Inflammation & Infection

Professor Scott Cousins explains how we can use our knowledge of drusen formation to find new ways to combat dry age-related macular degeneration.

The FDA has accepted for review a New Drug Application for Bepreve (bepotastine ophthalmic solution; ISTA Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis.

The Investigational New Drug (IND) application for NVC-422, a molecule under investigation by NovaBay Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of eye infections, has been cleared by the FDA, triggering a development milestone payment from Alcon to NovaBay of $1 million.

A great variety of fungal agents may cause endophthalmitis, and accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment, according to a study published in the November/December 2008 issue of Retina.

Xibrom (bromfenac sodium ophthalmic solution) 0.09% (ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) achieved the primary endpoint of its Phase III trial: absence of ocular inflammation 15 days postoperatively.

Following limited reports of adverse events encountered by US physicians using a particular batch of Healon D viscoelastic, AMO has recalled the remaining products in the batch.

A greater number of mast cells are present in the conjunctiva of glaucoma patients who have undergone ocular surgery, possibly leading to increased scarring, according to study results published online ahead of print by Eye.

Durezol 0.05% (difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion; Sirion Therapeutics Inc), a topical corticosteroid to treat postoperative ocular inflammation and pain, is now commercially available, following FDA approval in June 2008.

Immunosupressants are an effective in controlling ocular inflammation caused by severe or steroid-resistant autoimmune disease, according to study results published online ahead of print by Acta Ophthalmologica.

Durezol (difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion; Sirion Therapeutics) 0.05%, a topical steroid, has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of postoperative ocular inflammation and pain.

Trivaris (triamcinolone acetonide injectable suspension; Allergan), a synthetic glucocorticoid corticosteroid, has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of inflammatory ophthalmic conditions.

The inadequate refrigeration of chloramphenicol generics in India could be contributing to the evolution of resistant organisms and impacting the quality of Indian-made products available in Europe, according to a study published in the May 2008 issue of the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

The use of ophthalmic solutions tends to increase with age; however, as use of these solutions, both therapeutic and diagnostic, rises, so too does a patient's risk of infections.

Results of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) study of endophthalmitis prophylaxis do not appear to have had a significant impact on the practices of US cataract surgeons, according to the findings of an online survey conducted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Cataract Clinical Committee.1 The survey results were reported by David F. Chang, MD, at the Spotlight on Cataracts 2007 symposium held during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

A study published in the January issue of Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy, has found that the high proportion of corneal infections linked to contact lens solutions are fuelled and made resistant to treatment by the formation of a highly resistant structure of microbial cells held together with a glue-like matrix material, called biofilms.

Events that have taken place in the market of contact lens hygiene and care products over the last two years give the impression that the hygiene scene is again in crisis. A crisis which is perhaps comparable with the "chlorhexidine shock" of almost three decades ago, which raised the question "is there a completely effective, safe and trouble-free way of caring for contact lenses?"

The clinical assessment of an anterior chamber inflammatory reaction may be difficult to determine in eyes where corneal clarity is reduced by corneal oedema. Slit lamp examination is currently the gold standard method to assess inflammation1-3 but in conditions such as poor corneal clarity, the clinician routinely encounters difficulties.

The use of intravitreal dexamethasone (IVD) is not warranted as a routine adjunctive treatment in postoperative endophthalmitis.

A study of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) treated with Humira, a tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) blocker, has found that the drug cuts the rate of uveitis flares by approximately half.

Research published online ahead of print by Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, has revealed that allergic ocular diseases can be classified and clinically evaluated using a grading system.

Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often used off-label for multiple purposes in cataract surgery, but such treatment is often being administered with limited supporting evidence and carries a high cost along with potential risks.

According to the results of an online survey conducted by the ASCRS Cataract Clinical Committee, the results of the ESCRS study of endophthalmitis prophylaxis do not appear to have had a significant impact on the practices of US cataract surgeons.

Clear corneal incision (CCI) is not a risk factor for post-cataract surgery endophthalmitis.

In a review of culture-positive fungal keratitis seen at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK, over a 13-year period, Candida has been identified as the principal isolate.

Ophthalmic solutions containing steroids are 5.8 times more likely to be contaminated with bacteria than solutions that are steroid-free.