News

Aerie Pharmaceuticals is developing the first novel mechanism of action for the treatment of glaucoma in over 20 years. The company is developing two products for the treatment of patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension. One is an entirely new agent, netarsudil, the other is a combination of netarsudil plus latanoprost.

Alcon Laboratories pharmaceutical products have been moved into the Novartis Pharmaceutical Division. The switch means a sharper focus on research and development in ophthalmology as well as better access to Norvartis’ patient services and support capabilities.

The pharma drought is coming to a close. After decades of same-old medications for glaucoma and ocular surface disease, a series of new agents with new mechanisms of action (MOA) are moving toward marketing approval.

Bausch + Lomb (B + L) is more than one of the oldest eye care companies in the industry. It is also one of the broadest, with portfolios in contact lenses, consumer eye products, cataract surgery, intraocular lenses, retina surgery, and a wide range of ophthalmic pharmaceutical products.

Glaucoma has an adherence problem. Drugs that are highly efficacious are far less than optimally effective because patients fail to take eye drops properly or don’t take them all. Novel drug-delivery technologies could improve adherence and outcomes.

Animal models are vital to glaucoma research. The problem is that no single animal model fully recapitulates the natural history of human glaucoma. A model that mimicked the progression and time line of human glaucoma would do little to speed drug discovery.

Shire, which built its experience in biotech agents, is taking a biotech approach to meeting unmet needs in both the anterior and poster segments of ophthalmology.

Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) is the latest development in the treatment of glaucoma. With two MIGS devices already approved in the United States, there are a variety of novel devices that have the potential to transform the treatment of glaucoma.

Robert Chang, MD, outlines how artificial intelligence might work in glaucoma.

Changes in both technology and the healthcare policy are presenting new challenges for glaucoma specialists. As the demand for eye care surges, ophthalmologists are struggling to keep up–despite the availability of better tools for diagnosis and treatment.

Micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation with a diode laser is demonstrating promising efficacy with better safety and tolerability than traditional TSCPC.

Yvonne Ou, MD, gives patients advice about physical activity, body positions to avoid, leafy green vegetables, caffeine, and blood pressure treatment–as suggestions to help patients control their glaucoma progression.

Medical therapy for glaucoma is not becoming obsolete, but it is evolving away from conventional topical administration.

L. Jay Katz, MD. outlined the benefits of home IOP monitoring. These devices will offer a wealth of information that should lead to increased understanding of glaucoma and better patient care.

Eye surgeons should use intracameral antibiotics only in select situations; they should avoid aminoglycosides, and they should not use vancomycin as prophylaxis. Michael Jumper, MD, offered this perspective as part of an overview of antibiotics used in intraocular surgery during the Glaucoma Symposium at the 2017 Glaucoma 360 meeting.

All corticosteroids matter when it comes to the risk of an intraocular pressure (IOP) response, and that is an important point for ophthalmologists to remember because opportunities for corticosteroid exposure are growing.

Although the aim of glaucoma management is to maintain visual function, the role of the ophthalmologist does not end once a patient has lost useful vision. Robert L. Stamper, MD, discussed care for patients with end-stage glaucoma.

An expanding armamentarium of minimally invasive and micro-invasive glaucoma surgery procedures is transforming glaucoma management.

Adrienne Graves, PhD, and Andrew Iwach, MD, welcome attendees to Glaucoma 360 with their focus set on next year's conference, February 9, 2018 in San Francisco.

No matter how you celebrated the 4th, you can have your own “freedom day” in your practice starting today! What this means is you have the freedom to be your best, every single day of the year.

Fifty years after the idea for phacoemulsification came to Charles Kelman, MD, few would have predicted that surgical platforms would evolve to where they are today.

As the ophthalmic community celebrates 50 years of phacoemulsification (phaco) innovation, surgeons and industry alike mark its progress since the inspiration for the procedure came to Charles Kelman, MD, after a visit to the dentist.

Many maintain that rising early, getting to work, accomplishing a lot during the day, and getting to bed at a reasonable hour is the route to success in life. But a body of evidence suggests that human behavioral tendencies to do too much, in some cases, can reduce the likelihood of a good result. At the same time, laziness can produce outcomes that are either negative or positive.

At its 2017 general business meeting in May, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) welcomed a new president, Claude F. Burgoyne, MD, FARVO. Dr. Burgoyne, a glaucoma clinician and surgeon, is senior scientist, Van Buskirk Chair for Ophthalmic Research, and director of the Optic Nerve Head Research Laboratory at Devers Eye Institute, Portland, OR. He also serves as clinical professor of ophthalmology at Oregon Health and Sciences University, Eugene.

A disposable device for automated anterior capsulotomy that uses precision pulse technology (Zepto, Mynosys Cellular Devices) demonstrated excellent performance in a series of 38 eyes.

Wisconsin ophthalmologist Gerald P. Clarke, MD, has developed a new horseshoe-shaped dilator for use during cases of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome.

A new silicone phacoemulsification sleeve (Ridged Sleeve, ASICO) designed with a variety of novel features is enabling safe and efficient microcoaxial cataract surgery, said Takayuki Akahoshi, MD.

Cataract surgery in eyes undergoing simultaneous endothelial keratoplasty requires several modifications in techniques.

Preloaded IOL systems can save almost 30 seconds of operating time in cataract surgery, according to Damien Goldberg, MD, who participated in a trial with a preloaded delivery system (AcrySof IQ IOL Model AU00TO with UltraSert, Alcon Laboratories).

Los Angeles ophthalmologist Mitchell Shultz, MD, shares some of his clinical experience with a next-generation phacoemulsification platform (Stellaris Elite, Bausch + Lomb). The new platform received 510(k) clearance from the FDA in April.