News

Prevent Blindness has designated November 18 to 24, 2024, as the 5th annual Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) Awareness Week. The week aims to raise awareness of TED's symptoms, impact on vision and mental health, and new treatment options. Educational resources and expert-led episodes will support patients and healthcare professionals.

Sun Pharmaceutical presented Phase 4 data at ESCRS 2024 showing that cyclosporine ophthalmic solution 0.09% significantly improves dry eye disease symptoms and corneal staining in patients inadequately controlled on Restasis, with positive results observed through 12 weeks of treatment.

Program director and co-founder Bonnie An Henderson, MD, sits down with Ophthalmology Times to talk about how the annual conference is a unique blend of cutting-edge science, professional growth, and community. The 2025 conference will take place February 14 to 17 at the Caribe Hilton San Juan, in Puerto Rico.

HelpMeSee has partnered with new initiatives to address the global cataract blindness crisis, focusing on empowering women in low- and middle-income countries. Through training and education, the organization aims to reduce gender inequality and improve socioeconomic outcomes worldwide.

HelpMeSee has partnered with Empowered, an educational series hosted by Meg Ryan, to spotlight the cataract blindness crisis, its socioeconomic impacts, and gender inequality issues. The episode emphasizes simulation-based surgical training advancements, expanding cataract care access for underserved populations and fostering equitable healthcare solutions.

NEI Initiative aims to boost awareness, standardize diagnosis, and improve care for children with CVI through multidisciplinary collaboration and emerging technologies.

Atsena Therapeutics and Nippon Shinyaku have formed an exclusive licensing agreement for ATSN-101, a gene therapy for Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA1). Nippon Shinyaku will commercialize ATSN-101 in the U.S. and Japan, while Atsena retains global rights outside these territories.

Study highlights safety, efficacy of device in managing persistent DED.

A recent cohort study revealed low adoption of FDA-approved AI-based diabetic retinopathy detection, with less than 5% of diabetic patients receiving ophthalmic imaging. Researchers emphasize the need for improved awareness, cost-effectiveness, and integration to increase diabetic retinopathy screening rates.

The Healthcare Private Equity team has advised Retina Consultants of America (RCA) and Webster Equity Partners in the sale of RCA to Cencora.

The weekly drug-eluting contact lens was created by the company’s proprietary 3D printing technology and met all primary endpoints with no serious adverse events reported in either cohort.

The drug is the world’s first-ever CRISPR/Cas13 RNA-editing therapy for clinical use in treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Harrow announced that starting in January 2025, Vevye will be covered under key Medicare Part D formularies and across major insurance programs, expanding access to the dry eye disease treatment for millions of patients, particularly older adults.

Analysis highlights discrepancies between adult, pediatric cataract procedures.

Peking University researchers have developed a deep learning-based, noninvasive choroidal angiography method that enables detailed 3D visualization of choroidal vessels from OCT scans. This technique could improve diagnostics for retinal diseases like macular degeneration, offering a safer alternative to traditional methods.

This Week in Ophthalmology is a weekly video series highlighting some of the top articles featured on the Ophthalmology Times website.

A Johns Hopkins study reveals that anti-VEGF treatments for wet AMD may unintentionally elevate ANGPTL4, a protein that promotes blood vessel growth. Combining anti-VEGF with an experimental drug targeting HIF-1 could enhance vision outcomes and prevent vision loss.

Omar Salamanca, MD, staff ophthalmologist, Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, discusses Orbis's tailored glaucoma training programs, which focus on hands-on surgical skills, early detection, telemedicine, and personalized follow-up care, helping underserved regions improve glaucoma management and blindness prevention.

Scientists at Scripps Research and its nonprofit drug development arm, the Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines, are working to advance regenerative medicines capable of repairing tissues damaged by age-related disease

The phase 3 trial was conducted by licensee, Grand Pharma in Chinese cataract surgery patients.

FELIQS plans to conduct a Phase 1b/2 study of FLQ-101 (tROPhy-1 study) both in the US and Japan in the first quarter of 2025.

The Valeda Light Delivery System is for the treatment of patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The investigators conducted a randomized controlled trial of 60 patients who underwent monitored anesthesia care sedation for oculoplastic procedures from August 2018 to November 2020.

In an interview with David Hutton of Ophthalmology Times, Ash Abbey, MD, discusses the Phase 3 LUGANO trial for EYP-1901 in treating wet age-related macular degeneration. Abbey discusses the trial’s non-inferiority objectives, treatment schedule, patient outcomes like reduced treatment burden, and anatomical stability. Patient interest is high, particularly among those wanting fewer injections, though recruiting treatment-naive patients may be challenging. If results are favorable, potential FDA approval could occur within 3 to 4 years.

At the Tear Film and Ocular Surface meeting in Venice, Melissa Toyos shares findings on the mechanism of action of brimonidine tartrate.

To educate the public—including parents, caregivers, and allied health professionals—Prevent Blindness is offering free educational resources, including fact sheets, social media graphics, web pages, and educational videos in both English and Spanish.

New research sheds light on how the dry eye medication lifitegrast works beyond the ocular surface, targeting the underlying immune system to provide relief for patients.

Observations show distinct variations between the changes in optic nerve head (ONH) and the macula.

200 mg of caffeine elevated the blood pressure after 2 hours but did not impact the retinal VD.

A group of German researchers has discovered how tiny eye movements and the density of photoreceptors assist in visual acuity.