Allergan continues plans to ward off Valeant takeover
July 15th 2014Allergan is working on plans of its own to give investors "most of what they want" instead of the $53 billion hostile bid from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International and top Allergan shareholder Pershing Square, according to the company.
Taking the sales pitch out of cataract surgery consult
July 15th 2014When consulting with patients who present with decreased vision due to cataracts, ophthalmologists need to remember their role as physicians first, suggest the authors. The primary goal of the office visit is to address the complaint and the solution in entirety before moving into outcomes.
Focus on efficient R&D pays dividends for physicians, patients
July 15th 2014Despite the challenges of higher costs of developing drugs, increased regulatory requirements, and limitations on reimbursement for health care, the key to success in the pharmaceutical industry has been-and still is-innovation.
Postmortem ultrasound, OCT enhance study of posterior segment
July 15th 2014Common imaging techniques-such as optical coherence tomography and ultrasound biomicroscopy-can be enlisted to help with research into retinal diseases when used to examine postmortem eyes, suggest findings from a collaborative research program.
RIDE, RISE phase III results favorable for DME treatment
July 15th 2014The open-label extension RIDE and RISE phase III studies of ranibizumab (Lucentis, Genentech) indicated that the beneficial results of the drug for treating diabetic macular edema were maintained over the long-term with less than monthly follow-up or injection treatment.
Long-term gene therapy for wet AMD promising
July 15th 2014The first results from a phase I trial of gene therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration using a subretinal injection suggest that the treatment is safe and well tolerated even in the elderly population and may eliminate the need for frequent reinjection with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents.
Nicox to acquire Aciex Therapeutics
July 8th 2014Nicox S.A. has signed an agreement to acquire all of the outstanding equity of Aciex Therapeutics, a private, U.S.-based, ophthalmic development pharmaceutical company with a pipeline of therapeutics addressing the ophthalmic market, including allergy and inflammation.
Iluvien receives positive approval from 10 more countries
July 3rd 2014Alimera Sciences' sustained-release intravitreal implant (Iluvien)-its treatment of chronic macular edema-has received a positive outcome of the Repeat-Use Procedure with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency of the United Kingdom serving as the Reference Member State.
Dynamics of dry eye evaluation changing as options expand
July 1st 2014A healthy, stable tear film is essential for high quality visual function and stable interblink vision. If patients have dry eye disease, it must be successfully resolved before corneal refractive surgery takes place. Similarly, patients who do not have preoperative dry eye but are at high risk of developing the disease postoperatively also need special attention.
Akorn forced to sell marketing rights to 5 drugs
July 1st 2014The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is requiring Akorn Enterprises’ subsidiary Hi-Tech Pharmacal to sell the marketing rights for five generic drugs to Watson Laboratories to settle federal charges that Akorn’s acquisition of Hi-Tech was anticompetitive.