News

The cost of glaucoma medications is affecting patient compliance with their treatment regimens.

The author analyzes the plight that student loans present in today's society.

A sterile cornea allograft has many advantages that make it a useful alternative to traditional eye bank corneas and other allograft material for a variety of graft procedures where viable endothelium is not needed.

The latest addition to the antihistamine arsenal is alcaftadine ophthalmic solution 0.25%, a new chemical entity developed as an ocular anti-allergic agent.

A novel compound may be able to bring vision to previously blind retinas by switching on remaining ganglion cells in the inner retina.

Improved quality of life for patients with allergic conjunctivitis is the name of the game for Stephen V. Scoper, MD, who uses olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.2% to treat this patient population because of the increased compliance that the drug affords with its once-daily dosing requirement.

A new partnership between Addition Technology Inc. and Switzerland-based Sensimed AG will have the former company rolling out the latter company?s IOP monitoring system (Sensimed Triggerfish) in Latin America.

Superfocus LLC has received 2011 iF International Forum Design Award in the medical device category. The award recognizes the world?s first adjustable-focus eyeglasses (Superfocus) providing focus at all distances through the entire field of view, according to the honoree.

Healthy children who consistently develop headaches or tired eyes or cannot clearly see images when playing 3-D games on handheld digital products may have a vision or eye disorder, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). ?If such problems occur, the [AAO] recommends that the child be given a comprehensive exam by an ophthalmologist,? the organization said in a statement.

ifa Systems AG has acquired inoveon Corp. ifa Systems provides ophthalmology-related software applications, including an electronic health record system that has been adopted in Europe and Latin America and now has been introduced into the North American and Asian markets. inoveon Corp. is a medical services company focused on managing diabetic eye disease, clinical research, and development.

A silicone hydrogel contact lens (Avaria Toric, CooperVision) for patients with astigmatism is now available nationwide.

Epimacular brachytherapy has been used commercially in Germany for the first time, according to NeoVista Inc.

InSite Vision Inc. has filed with the FDA an investigational new drug (IND) application for a novel compound (ISV-101) for dry eye disease.

Kowa Optimed and EMRlogic Systems Inc. have integrated an e-prescribing solution (DrFirst Rcopia) into proprietary electronic medical record (EMR) management software (activEHR).

An osmolarity system (TearLab, TearLab Corp.) is now available in the United States at the point of care, thanks to a partnership between its manufacturer and COLA, a private, non-profit clinical laboratory education, consultation, and accreditation organization.

Advance Optical, Rochester, NY, and 21st Century Optics, Long Island City, NY, have been named by Transitions Optical Inc. as recipients of the 2010 Transitions Partner Labs Most Valuable Partner (MVP) Lab of the Year Award. Advance Optical received the award in the small/medium lab division; 21st Century Optics received the award in the large lab division.

Richard L. Abbott, MD, began his term as president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Jan. 1. Dr. Abbott is the Thomas W. Boyden Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco, and research associate at the Francis I. Proctor Foundation. He succeeded Randy Johnston, MD, as AAO president.

Medical device company Vycor Medical Inc. has acquired NovaVision Inc., a provider of technologies designed to reverse and restore neurological visual loss. Together the companies will promote NovaVision?s FDA-approved, non-invasive light stimulation-based platform (Vision Restoration Therapy [VRT])?clinically proven to permanently restore lost vision resulting from stroke, brain cancer, and traumatic or other acquired brain injury.

A new eyewear collection for men (Surface, REM Eyewear) recently was unveiled.

Ranibizumab (Lucentis) is now available in the United Kingdom for the treatment of visual impairment due to diabetic macular edema, announced Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd.

A home test for glaucoma has been developed by a University of Arizona (UA) engineer and a Phoenix ophthalmologist with funding from the National Science Foundation. The two now are seeking investors to help fund final development and commercialization of the product.

Use of a proprietary femtosecond laser system for lens fragmentation significantly reduces the amount of ultrasound energy needed for phacoemulsification, although the effect varies depending on the choice of fragmentation algorithm, according to new research.

Alimera Sciences is preparing additional safety and efficacy data for the FDA on its investigational sustained drug-delivery system, fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal insert, a potential DME treatment.

The ability of a proprietary femtosecond laser system to create a perfectly centered, sized, and circular capsulotomy has been shown in a clinical study to translate into the benefit of reduced variability in effective lens position.

Recurrent corneal erosions are common, however, ophthalmologists may not always be aware of them.

The questions surrounding idiopathic macular telangiectasia type 2, a disease that occurs more often than thought, is more severe than thought, and has confirmed systemic associations, slowly are being answered as a result of a new project.

Results of a fellow-eye comparative study show the benefit of an investigational femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery system for significantly improving the reproducibility of capsulotomy size and shape when compared with capsulorhexis performed manually by experienced surgeons.

The standard for every practice should be to present all patients who wear spectacle lenses with two first-pair options.

Both a non-preserved artificial tear containing carboxymethylcellulose 0.5% and cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% are viable options for minimizing dry eye-related discomfort post cataract surgery in "average patients."

A proprietary phaco platform with transversal ultrasound technology has advanced cataract surgery to a new level of safety and efficiency.