News

Laser refractive cataract surgery may offer more advantages to a clinical practice than LASIK; it provides a gentler surgical touch and the refractive results are more reproducible and improved.

Limitations associated with diagnosis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by performing bedside indirect ophthalmoscopy are fueling interest in the use of telemedicine.

LASIK eye surgery inventor Gholam Peyman, MD, has been awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honor bestowed on an American innovator.

Santen Ltd., the parent company of Santen Inc., has made an investment in Clearside Biomedical Inc. and has entered into a research collaboration agreement for posterior ocular diseases.

Hardware and software upgrades for Alcon’s Infiniti Vision System include the Intrepid AutoSert IOL injector, which enables automated delivery of the IOL.

A study suggests little likelihood of a clinically important difference between ranibizumab and saline on the rate of vitrectomy in eyes with vitreous hemorrhage from PDR.

Acrylic, apodized diffractive multifocal lenses achieve good uncorrected vision with a high rate of spectacle independence in two prospective studies.

A new moist towlette from Bio-Tissue Inc. contains Cliradex, a preparation derived from tea-tree oil that can be used for regular eyelash and eyelid skin cleansing.

Bausch + Lomb has initiated its phase III clinical program of latanoprostene bunod (licensed by Nicox S.A.) for the reduction of IOP in glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Welch Allyn has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for the Welch Allyn iExaminerT, which allows providers to manipulate images using the iPhone 4 or 4S.

Bausch + Lomb and CROMA have donated 50,000 units of bromfenac sodium sesquihydrate (Yellox) to projects in Africa sponsored by Light for the World.

Normal variation in intrasubject central corneal pachymetry was analyzed in groups of patients from eight countries who were undergoing refractive surgery. The data suggest a threshold to use in refractive surgery screening.

A dramatic shift is starting to transform the practice of surgery in glaucoma. While trabeculectomy and trab-like procedures show steady, evolutionary improvements, three new types of surgery are moving interventional care from a last resort to front-line therapy, said Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, assistant professor at the University of Toronto, Ontario.

Physicians who treat glaucoma have a problem. They see glaucoma one way and treat it another. “Glaucoma is multifactorial, but in our treatment and thinking we are unifactorial - IOP,” said Louis B. Cantor, MD, professor and chairman of ophthalmology and director of glaucoma at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute at Indiana University, Indianapolis.

Physicians do not typically consider cataract surgery as a form of glaucoma surgery. But while cataract removal may not be the best surgical treatment for glaucoma, it is the most common. There are fewer than 100,000 glaucoma surgeries performed annually in the United States, noted Kuldev Singh, MD, MPH, professor and director of the glaucoma service at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, CA.

New data are complicating debates over the relative utility of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) compared with medication. “We have been taught to start with medication, then move on to laser trabeculoplasty, then consider filtering surgery if all else has failed,” said L. Jay Katz, MD, director of glaucoma at the Wills Eye Institute and professor of ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia.

The 2nd Annual Glaucoma 360 is a series of three events, uniting research, industry, and philanthropy with one mission - to find a cure for glaucoma. Three events include the “Catalyst for the Cure Gala,” the “New Horizons Forum,” and the “CME Symposium.”

Glaucoma Research Foundation bestowed its highest honor for 2013, The Catalyst Award, to San Francisco philanthropists Frank Stein and Paul S. May at the Catalyst For A Cure benefit gala.

The Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) announced the top seven selections for its 2013 Shaffer Grants.

Surgical treatment for glaucoma already offers good efficacy, but adverse event rates remain too high for routine use in mild-to-moderate disease. New devices promise to change that equation, said Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, assistant professor, University of Toronto, Ontario.

This could be a banner year for breakthroughs in glaucoma care. New understanding of the central nervous system and the nature of glaucoma has advanced researchers to the verge of changing the standard of care in this leading cause of blindness. “We are not talking about an eye disease any more when we talk about glaucoma,” said Louis B. Cantor, MD, chairman and professor of ophthalmology and director of glaucoma service at Indiana University, Indianapolis. “We are talking about a central nervous system disorder. We are redefining the optic nerve. I am very excited about new concepts in neuroprotection.”

hough glaucoma is an optic neuropathy, it is defined by changes in visual field characteristics, explained Jeffrey L. Goldberg, MD, PhD, professor of ophthalmology and director of research at the Shiley Eye Center, University of California, San Diego. And by the time the visual field has changed, the disease has already progressed.

The second group of Catalyst for a Cure researchers outline their mission to find biomarkers for the earliest pathologic events in glaucoma onset and progression. The discussed the importance of their project and the benefits of the Catalysts for a Cure research model, pooling together individuals from different institutions providing unique skills and knowledge.

The first Catalyst for a Cure research team has been working together for 11 years to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration in glaucoma and new therapeutic targets. At the annual Catalyst for a Cure Benefit and Gala Dinner, the four principal investigators discussed their discoveries and how they are applying this new knowledge to impact the future of patient care.

Drug discovery is a wonderful experience. “When an experience works, it is very exciting,” said Anthony P. Adamis, MD, vice president, global head of ophthalmology, Genentech. In 1994, he was in the forefront of vascular endothelial growth factor research. “We just saw those vessels shut down.” But seeing vessels shut down in an experimental model is just the first step. He eventually left academic discovery for the world of biotechnology to drive research to clinical success to found Eyetech. “The company was successful because of the motivation of the people involved, especially given the natural history of age-related macular degeneration,” said Dr. Adamis during the Glaucoma 360 New Horizons Forum on Friday,

Bleb leaks can occur early or late following glaucoma filtration surgeries, develop with or without infection, and develop more frequently in cases in which an antimetabolite is used.

Alcon has announced the launch of nepafenac ophthalmic suspension 0.3% (Ilevro), a new once-daily treatment option for pain and inflammation associated with cataract surgery.