News

New York—The $935 million acquisition of Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc. by OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. will boost research and development (R&D) opportunities for both companies, while preserving Eyetech's integrity as a stand-alone business unit, according to leaders of both organizations.

San Francisco - Results from the Collaborative Normal Tension Glaucoma Study provided the first and still best evidence that lowering IOP by 30% in patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) does prevent or slow the progression of glaucomatous visual field loss, said Donald L. Budenz, MD, MPH, associate professor, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami.

San Francisco - Debate continues over whether to perform neuroimaging in patients with typical normal-tension glaucoma (NTG), but there are warning signs that should prompt ordering magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium, said Christopher A. Girkin, MD, MPH, associate professor of ophthalmology and director, glaucoma service, Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

San Francisco - The diagnosis of normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) should be approached as one of exclusion with careful evaluation of the patient for other etiologies that may underlie observed structure and function changes, said Andrew G. Iwach, MD, associate clinical professor of ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco.

San Francisco - Normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) is likely primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) with a lower baseline IOP. However, it is probably worthwhile to continue to draw a distinction between these two entities because it provides an opportunity for identifying risk factors that may have varying influence depending on the level of IOP, said Anne L. Coleman, MD, PhD, the Frances and Ray Stark Professor of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles.

San Francisco - Both IOP and the rate of aqueous flow follow a circadian rhythm and that has significant implications for the evaluation and treatment of patients with ocular hypertension and glaucoma, said Robert N. Weinreb, MD, director, Hamilton Glaucoma Center, and distinguished professor of ophthalmology, University of California, San Diego.

San Francisco - Compliance and persistency with IOP-lowering medications are difficult to assess but important to address because they affect treatment results, said Donald L. Budenz, MD, MPH, associate professor, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami.

San Francisco - Optimal medical therapy for most patients needing IOP-lowering treatment may be as simple as one or two bottles, said Robert D. Fechtner, MD, professor of ophthalmology, director, glaucoma division, Institute of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, New Jersey Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark.

San Francisco - Based on a review of efficacy, safety, and compliance issues, Shan C. Lin, MD, now considers a prostaglandin analogue as his drug of first choice for medical treatment of ocular hypertension and glaucoma. For select patients, however, beta-blockers may still be appropriate if the cosmetic side effects of the prostaglandin analogues or their cost present significant obstacles to use.

San Francisco - Early diagnosis of glaucoma does matter because it offers an opportunity to alter the significant morbidity associated with this disease, said Kuldev Singh, MD, MPH, professor of ophthalmology, director, glaucoma service, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.

San Francisco - Many parallels can be drawn between glaucoma and coronary heart disease - both are chronic diseases that can be depicted on a continuum of progression from disease that is first undetectable, then asymptomatic, and ultimately results in functional impairment - and both are associated with a modifiable causal risk factor (IOP and serum cholesterol) that when treated effectively results in a reduction in disease progression risk.

San Francisco - Developers of specialized perimetric tests and quantitative optic nerve and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) analyzers have introduced hardware and software modifications to improve those new tools for assessing function and structure in patients with glaucoma. However, their roles in clinical practice still await definition pending further study, said Christopher A. Girkin, MD, MPH, associate professor of ophthalmology and director, glaucoma service, Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

San Francisco - A newly developed risk calculator will make therapeutic decision-making for patients with ocular hypertension a little more straightforward, said Robert N. Weinreb, MD, director, Hamilton Glaucoma Center, and distinguished professor of ophthalmology, University of California, San Diego.

San Francisco - Statistics released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2002 indicate glaucoma has become a more common cause of blindness than it was in the past, said Anne L. Coleman, MD, PhD, the Frances and Ray Stark Professor of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles.

San Francisco - A panel of glaucoma experts from across the United States highlighted the latest advances in understanding glaucoma and caring for these patients at “Glaucoma 2005: Mastering Tools and Techniques for the 21st Century,” on Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco. Now in its 5th year, the program included lectures, panel discussions, and a mini-symposium covering a variety of glaucoma issues with a distinguished faculty.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—The economic ramifications of treating ocular hypertension and glaucoma bring some serious questions into the spotlight, notably the costs of treatment and especially the increased rate of cataract extractions associated with the use of anti-glaucoma eye drops. Harry Quigley, MD, considered these issues at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Orlando—A review of 17 volunteer-led preschool photoscreening programs indicates that such programs can be highly successful but that strong, preferably paid, administrative leadership is crucial in ensuring adequate rates of follow-up and referral, according to Sean P. Donahue, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, pediatrics, and neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, and chief of ophthalmology, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Although Ronald L. Snow, MD, has been an aviator for more than 35 years, flying is not something he takes for granted.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—The economic ramifications of treating ocular hypertension and glaucoma bring some serious questions into the spotlight, notably the costs of treatment and especially the increased rate of cataract extractions associated with the use of anti-glaucoma eye drops. Harry Quigley, MD, considered these issues at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

The three steps in the educational campaign are vision wear, based on intelligent vision correction; vision care, emphasizing maintenance and preventive eye care; and practitioner and patient education.

Sydney, Australia—Currently available soft contact lenses vary substantially in their optic zone refractive power distribution, and labeled lens power may not correspond exactly to the effective power of the lens on the eye. However, with attention to proper lens fitting, the power profile differences do not appear to result in measurable differences on short-term visual performance, according to the results of a study undertaken by Australian researchers.

Washington, DC—Members of the House of Representatives are expected to consider this fall a bill that identifies all contact lenses as medical devices that should be regulated by the FDA.

Columbus, OH—Although data from a 3-year study indicate that myopia progression was less in children wearing rigid gas-permeable contact lenses (RGPs) than in a control group wearing soft contact lenses (SCLs), half of the effect was due to corneal changes, which are transient.

Orlando—An independent amblyopia clinic staffed by orthoptists could decrease physician workload. It would also be well received by patients, according to David Morrison, MD.

Orlando—A review of 17 volunteer-led preschool photoscreening programs indicates that such programs can be highly successful but that strong, preferably paid, administrative leadership is crucial in ensuring adequate rates of follow-up and referral, according to Sean P. Donahue, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, pediatrics, and neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, and chief of ophthalmology, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Lisbon, Portugal - Coaxial microphacoemulsification performed through a 2.2-mm incision results in significantly less induced astigmatism than conventional coaxial phacoemulsification through a 3-mm incision, said Samuel Masket, MD, clinical professor of ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, United States.

Lisbon, Portugal - Preliminary data have demonstrated that VISX CustomVue wavefront-guided enhancement of eyes with high aberrations after a previous refractive surgery is safe and effective. Edward Manche, MD, described the retrospective analysis of 120 eyes of 102 patients Tuesday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal - EpiLASIK is a safe and effective alternative refractive procedure to treat patients with myopia. The 1-year data indicate that the patients have good refractive results and stable vision. Vikentia Katsanevaki, MD, PhD, described the study Tuesday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal - Coaxial microphacoemulsification performed through a 2.2-mm incision results in significantly less induced astigmatism than conventional coaxial phacoemulsification through a 3-mm incision, said Samuel Masket, MD, clinical professor of ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, United States.

Lisbon, Portugal - A shift from conventional to wavefront-guided LASIK has resulted in reduced enhancement rates that translate into significant cost savings to the practice, said Richard L. Lindstrom, MD, adjunct professor emeritus, department of ophthalmology, University of Minnesota, and founding partner, Minnesota Eye Consultants, Minneapolis, United States.