Week in Review - October 5, 2024

Editor's note - This podcast has been created from original content using AI-generated voices and text-to-speech software.

Welcome to another edition of the EyePod Week in Review podcast, reviewing some of the top headlines on the Ophthalmology Times website. Thank you for joining us, and now the news.

Melt Pharmaceuticals has dosed the last patient in its pivotal phase 3 study evaluating MELT-300, a non-IV, non-opioid tablet for procedural sedation during cataract surgery.

MELT-300 combines midazolam and ketamine in a sublingual tablet for cataract surgery sedation, using Catalent’s Zydis technology for rapid absorption.

The phase 3 trial involves more than 525 patients, comparing MELT-300 with sublingual midazolam and placebo, assessing sedation efficacy and need for rescue medication.

Topline results from the trial are expected before the end of 2024.

Thanks. Nanoscope Therapeutics Inc announced a productive FDA meeting for its clinical program evaluating MCO-0 0 for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa.

According to the company, based on the regulatory feedback provided in the meeting, it will commence Biologics License Application submission in Q1 2025.

MCO-010 is an ambient-light activatable Multi-Characteristic Opsin optogenetic therapy for vision restoration in advanced retinitis pigmentosa, irrespective of gene mutation

The company has completed the Phase 2 STARLIGHT trial of MCO-010 therapy in Stargardt patients and recently unveiled plans to start a Phase 3 registrational trial during the first quarter of 2025.

And now, some news about MJH Life Sciences.

MJH Life Sciences, parent company of Ophthalmology Times, has acquired The EnVision Summit. The meeting, held annually in Puerto Rico, combines an innovative CME-certified education program with a first-class family experience.

The summit will be hosted as a CME-certified conference within the Physicians’ Education Resource legacy portfolio, supported by the care network brands Ophthalmology Times and Optometry Times

The holistic approach to the summit includes age-appropriate activities for participants' family members, including children. In 2024, the EnVision Summit debuted an optometry track concurrent with the existing ophthalmology sessions.

The upcoming EnVision Summit is scheduled for February 14-17, 2025, at the Caribe Hilton, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Ophthalmology Times reported this week a team of researchers is reviewing the potential of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology.

AI in ophthalmology can analyze fundus images to detect systemic disease biomarkers, advancing the field of oculomics.

A pilot study showed AI's potential to predict HbA1c levels from fundus images, stressing the need for unbiased training samples.

The results of the case study highlight the importance of developing trustworthy AI models for assessing cardiovascular risk factors while addressing the challenges and problems that must be overcome prior to clinical adoption, as well as advancing reliable oculomics technology.

Myopia is in the rise, particularly among children, and experts predict that by the year 2050, myopia will affect approximately half of the world’s population.

Researchers from Arizona State University maintain that a rise in what’s called near work — when individuals interact with close objects like phones and screens — is partially to blame.

A team of researchers in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence at Arizona State University, is developing new diagnostic tools that use the power of artificial intelligence, or AI, to more effectively screen for this disease.

The researchers at Fulton Schools developed new AI algorithms called N N MobileNet. The sets of instructions that computer programs follow to do their work are developed to help software more effectively scan retinal images and predict the correct classification of the myopic maculopathy.

Next, the investigators trained their attention on efforts in the scientific community to use a type of AI called deep neural networks to predict the spherical equivalent in retinal scans.

The spherical equivalent is an estimate of the eye’s refractive error that ophthalmologists and optometrists need when prescribing glasses or contacts. In deep neural networks, researchers task computers with analyzing huge sets of data and apply AI-powered algorithms to draw helpful conclusions.

Thank you for listening to the latest EyePod Week in Review podcast from Ophthalmology Times. For more details on these and other articles, visit our website on OphthalmologyTimes.com. You also can watch This Week in Ophthalmology, for the latest news headlines and interviews.