News

The maker of an in-office test (InflammaDry Detector, Rapid Pathogen Screening) to detect elevated levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP?9) in tear fluid expects to begin marketing it in Canada soon now that the company has been granted a medical device license from Health Canada. The product was also recently released in Europe and Asia.

David J. Apple, MD, died Aug. 18. He was 69.

The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance for a solid-state, true-yellow, 577-nm wavelength system (Pascal Streamline 577, Topcon Medical Laser Systems).

Sept. 15 is the application deadline for two new fellowships from the ARVO Foundation for Eye Research (AFER) that mark the first time the organization will fund research projects rather than solely recognize researchers? achievements.

The FDA has extended by 3 months its target date to complete a priority review of the biologics license application (BLA) of aflibercept injection for intravitreal use (Eylea, also known as VEGF Trap-Eye, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to Nov. 18.

Novartis and its Alcon division are working with the FDA, industry cargo thefts organizations, and law enforcement officials to recover products of Novartis, Alcon, and Falcon, a line of generic eye-care pharmaceuticals from the Sandoz division of Novartis, that were stolen on July 18 while being delivered to a customer?s distribution center in Florida.

Brien Holden, BAppSc, PhD, DSc, chief executive officer of the Brien Holden Vision Institute, has been shortlisted for a Eureka Prize, one of Australia?s top science awards.

"Eyebuzz.net has launched an updated version of its eye-care job matching service. The Web site is aimed at providing a one-stop recruitment resource for ophthalmic positions such as ophthalmologists, nurses, technicians, photographers, administrators, and scribes, as well as optometrists and opticians. "

VSP Vision Care has launched the Eye Pledge campaign, which will provide up to 50,000 free eye exams and glasses to children in Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. VSP estimates the value of the Eye Pledge program at more than $19 million.

Three optical companies have been named among ?The World?s Most Innovative Companies? by Forbes magazine. Alcon ranked 21st, Essilor International 25th, and Corning 69th on the list, which was published in the Aug. 8 issue of the business magazine.

Ora Inc. is expanding its internal research efforts to include the development of a nasal allergen challenge model, as well as a new Allergen BioCube (ABC) system that can be used for evaluating anti-allergy drugs administered via both ocular and nasal routes.

Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has launched a redesigned Web site at www.preventblindness.org. The site offers a variety of new features including adjustable text sizes to assist those with visual impairment, as well as a simplified layout for faster navigation. It also allows social media users to use the ?share? feature to instantly link articles and content to their own Facebook and Twitter accounts.

With the approach of the school year, Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has declared August as Children's Eye Health and Safety Awareness month, and is encouraging parents to ?make sure every child takes the test that may help them pass all the rest.?

The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute at the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine will be dedicated Aug. 19. Located on the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campus, the 77,000 square foot building features 15,000 square feet of research space and 14,000 square feet of clinic space.

The memoir of David Paton, MD, founder and former medical director of Project Orbis (now known as Orbis International), is now available.

Vision Expo West 2011 will include a new treasure hunt to drive show traffic and generate excitement about the meeting. LifeStyle Eyecare Centers, a marketing company aimed at assisting independent eye-care professionals in expanding and marketing their practices, will host the event.

Nominations are now being accepted for the second annual Transitions Vision Benefits Broker of the Year award, which will recognize professionals who are encouraging healthy sight through vision care benefit offerings and education.

Members of the Optical Laboratories Association (OLA) will be able to vote for 2011 Awards of Excellence contenders beginning next month.

When visiting a new client, the author says one of his favorite things to do is conduct quality checks of completed eyeglass orders.

Interesting new findings have emerged from a study of the risk factors for the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy, namely, that its severity determines the rate of progression, especially in younger patients.

Pre-existing astigmatism can be corrected using LRIs and toric IOLs for patients who undergo cataract surgery.

One of the key themes for this year's meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology was nano technology and regenerative medicine.

A series of courses aim to help clinicians and eye researchers keep up with state-of-the-art approaches to the design, construction, and execution of clinical trials.

The key to the best visual results after cataract and refractive surgery rests with optimizing the ocular surface in patients with dry eye disorders prior to the procedure.

When performing LASIK in eyes with hyperopia with a large positive angle kappa, centering the ablation on the corneal vertex rather than the pupil centroid provides superior results.

The most important information the author learns occurs when she has the opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow managers and administrators.

Many children, returning to school this fall, will lack the tools that can help them perform at their optimal level: a professional eye exam and glasses, if necessary.

An intrastromal procedure performed using a femtosecond laser fulfills many of the criteria for an ideal presbyopic treatment.

Stem cell-based therapy is an important potential treatment to restore vision in patients with a wide range of retina disease.

The XXIX Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons will be held in the historic European capital city of Vienna from Sept. 17 to Sept. 21.