News

Interim results after 2 years of follow-up in the Ahmed Versus Baerveldt Study provide prospective evidence that aqueous drainage devices may be effective treatments for refractory glaucoma, and demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Results from a retrospective review of outcomes after transcleral or endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation for a variety of glaucoma conditions provide additional information on the efficacy and safety of these procedures, including in select subgroups composed of eyes with either neovascular glaucoma or better than count fingers vision.

High-quality education, straight talk, and fun - those were the expressed goals that Robert H. Osher, MD, hoped to achieve during his second annual meeting, "Cataract Surgery: Telling it Like It Is!" held in January.

A hydrogel corneal inlay designed to treat presbyopia seems, based on early clinical results, to improve near vision markedly without significant safety concerns.

The annual American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Symposium on Cataract, IOL, and Refractive Surgery will be held here Friday, April 20, to Tuesday, April 24.

The author tackles the issue of high levels of student loan debt.

Propanolol, a nonselective beta-blocker, is an effective treatment for infantile hemangiomas that might be used in place of steroids in selected cases.

Data from patients with the V4 model of the posterior chamber, foldable collagen copolymer phakic IOL implanted show that it provides excellent refractive and visual results, and, thanks to design modifications, a safety profile that is favorable, at least over the short term.

Advances in corneal and refractive surgery have helped optimize LASIK and transplantation procedures.

When meeting with pre-retirees as well as current retirees, one of the most common areas of concern, apprehension, and (at times) outright fear, is whether they will run out of money during retirement.

Bausch + Lomb has signed a definitive agreement to acquire ISTA Pharmaceuticals for $9.10 per share in cash, or a total of approximately $500 million. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2012.

Early results from a pilot study comparing wavefront-guided (WFG) and wavefront-optimized (WFO) techniques for hyperopic LASIK show excellent safety and predictability for both, but also some differences between groups that consistently favor the WFG procedure, reported co-investigators Anthony C. Liu, MD, and Edward E. Manche, MD.

The FDA has recalled Brilliant Blue G compounded by Franck's Labs Inc. of Ocala, FL, after receiving reports of fungal endophthalmitis. The ophthalmic solution is an unapproved drug used during eye surgeries.

Members of Ophthalmic Women Leaders (OWL) have until April 2 to vote for the winner of the group's 2012 Visionary Woman Award. Tamara Bogetti, MBA, Suzanne Bruno, MBA, COE, and Marguerite McDonald, MD, are the three finalists this year.

The FDA has cleared a new femtosecond laser platform (Femto LDV Z Models, Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems). The platform has been released globally.

Heidelberg Engineering GmbH has been granted FDA clearance for a module that enhances its proprietary spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) platform by providing a detailed, multi-modality view of the anterior segment (Spectralis Anterior Segment Module).

The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to verteporfin for injection (Visudyne, QLT) for the potential treatment of chronic or recurrent central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).

EMRlogic Systems and Kowa Optimed have released a new electronic health record (EHR) system (activEHR 2012.1)

Clarity Medical Systems Inc. has announced the implementation of a significant program using its proprietary pediatric wide-field digital imaging system (RetCam) in the Russian Federation. The digital imaging system is used to create high-quality digital images of the exterior and interior of infant eyes to determine if infants have pediatric ocular diseases.

Schwind eye-tech-solutions GmbH this month is celebrating the 1,000th installation of its proprietary laser system for refractive surgery (Schwind Aramis 750S).

Conventional LASIK and wavefront-guided PRK produced similar visual results compared with conventional PRK when performed to enhance RK procedures. LASIK, however, was associated with substantially more complications, said John Cason, MD, who presented the findings of the RK Re-treatment Study.

Alcon Laboratories plans to introduce ocriplasmin in more than 40 countries worldwide under the terms of a new agreement with ThromboGenics that lets it commercialize the truncated form of the human serine protease plasmin in all markets outside the United States.

Avedro Inc. has submitted a new drug application to the FDA for its riboflavin ophthalmic solution used with its ultraviolet irradiation system (VibeX/KXL) for the treatment of keratoconus and corneal ectasia following refractive surgery.

Bausch + Lomb and NicOx S.A. have announced positive top-line results from a phase IIb study conducted with BOL-303259-X, a nitric oxide-donating prostaglandin F2-alpha analog, in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

“Eye Health: Everyone's Business” will be the theme of the ninth general assembly of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, which will be held Sept. 17 to 20 in Hyderabad, India. All ophthalmologists, optometrists, and other eye-care service providers and health-care professionals are invited.

Remotes for the Nintendo Wii gaming system have been known to do everything from sharpen a player’s tennis skills to help rid the world of zombies. So perhaps it’s not surprising that they can also help identify children who have ocular torticollis.

Ophthalmology Times was awarded Best News Coverage status at the 58th annual Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards competition recognizing editorial excellence. The awards were announced and presented March 16 at a ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City.

OptiMedica Corp. has tripled its operation size by moving to a new 55,000-square-foot facility in Sunnyvale, CA.

Quantel Medical, which develops and markets diagnostic ocular ultrasound systems and surgical lasers, has expanded its U.S. operation.

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Allergan Inc. will continue to collaborate on drug discovery and development of new therapeutics for glaucoma and other ophthalmic indications through March 2013 under the terms of an extension that adds a year to the research term originally established in March 2003.