News

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.

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.

The Bascom Palmer Eye Institue, University of Miami School of Medicine, sweeps three categories-Best Overall, Best Residency, and Best Clinical (Patient Care) Programs-in the 13th annual Ophthalmology Times' Best Programs survey. The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, takes the top honors for Best Research Program. Chairpersons and residency directors from U.S. departments of ophthalmology ranked programs nationwide.

The value of telemedicine is well established, but some limitations in image quality do exist. An objective evaluation of the images overrides the limitations, however. Imaging provides a great opportunity for research. More data on cost effectiveness of various screening modalities are needed in patients with retinopathy of prematurity.

The FDA Amendments Act of 2007 established requirements related to controlled clinical trials of drugs that ultimately would be subject to FDA regulation.

Updating your Web site-not just once, but frequently-offers an excellent opportunity to boost your practice's business by developing new patient relationships using the Internet.

Ophthalmic practice administrators often find heavy demands on their time and attention and so, like many managers, risk losing sight of what's important in the rest of their lives. But while it isn't possible to avoid the stresses and strains that accompany the job, there are ways administrators can maintain or restore a sense of balance in their lives.

An office manager should be interested in implementing change and improvements within a practice, but that should not be done without an operational assessment.

Reimbursements for ophthalmic practices are steadily declining while costs are going ever higher, leaving practices scrambling as never before to find new sources of revenue and ways of cutting costs. But unless these goals are approached wisely they can lead to stress among both staff and doctor.

Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) is updated regularly, often in response to difficulties reported by practitioners. Practices that fail to keep up with the changes experience negative consequences on revenue and compliance. Staying familiar with changes in CPT can be very useful, and potentially quite rewarding.

Significant changes in cylindrical measurements were observed following unilateral horizontal strabismus surgery in a retrospective study. In addition, investigators found clinically significant changes in a large number of operated eyes as well as a portion of control eyes.

Outcomes data for ab-interno trabeculectomy with a novel ablative device (Trabectome, NeoMedix) to ablate thermally the trabecular meshwork consist of case series. So far, this procedure has been associated with favorable IOP lowering, but a direct comparison with standard trabeculectomy is needed, according to one glaucoma specialist.

A study in a rat model found retinal ganglion cell loss and retinal thinning following excitotoxic damage. This finding has led researchers to speculate that axonal damage and excitotoxicity are related, and that the connection may be through the Wallerian degeneration gene. Future research into this pathway could lead to new forms of treatment for glaucoma and other neurologic diseases.

Surgical outcomes were compared in a retrospective study of 76 eyes with a miniature glaucoma shunt (Ex-PRESS, Optonol) implanted and 77 eyes that underwent standard trabeculectomy. The two procedures were associated with similar IOP-lowering efficacy, but the shunt procedure had a benefit for reducing the risk of hypotony.

Considerable progress has been made in recent years in the understanding of the epidemiology of dry eye disease. Here, two doctors discuss some of the studies that have helped ophthalmologists understand the prevalence, burden, and risk factors of dry eye disease. They also highlight how improved diagnosis will have a significant effect on the quality of life of patients with dry eye.