lenses,” Dart tells WebMD. The silicone hydrogel lenses were introduced in 1999 in the hope that by improving oxygen transmission to the cornea, which has no blood supply of its own, it would decrease infection risk, he says. Daily disposables, introduced in 1999, were also thought to be protective against infection because they’re not exposed to lens cases, which can be contaminated. But neither of the studies, published in the October issue of Ophthalmology, found that to be true, Dart says. However, Dart says, it’s important to put the risk in perspective. “The risk of getting microbial keratitis is actually overall not large,” he says. It affects about 1 in 2,000 contact lens wearers. But it can cause vision loss, sometimes permanently.
Vision Test for Young Children Called Unreliable
The standard test for checking the vision of young children cannot be completely trusted, Johns Hopkins University researchers report. The test, called fixation preference test (FPT), is used to evaluate visual acuity, which is the ability of the eyes to focus images on the macula, the part of the eye that handles detailed vision. “Current methods of vision testing in children 6 months to 30 months of age is likely not completely reliable,” said lead researcher Dr. David S. Friedman, an associate professor of ophthalmology and international health at Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute. “Current methods of testing vision in very young children need to be re-assessed.”
more
10/02/2008
Study uncovers prevalence, types of glaucoma among Malay population
New data analysis from the Singapore Malay Eye Study has identified a 3.4% prevalence of glaucoma among a large population of Singaporean Malay adults that is comparable to the prevalence of the disease among Singaporean ethnic Chinese and other racial and ethnic groups in Asia. In addition, most of these glaucoma cases had previously gone undetected.
full story
10/1/2008
Bill halts expansion of optometric scope of practice in California
Bill halts expansion of optometric scope of practice in California
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation that, in its original incarnation, would have permitted optometrists to perform ophthalmic surgeries and administer eye injections, the American Academy of Ophthalmology announced.
full story
10/01/2008
Oily fish intake may reduce risk of developing neovascular AMD, study suggests
Eating oily fish containing docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid at least once a week appears to decrease the risk of developing wet age-related macular degeneration by half, according to a large population-based study.
Working at seven centers across Europe, Cristina Augood, MD, and colleagues with the European Eye Study (EUREYE) group evaluated the possible association between dietary docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid — both found in oily fish — and AMD among 105 patients with wet AMD and a control group of 2,170 participants without AMD. All patients underwent fundus photography and were interviewed using a food-frequency questionnaire to measure nutrient intake.
Participants were at least 65 years old at baseline.
The investigators found that 64% of the study population consumed oily fish less than once per week, 25% consumed oily fish once per week and 12% consumed oily fish at least twice weekly.
9/28/2008
The convenience of extended-wear soft contact lenses may bring unwelcome consequences: a greater risk for eye infections.
According to a recent study, wearing soft contacts can increase your risk for microbial keratitis. This is a rare but serious infection of the cornea, the outermost part of the eye. It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungus and an organism called acanthamoeba. The study found infection rates were highest in those who wore extended-wear soft contacts.
full story
9/27/2008
Computer Vision Syndrome—Screen-Proof Your Eyes
Call it the revenge of the electronic screens. Many of us spend hours each day peering at computer screens, televisions, hand-held devices, cell phones, GPS monitors and more. The result: dry eyes, irritation, blurred vision, double vision, headache, and tiredness.
There’s a word for this group of symptoms, or, rather, three words: “computer vision syndrome.”
more
9/26/2008
Pacific University College of Optometry Semiannual Practice Opportunity Fair November 13, 2008 from 10 am to 2 pm
This Fair has been established to provide College alumni and other practitioners a forum for meeting and speaking with students and recent graduates about professional opportunities. If you are looking for a partner, associate, employee, or purchaser of your practice, now or in the future, this is a wonderful opportunity to connect with students for that purpose. You are encouraged to bring business cards, handouts, photos, or any other information that you might like to share with students about your practice. To adequately plan for space, we ask for your response by Friday, October 31, 2008. For questions or additional information, please contact Melodye MacAlpine at mmacalpine@pacificu.edu or by phone at 503-352-2253.
9/26/2008
FDA Orders Two Unapproved Drugs Off The Market
U.S. health officials warned companies on Tuesday to stop selling unapproved versions of an eye-surgery solution and a prescription wound cream that have been linked to serious health problems. The products are ophthalmic balanced salt solutions (BSS) used to irrigate the eye during cataract and other surgeries, and skin ointments made with the ingredient papain. Baxter Healthcare Inc and Hospira are among the makers of unapproved versions of the eye solution, Food and Drug Administration officials said.
9/25/2008
Programs Tackle High Rate Of Blindness Among Women
They are mothers, daughters and grandmothers, and they share one health factor in common: Around the world, two out of every three people who are blind from preventable causes are women.
Retinal Cell Transplant Yields Vision Improvement
Early reports are encouraging from a small study of patients with dry macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa. Seven of the 10 people in the study showed improved visual acuity. The doctors implanted sheets of cells that included the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) attached to neural (nerve) cells. The intent of the surgery was to see if the new implanted cells would grow to replace the damaged photoreceptor cells and reconnect to the patient’s remaining retina. Four people with dry AMD were part of the trial, along with six people with RP. All four AMD patients showed improved visual acuity and three of the RP patients improved.
09/23/2008
US scientists have claimed success using gene therapy to try to reverse a severe inherited sight disorder.
They injected material containing a corrective gene into the eyes of three patients with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). The journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports all three showed signs of “significant” improvement in their vision. They believe the method could be ready for use within two years to treat people suffering from some inherited diseases of the retina, which affect 20,000 people in Britain.
