News

Allergan’s Board of Directors has unanimously rejected an unsolicited buyout proposal by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International.

There are a number of therapeutic options available for managing eyes with recurrent corneal erosion (RCE) syndrome, and a treatment algorithm developed by James J. Reidy, MD, prioritizes their use based on lesion characteristics.

Parion Sciences has received acceptance from the FDA of its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for the company’s treatment for dry eye disease, P-321 ophthalmic solution.

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting is noted for bringing the latest research and clinical developments to the forefront of clinicians and scientists who venture in the eye-care arena. As with previous meetings, this was prevalent this week in Orlando.

The top three winning descriptions-answering the challenge posed by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) for members of the eye and vision research community to explain their research to a 12-year-old child in one or two sentences-were announced during the opening ARVO/Alcon Keynote session.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are well recognized as potent agents as they block all downstream prostaglandins, have a long history of safety and efficacy, and fare well in extended-release formulations. Recently, there has been a growing body of evidence showing they have potential in treating cystoid macular edema, said Stephen Kim, MD.

Patients with 2 CFH risk alleles and no ARMS2 risk alleles would be better served by not taking the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) formulation, according to Carl C. Awh, MD.

Local delivery of pharmacotherapy to the eye has long been used for anterior segment disease, but various routes for delivery have also been investigated, said Timothy Olsen, MD.

Almost 70% of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are unaware of their disease until vision loss has occurred, said Gregory R. Jackson, PhD.

An evaluation of four randomized clinical trials found no evidence to recommend the use of accommodative IOLs, said Hon Shing Ong, MBBS.

The typical eye undergoes 12,000 intraocular pressure (IOP) spikes per hour while awake, and about 3,000 spikes per hour when sleeping, according to J. Crawford Downs.

In roughly 25% of patients, no further treatment was required to maintain mean visual acuity (VA) outcomes achieved at the exit of the RIDE/RISE 3-year core studies evaluating the efficacy of ranibizumab in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME), according to Allen Ho, MD.

As part of Ophthalmology Times’ coverage of the 2014 meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Group Content Director Mark L. Dlugoss writes this blog with his observations of the meeting.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Avalanche Biotechnologies announced a collaboration to discover, develop, and commercialize novel gene therapy products for the treatment of ophthalmologic diseases.

Retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) lesions, treatment with ranibizumab, the absence of subretinal fluid, and the absence of subretinal pigment epithelium fluid (RPE) were associated with fewer injections for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) among participants from the Comparison of AMD Treatments Trials (CATT), said Daniel F. Martin, MD.

Researchers should continue to explore offhand leads or spur-of-the-moment ideas, said 2005 Nobel laureate Barry Marshall, FRACP, FRS, FAA. These very actions have sometimes led to world-changing, award-winning research.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) without the use of a gonioscopy lens was performed successfully and still decreased IOP over 6 months, said Michael Belkin, MD.

Bausch + Lomb has entered into an exclusive license agreement for a 3-dimensional (3D) surgical navigation technology-the Cirle Surgical Navigation System-from Cirle, Inc., a medical technology incubator based in Miami, FL.

LENSAR and TrueVision 3D Surgical have made a global co-development and distribution agreement that integrates TruVision’s overlay and nomogram-the TrueGuide system-into LENSAR’s laser system’s advanced technology suite.

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals has unveiled a new eye-care product, the i-Lid Cleanser.

A feature-rich FLEX visual acuity (VA) app for ophthalmology, optometry, clinical trials, and other medical uses has been released on Apple iTunes for retina display iPad devices as an add-in to Konan Medical’s Chart2020 Duo app.

With the ICD-10 overhaul looming, there are several things ophthalmologists need to learn to optimize the implantation.

Contemporary phakic IOLs are safe and effective for treating high ametropias. Further developments are expected to address some of the remaining needs, but the problem of complications due to interference with surrounding ocular tissues may never be overcome.

Substituting generic products for brand name innovators in cataract surgery medication regimens can bring trade-offs in efficacy, safety, and convenience, perhaps with just modest savings in cost.

Based on unknown preoperative anatomic considerations, efficacy, and safety data, phacotrabeculectomy may be a better option than phacoemulsification alone or combined with a microincision glaucoma surgical procedure in eyes with advanced glaucoma needing cataract surgery and low IOP.

Eye-care professionals can employ a variety of techniques and diagnostic technologies to identify infection, eliminate it, and improve outcomes for their patients.

The looming promise of a well-tolerated and extremely effective oral agent to eradicate HCV infection is exciting, as it offers the possibility of eliminating this disease as a significant public health problem, as well as the albeit uncommon ophthalmic manifestations.

This new session will explore the role of women in ARVO’s leadership in the context of some of the critical issues facing women in the scientific, medical, and academic workforce today.