News

A new ketotifen fumarate ophthalmic solution (Refresh Eye Itch Relief, Allergan) offers patients another option for the treatment of episodic ocular itching as well as seasonal and chronic allergic conjunctivitis.

Times have changed, and, with them, practices in antibacterial therapy. Questions remain, however. Has progress been made over the decades, and what does the future hold?

Physicians seem to have grasped the power of the Internet to help them secure continuing medical education credits in a way that precisely meets their professional interests and time constraints.

Non-surgical blepharoplasty can provide surgeons with a minimally invasive approach to eyelid procedures.

Another piece of the puzzle of the mechanism involved in the elevation of IOP has been identified with the discovery of the role of the gene sFRP-1 in the Wnt signaling pathway.

Monotherapy is usually the first step in glaucoma therapy, but when IOP is not sufficiently lowered with a single agent, a fixed combination can be considered. The advantages, limitations, and features of fixed combinations of IOP-lowering agents available worldwide are reviewed.

Othera Pharmaceuticals Inc. has begun dosing in a phase I/II multicenter, investigator-masked clinical trial of the safety and efficacy of a topical drug (OT-730) in reducing IOP in subjects with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma.

Acucela Inc. and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have entered into agreements to co-develop Otsuka's proprietary compound for the treatment of dry eye (Rebamipide), which is in phase III clinical trials in the United States, as well as Acucela's lead compound (ACU-4429), which is in phase I clinical trials for non-exudative (dry) age-related macular degeneration in the United States.

The inaugural meeting of the International Society of Bilateral Cataract Surgeons (ISBCS) was held Sept. 1, during the recent annual meeting of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS).

Ophthalmic resident and fellowship education programs in the United States are responding to the changing requirements of working in a modern health-care delivery system and new incentives have been created for transforming the "apprenticeship model" to a "competency-based" model of education.

A combination of blue light exposure and low blood levels of anti-oxidants may be associated with an increased risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as early AMD, according to research published in the October issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become a manageable chronic disease, but that is true only in rich countries that have a relatively small number of HIV cases. With the evolution of treatment, patients can expect a natural life expectancy with the available therapies. These treatments are needed globally in third-world countries where most of the cases are.

Prevent Blindness America (PBA) announced the addition of three new members to its national board of directors.

Medicare is one of several health-policy decisions that many physicians, including ophthalmologists, hope to see addressed by the next president-elect.

As part of its crackdown on the use of unapproved drugs, the FDA is warning all but two makers of balanced salt solution (BSS) used in ophthalmic surgery to discontinue its manufacture and sale.

A U.S. patent has been granted to a pharmaceuticals company that will cover a broad class of disubstituted hydroxylamine small molecules that target oxidative stress and inflammation pathways believed to be involved in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other ophthalmic diseases.

In this podcast, Ophthalmology Times Chief Medical Editor Peter J. McDonnell, MD, provides an overview of the AAO meeting, including the hottest topics that will be discussed. Also, Ophthalmology Times Associate Editor Christina Phillis provides tips on traveling to and getting the most of your time in Atlanta. Daily podcast coverage will feature session highlights and interviews with highly regarded specialists in ophthalmologic medicine.

A biotechnology company will be presenting its ASaP phase I clinical data for its leading drug candidate (POT-4, Potentia Pharmaceuticals) during Retina Subspecialty Day at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Atlanta Nov. 7.

Alcon's quarterly earnings per share came in above analysts' expectations and rose 51% from last year.

Children with convergence insufficiency improved significantly more with office-based treatment plus home reinforcement compared with home-based or placebo office therapy, according to a study published in the October issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

The combination of low antioxidant levels and exposure to sunlight may damage vision and also is linked to age-related macular degeneration, according to a study published in the October issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.

Patients with glaucoma were 38% more likely to have had a thyroid disorder at some point in their lives than those without, according to a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Neil M. Bressler, MD, Susan B. Bressler, MD, Alexander J. "Sandy" Brucker, MD, and Stanley Chang, MD, were honored for their work in the subspecialty of retina Oct. 12 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists.

David F. Williams, MD, MBA, has been named president of the American Society of Retina Specialists.

Reports of loss of vision post-non-ocular surgery are relatively uncommon but have been increasing over the past 15 years.

Advanced Medical Optics said it has lowered its 2008 revenue guidance to a range of $1.17 billion to $1.20 billion and 2008 adjusted earnings-per-share guidance to a range of $0.70 to $0.80.

Visual impairment may be more common in people with diabetes than in those without the disease, according to a study in the Archives of Ophthalmology.

Sirion Therapeutics Inc. announced that a difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% (Durezol) indicated for the treatment of inflammation and pain associated with ocular surgery is now commercially available.

Akorn Inc. has announced approval of an FDA new drug application for ophthalmic gel 3.5%, a topical, ocular anesthetic formulation.

Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) announced that the FDA has granted premarket approval of a viscoelastic (Healon D), a clear dispersive ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) for use as a surgical aid in cataract extraction, IOL implantation, corneal transplant, and glaucoma filtration surgery.