Articles

Canaloplasty with tensioning suture placement is growing in popularity owing to a combination of factors, including a successful training programme, an improved reimbursement picture, and favourable long-term data, said Richard A. Lewis, MD.

An aspheric IOL may be considered the implant design of choice for most patients with glaucoma who require cataract surgery, said Richard L. Lindstrom, MD.

The injection of DNA into the optic nerve resulted in light perception vision in patients with no light perception and very low vision, according to Sunita Agarwal, MD.

Nutritional supplements seem to make sense as a treatment of tear dysfunction, according to Marian Macsai, MD. Dr Macsai tempered her assertion with the observation that no objective trials have been performed to support the use of nutritional supplements in patients with tear deficiency.

Second Sight's "bionic eye" implant, the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System, has been implanted into two blind patients at London's Moorfields Eye Hospital by Dr Lyndon da Cruz and team.

Spectral domain, three-dimensional (3-D), high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) represents a step forward in OCT technology, with precise registration, complete data set acquisition, and improved coverage of the retina being the major advantages.

VEGFb, a novel form of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an anti-angiogenic which is cytoprotective for retinal cells, can inhibit choroidal neovascularization significantly, according to preclinical results presented at this year's BIO National Venture Conference, held April 22?23 in Cambridge, US.

Cortiject, Novagali Pharma's investigational treatment for Diabetic Macular Oedema (DME), has successfully been injected into the first patient in its Phase I clinical trial.

The intraocular position of different models of phakic IOLs show differences in space to the crystalline lens and the corneal endothelium, which may affect long-term results in terms of IOL interaction with surrounding tissue, according to a study published in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.

A Phase I study testing safety and tolerability of a new non-invasive drug delivery system, the EyeGate II Ocular Drug Delivery System (EyeGate Pharma), has been launched.

The increased level of ultraviolet (UV) rays in the Earth's atmosphere due to the depleted ozone layer is increasing the risk of cataract-induced blindness, according to a spokesman from the Fred Hollows Foundation.

"See America", a contest to promote the importance of eye exams in the prevention of glaucoma, has been launched by Prevent Blindness America.

Patients with retinal dystrophy experience slower disease progression when treated with the α2 agonist brimonidine, according to a study published in the February 2008 issue of the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

The FDA has approved an expansion of the Phase III CABERNET (CNV Secondary to AMD Treated with BEta RadiatioN Epiretinal Therapy) trial, which is evaluating the safety and efficacy of NeoVista's epiretinal brachytherapy in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The P200C, a retinal imaging device designed for advanced ocular disease, has been launched by Optos plc.

The Akreos AO microincision lens (model MI60; Bausch and Lomb) and the Amaris excimer laser (Schwind) have been named amongst 33 winners at the 2008 Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA).

Cases of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS) encompass a wide spectrum of severity, so it is important for surgeons to master several different strategies to increase the likelihood of achieving a safe outcome in these eyes.

A surgical microscope designed specifically for cataract and anterior segment surgery - the OMS-710 Operation Microscope - has been launched by Topcon Medical Systems, Inc.

Cationorm, a cationic emulsion to treat dry eye, has been launched in France by Novagali Pharma.

As the Asian eyecare market begins to explode, Alcon is preparing to be close to the action by adding a manufacturing plant in Singapore.

Reichert, Inc.'s applanation tonometer, the Tono-Pen Avia, was one of 33 products named winner of a 2008 Medical Design Excellence Award (MDEA).

Bottles of infected eye drops are more likely to be contaminated with bacteria at the bottle tip and not within the solution, according to a study presented at this year's American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) meeting.

Carl Zeiss Meditec has unveiled the most advanced visual field testing platform available today - the Humphrey Field Analyzer II-i (HFA II-i) with Guided Progression Analysis (GPA) software.

The Tube versus Trabeculectomy (TVT) Study found that nonvalved tube shunt surgery was more likely to maintain IOP control and avoid persistent hypotony and reoperation for glaucoma than trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC) during the first year of follow-up.

Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co., Inc. has announced that the FDA has granted tentative approval to the company's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for dorzolamide hydrochloride with timolol maleate ophthalmic solution, the generic equivalent of Merck's Cosopt.

Regeneration of damaged retinal cells with the aid of stem cells may offer hope for the treatment of retinal degeneration conditions, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR), according to a report published by the National Academy of Sciences (Volume 103).

Vitreoretinal Technologies, Inc has begun to enrol and treat diabetic retinopathy patients in the clinical trial for its pharmaceutical treatment Vitreosolve.

Intravitreal medical therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is dominated by the two anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs, ranibizumab and bevacizumab (Lucentis and Avastin, respectively, Genentech).

Novartis is to purchase 25% of Alcon from majority stakeholder Nestlé, with an option to purchase Nestlé's remaining shares, which currently amount to approximately 52% of Alcon.

A new study assessing the quality of life after LASIK is to be conducted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the FDA and the National Eye Institute, it was announced at this year's ASCRS meeting in Chicago, US.