News

OCuSOFT, Inc. and Ardeo Health, LLC have entered into an exclusive, multi-year agreement to distribute a dry eye therapy under license from Novagali Pharma S.A. of Evry, France. The therapy, Nova23041, will be marketed and distributed in the U.S. and Canada as Retaine MGD Ophthalmic Emulsion under a brand license from OCuSOFT, Inc. The preservative­free, oil­in­water emulsion will be targeted for individuals suffering from meibomian gland dysfunction.

A preparation of ophthalmic mitomycin (Mitosol, Mobius Therapeutics) has received a third orphan drug designation from the FDA. This indication is for use in preventing corneal haze following surface ablation laser keratectomy, and adds a refractive indication to two previous orphan drug designations for the product: glaucoma and pterygium.

Robert N. Weinreb, MD, has been named chair of the department of ophthalmology and director of the Shiley Eye Center at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, effective June 15.

Aflibercept ophthalmic solution (Eylea, Regeneron) has received a unanimous recommendation from the Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA for the treatment of the neovascular (wet) form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

An open letter urging Congress to acknowledge obesity as a disease and support legislation to ensure access to all effective treatments marks the start of the second phase of Allergan?s Choosing Health over Obesity Inspiring Change through Empowerment (CHOICE) Campaign, which promotes obesity prevention and treatment as well as acceptance of all effective treatments, including weight-loss surgery.

A new multipurpose disinfecting solution (Opti-Free PureMoist, Alcon) is now available for contact lens wearers in the United States.

Discounted contacts

Bausch + Lomb is launching ?The Daily Score? promotion, whereby eye-care professionals can offer patients the opportunity to obtain the company?s daily disposable lenses (SofLens) for their children for less than $1 per day.

A Maui Jim sunglasses display and ?Lifestyle Lounge? featuring endurance athletes will be part of a 2-day Health and Fitness Expo for runners and casual shoppers before Rock ?n? Roll Marathon Series events in Seattle June 25 and in Chicago Aug. 14.

The venturi vacuum modality associated with a proprietary phacoemulsification system seems to be more efficient than its counterpart peristaltic system, with reductions in power and phaco time of 20% and 14% respectively, in 104 cases.

A proprietary femtosecond laser system can create a variety of fragmentation patterns, including cubes, spheres, or a combination, by which the crystalline lens can be fragmented using little or no phaco energy in the eye.

More than 5 months after a massive 7.0 earthquake rocked Haiti and damaged much of its capital city, American ophthalmologists continue to reach out to help the people suffering there.

Bilateral implantation of an apodized diffractive multifocal IOL provides patients with better intermediate visual acuity, fewer visual disturbances, and less difficulty with visual tasks compared with contralateral implantation.

In today's tight economy and competitive eye-care/eyewear market, it is important for eye-care professionals to explore every opportunity to uncover untapped potential revenue streams.

Intra-operative use of on-screen image guidance with a high-definition three-dimensional surgical microscope system is showing promise for improving the precision and predictability of various maneuvers during small-incision cataract surgery.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery seems to be a major step forward as a result of the added safety and precision that the laser confers, such as to the creation of the incision, relaxing incisions, capsulorhexis, and nuclear removal steps.