News

Cataract surgery pioneer Steven P. Shearing, MD, died July 10 at the age of 76.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued Biolase Technology two new patents covering the use of its laser technologies for treating various conditions of the eye, including presbyopia.

The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance to a new multi-directional rolling floor stand (iStand, Optovue) for universal positioning of a compact spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) device (iVue, Optovue).

ABB Concise has changed its www.yourlens.com contact lens Web site to increase eye-care information for patients and add a new doctor locator search engine.

Live Eyewear has donated more than 800 pairs of polarized clip-ons valued nearly $28,000 to the non-profit group RestoringVision.org.

Essilor of America has launched No-Glare.com, a new digital resource for eye-care professionals and patients.

Transitions Optical has introduced an individual version of the Healthy Sight Calculator, a free online tool that allows users to calculate their risk for eye-related diseases and vision problems.

The first dose level of a novel gene-based treatment (RetinoStat, Oxford BioMedica) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is safe and well-tolerated at 1 month following treatment, the company has announced.

Biopharmaceutical development and licensing company Ardeo Health has reached an agreement with Novagali Pharma of Evry, France, to license the latter company?s novel Nova23041 dry eye therapy for over-the-counter sale in the United States and Canada.

Bausch + Lomb (B+L) has voluntarily recalled one lot of a 1% methylcellulose lubricant ophthalmic solution (Murocel) after routine stability testing showed that its preservative was ?out of specification? for efficacy.

The FDA has cleared a proprietary in-office thermal pulsation system (LipiFlow, TearScience) for the treatment of evaporative dry eye caused by meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).

Welch Allyn has received the annual Henry Schein Medical Equipment Vendor of the Year Award. The award recognizes a supply partner company that provided the highest quality of support, service, and assistance to the Henry Schein sales team throughout the previous year in the form of new product training, communications, follow-up, and in-person assistance.

SynergEyes, Inc., has announced that its proprietary hybrid contact lens for irregular corneas has been prescribed to more than 16,000 patients in 32 countries since it became available in late 2009.

Transitions Optical, Inc. is launching a new, interactive market area profile (MAP) program to provide eye-care professionals with insights about existing and prospective patients.

Nearly one-half of patients who require vision correction are significantly astigmatic in at least one eye, according to a study sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care and published in Eye & Contact Lens.

Regeneron PharmaceuticalsInc. and Bayer HealthCare have announced that Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd., Osaka, Japan, has submitted an application to Japan?s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) for marketing authorization of aflibercept ophthalmic solution (VEGF Trap-Eye) for the treatment of the neovascular form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

Donald L. Budenz, MD, MPH, will become chair of the department of ophthalmology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill effective October 1. He will replace Travis Meredith, MD, who is stepping down after serving as chair of the department since 2001. Dr. Meredith will continue to work part-time as chairman emeritus and professor of ophthalmology.

Allergan, Inc. announced that the FDA has approved a fully in vitro, cell-based assay for use in the stability and potency testing of onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox and Botox Cosmetic, Allergan). The newly-approved assay will be implemented immediately for release of product for sale in the U.S.

Bausch + Lomb (B + L), has announced plans to launch a pharmaceutical business in India through a strategic agreement with Micro Labs, a Indian drug manufacturing organization with 14 production sites. B + L said the partnership will provide it with high-quality manufacturing capabilities in the region that will speed the introduction of new prescription and over-the-counter medicines targeted to a wide range of eye diseases.

The Premier Healthcare Alliance, which includes more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals and more than 75,000 other health care sites, has recognized an electronic documentation system (Connex, Welch Allyn) as one of 18 top medical device innovations introduced in 2010.

Ivantis is expanding multiple randomized controlled trials of its intracanalicular scaffold (Hydrus) for the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma using $17 million in funding from New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Delphi Ventures.

The latest video in the VSP Vision Care Web series EyeFiles highlights the importance of wearing sunglasses at any age.

Prevent Blindness America hopes to raise $140,000 for sight-saving programs through its fourth annual Swing Fore Sight Golf Tournament, to be held Sept. 21 at the Bali Hai Golf Club in Las Vegas during Vision Expo West.

American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) past president Michael Redmond, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist and pioneering advocate for the profession, died recently at his home in Florida, after a battle with cancer.

Santen Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Osaka, Japan), has initiated a global Phase III clinical study evaluating its investigational drug sirolimus (DE-109) for the treatment of noninfectious posterior uveitis.

Nearly 6,000 Americans spent part of their Fourth of July holiday in the emergency room in 2009 due to fireworks injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Of those, fireworks caused an estimated 1,600 eye injuries. The injuries included contusions, lacerations, and foreign bodies in the eye. Some injuries caused permanent vision loss.

HOYA Surgical Optics, Inc. (HSO) announces that it has voluntarily suspended sales of two models of its clear-optic IOLs: the iSymm IOL (Model FC-60AD) and the iSert IOL (Model PC-60AD). This action affects only U.S. customers, and HSO has requested the return of these lenses.

Optovue, an innovator in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), has launched a wellness program implemented as a ?pay-per-visit? arrangement with eye care clinicians. Known as the iWellness Program, it was formerly called iHealthCheck.

Bausch + Lomb (B+ L), the company that brought the first soft contact lens to market 40 years ago this month, showcased product innovations and scientific research focused on improving patient care, outcomes, and quality of life at the American Optometric Association?s (AOA) annual meeting in Salt Lake City June 15 to 19.

Transitions Optical, Inc. is introducing an awards program to acknowledge loyal eye-care practice partners who are actively promoting healthy sight. Through the Transitions Eyecare Practice of the Year awards program, up to three finalists will be recognized for their year-long achievements in December, and one practice will be named the ?2011 Eyecare Practice of the Year? during Transitions Academy in January 2012.