News

Los Angeles?Building on results of a study demonstrating that treatment with pegaptanib sodium (Macugen, OSI/Eyetech Pharmaceuticals) helps preserve vision and limit progression in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a retrospective subgroup analysis has shown that early treatment may produce even better outcomes, according to Christine R. Gonzales, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of Los Angeles.

Jackson, MS?A study that compared the outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy performed to treat complications of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) based on racial differences among Caucasians, Choctaw Indians, and African Americans found that race might affect outcomes.

An investigational ophthalmic combination product containing tobramycin 0.3% and prednisolone acetate 1% seems to be bioequivalent to a marketed preparation of prednisolone acetate 1%, according to recently released results from a phase III trial.

During resident clinic recently, I met an elderly woman suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Upset with 20/300 vision in her left eye, she was desperate to maintain her right eye's 20/25 vision.

Carlsbad, CA?In his private practice here, Bill G. Bell, MD, has established a system by which he matches patients with what he hopes is the optimum ocular allergy therapy?especially important in southern California where "every month is allergy month."

Kansas City, MO?Olopatadine HCl (Patanol, Alcon Laboratories) offers a unique pharmacologic profile of activity that corresponds to its unsurpassed efficacy in the management of allergic conjunctivitis, according to the results from comparative studies published in the peer-reviewed literature, said Lanny J. Rosenwasser, MD.

Experience from clinical trials and daily clinical practice indicate that loteprednol etabonate 0.2% (Alrex, Bausch & Lomb) is a valuable therapeutic option for both short- and longer-term management of allergic conjunctivitis, according to ophthalmologists who have studied and used this novel anti-inflammatory corticosteroid agent.

Dorado, Puerto Rico?Patients with allergies should be identified and treated before undergoing ophthalmic surgery in order to improve healing for optimal visual outcomes, explained Francis S. Mah, MD, who spoke during the Current Concepts in Ophthalmology meeting in Dorado, Puerto Rico.

Treatment for allergic conjunctivitis has come a long way from the days of oral antihistamines or cromolyn versus steroids. Our choices have broadened and our targets are much more specifically defined.

Overland Park, KS?An FDA clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of an intracorneal inlay (AcuFocus, Irvine, CA) for the treatment of presbyopia is under way, according to Daniel S. Durrie, MD.

Minneapolis, MN?Phakic IOLs are a powerful fit for any practice wanting to provide comprehensive refractive surgery, but surgeons who decide to offer this technology need comprehensive training to learn about patient selection, IOL sizing, and surgical technique, according to David R. Hardten, MD.

The results from subjective assessments of night-vision disturbance showed that 14 of the 16 eyes achieved an improvement of at least 60%.

Des Plaines, IL?Addition Technology announces its fourth-quarter 2005 sales of Intacs corneal implants increased 29% over the same quarter the prior year and 12% over third-quarter 2005.

Wilmette, IL?Pre-procedure processing of patients, appropriate staffing and purchasing practices, scheduling, and billing and collection methods contribute to the efficiency of ambulatory health-care centers, according to a non-clinical study of cataract surgery in such centers.

South San Francisco, CA?Genentech Inc.'s ranibizumab (Lucentis), a much-anticipated potential treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), has received priority review status from the FDA as part of its Biologics License Application filing.

New York?Two ophthalmologists performing research in the fields of glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration have received $40,000 awards from the Helen Keller Foundation and Pfizer Ophthalmics.

Fort Worth, TX?Alcon Inc. has withdrawn its application for European marketing authorization for anecortave acetate suspension for depot injection (Retaane) 30 mg/ml after being told that more clinical data would be necessary for approval.

New York?Pfizer Inc. and NicOx, France's largest biotech company, have pledged to cooperate on a deal that gives Pfizer exclusive rights to NicOx's work in developing nitric oxide-donating technology for use in ophthalmology.

Baltimore?Cataract surgeons and their patients now have three multifocal IOLs to choose from, depending on the patient's needs and interests as well as the physician's preference for and experience with a particular lens.

Baltimore?Uveitis is a vision-threatening disease for which current therapy?namely, oral corticosteroids, antimetabolites, T-cell inhibitors, and alkylating agents?is not consistently effective. In addition, the side effects produced by these treatments are well known.

Salt Lake City?Significant wound burn occurs in approximately one out of 1,000 cataract surgery cases. However, there is the potential to decrease the incidence dramatically by changes in the surgical technique, modulation of the power in the eye, and the type of machine used during cataract surgery, said Randall J. Olson, MD. He is the John A. Moran presidential professor and chairman, department of ophthalmology and visual sciences, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City.

Lt. Col. Scott D. Barnes, MD, of the Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC, recently returned from a 4-month voluntary tour in Iraq. As a theater ophthalmology consultant with the 86th Combat Support Hospital, one of the three busiest trauma centers in the world, Dr. Barnes served on the frontline of providing ophthalmic care.

WaveLight hosted the educational symposium "Confronting the Wavefront: The Scientific Rationale for Wavefront-Optimized and Wavefront-Guided Treatments" at the Four Seasons hotel during the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Modern Solution introduces its direct advertising package for growing a LASIK practice. The program offers LASIK surgeons a measurable method for new patient acquisition with a unique combination of targeting new patients, tracking campaign responses, and quantifying results.

Bausch & Lomb announces that the FDA has approved the 217z100 Zyoptix excimer laser. The 100 Hz laser operates at twice the speed of the company?s current system in both standard and custom treatment modes.

Conductive keratoplasty (CK) appears to be an effective and safe surgical option for treating astigmatism in eyes that are post-penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), said Darcey H. Wolsey, MD, MPH.

Early experience with corneal implants (Intacs, Addition Technology) to treat corneal ectasia including keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, and post-LASIK ectasia, seems promising, according to Audrey Talley-Rostov, MD.

Perforating keratoplasty can be performed using a femtosecond laser, according to Gerd Auffarth, MD, who described it as a "fascinating technology" at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

As follow-up increases, results continue to be favorable in the prospective multicenter study evaluating wavefront-guided epi-LASIK treatment for myopia using the Norwood EyeCare Epikeratome, reported Marguerite B. McDonald, MD.

Results of a pilot study suggest that "flapless epi-LASIK" may offer advantages compared with the standard technique for hastening epithelial healing, visual recovery, and reducing postoperative pain, reported Tom Elmer, MD.