09/19/2008Alcon breaks ground on W.Va. site expansion
NEW YORK—Eye care products maker Alcon Inc. on Friday said it broke ground on an expansion to its medical device manufacturing facility in Cabell County, W.Va.
The Switzerland-based company said it is still in the $25 million planning and design phase of the 74,000 square foot facility, which it expects to become fully functional in 2011.
Once completed, the expansion will provide more than 350 jobs over the next 10 to 15 years, Alcon said. The facility will continue to produce intraocular lenses, which are artificial lenses that replace the clouded natural lens after removal during cataract surgery.
Alcon said it purchased the 21-acre site in Cabell County, and has an option to purchase an additional eight acres in the future.
Shares of Alcon slipped $1.10 to $171.87 in afternoon trading. Earlier in the session, the stock touched an all-time high of $178.56
SOLX Receives FDA Clearance For New Glaucoma Laser
SOLX 790 laser equivalent to argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) for IOP reduction while preserving trabecular meshwork
WALTHAM, Mass., Sept 18, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/—SOLX, Inc. announced today U.S. Food and Drug (FDA) 510(k) clearance for the SOLX 790 to perform Titanium:Sapphire laser trabeculoplasty (TLT). The 510(k) clearance was based on the results of a multi-center, international clinical trial that established equivalency of TLT to ALT in the ability to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients having primary open angle glaucoma and poorly controlled IOP on maximally tolerated medications and/or prior failed trabeculoplasty. The laser had previously been approved for sale in Europe and Canada.
Source: WSJ.com
9/19/2008
ReSTOR IOL Good In Post Lasik Cataract Patients
The use of the ReSTOR intraocular lens (IOL) (Alcon) for patients requiring cataract surgery after prior laser photoablation can result in excellent outcomes if optical results fall near emmetropia, according to Samuel Masket of the USA.
Source: Ophthalmology Times
9/17/2008
Wavefront-Guided LASIK Shows Better Results Than Conventional Lasik In Night Driving Simulator
Wavefront-guided LASIK patients performed better in a night driving simulator test than those who underwent conventional LASIK, a retrospective review of two prospective studies found.
9/16/2008
Human Optics launches artificial iris, Add-On IOL
BERLIN — Human Optics AG launched a new artificial iris and the Add-On IOL here at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting. The IOL can be implanted into the sulcus in addition to a traditional IOL that has been implanted in the capsular bag, according to company literature. The silicone artificial iris is customized to match a patient’s fellow eye in aniridia cases. There are two versions of the artificial iris: one with polymer meshwork for sutured fixation and one without for sutureless implantation in the ciliary sulcus.
The Add-On IOL can be implanted in a single-session strategy during cataract surgery or in a two-step implantation after cataract surgery. The lens offers fine-tuning options for vision correction, according to company literature.
9/15/2008
Inspire Announces Plans For Clinical Testing Of New Compound INS117548 For The Treatment Of Glaucoma
Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISPH) announced today that the standard 30-day review period by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) relating to Inspire’s Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for INS117548 Ophthalmic Solution for the treatment of glaucoma has concluded and clinical testing can proceed
Invention: Drug-delivering contact lenses
Getting drugs into the eye is a tricky business. The eye is well adapted at keeping foreign objects out, so most drugs are washed out by tears, disappear down the eye’s drainage system, or simply spilled outside the eye. By some estimates, as little as 1% of any drug delivered to the eye actually ends up inside it. One potential way round this is to use soft contact lenses steeped in a solution of drug that leach it into the eye. However, it is hard to cram a dose large enough to be clinically significant into lenses, which also tend to leak the drugs away too quickly. So Mark Byrne, a chemical engineer at Auburn University in Alabama, has a developed a contact-lens material that can hold much greater concentrations of drugs and release them more slowly. The trick is to design the molecular structure of the lens material to mimic tissue-receptor sites that the drug will target within the body. The goal is to make the dummy receptors strike a balance, not holding the drug too tight, but also only releasing it slowly into the eye. Byrne has set up a company – OcuMedic – to commercialise the idea and is already developing anti-fungal contact lenses for treating eye infections in horses.
Read the full drug-laced contact lenses patent application
DSAEK offers better visual outcomes than other keratoplasty techniques, study says
Patients can achieve faster and better recovery of uncorrected and best corrected visual acuity with less postoperative astigmatism after Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty than after surgery using other keratoplasty techniques, a study found. However, graft dislocation rates may be higher after DSAEK.
Irit Bahar, MD, and colleagues evaluated visual outcomes, as well as intraoperative and postoperative complications, after using one of four surgical techniques to perform keratoplasty on 177 eyes of 161 patients with corneal edema in a prospective, comparative, randomized study. Specifically, 48 eyes received penetrating keratoplasty, 68 eyes received deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK), 16 eyes received Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) and 45 eyes received DSAEK.
Follow-up averaged 13.6 months for the entire cohort.
At 12 months postop, BCVA averaged 20/53 in the PK group, 20/80 in the DLEK group, 20/56 in the DSEK group and 20/44 in the DSAEK group, the authors noted.
9/12/2008
Pain Killing Drug Can Prevent Diabetes Induced Retinal Destruction Newspost Online
While diabetes can make the beautifully stratified retina look like over-fried bacon, scientists are claiming that a drug, called pentazocine, known for its pain-relieving power can prevent the retinal damage that leads to vision loss. The drug is also believed to stimulate memory. The study has indicated that compounds that bind with the sigma receptor in the eye may be good treatments for the top two causes of vision loss: diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.