Articles

Gene therapy is not a new concept; scientists have worked tirelessly over the years to try and identify genes that encode particular diseases, with a view to designing therapies that could, one day, eradicate certain debilitating or even fatal conditions.

Recent trials have demonstrated progress is being made in the treatment of uveitis, with the last 12 months yielding almost 2,000 scientific citations. Dr Emmett Cunningham investigates the most significant advances.

In industrialized countries, ocular trauma is the second leading cause of blindness among the over 50s population and the leading cause of monocular blindness among the general population; thus representing an important social health problem.

The National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in England is to delay issuing guidance on Lucentis and Macugen after an unprecedented patient outcry over its decision to block access to them.

The German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority has approved publication of Alcon's tender offer document for WaveLight AG. This tender offer marks the second step in the completion of Alcon's acquisition of WaveLight.

MICS is no longer just a more modern and innovative therapeutic option for cataract; it is also the best choice when offering refractive solutions.

As with all medical disciplines, the goal of every surgeon is to perform surgery that is minimally invasive, in order to reduce the risk of unwanted complications and a poor postoperative appearance, and to increase patient comfort and satisfaction.

Madhu Nagar reviews some of the studies that support SLT's place as a first-line therapeutic in the treatment of glaucoma.

The development of small sutureless incisions in cataract surgery has led to an increased interest in the use of topical ocular anaesthesia. Topical administration of anaesthetic agents is a very simple technique that can achieve good anaesthesia and eliminate potentially sight-threatening complications related to peribulbar or retrobulbar anaesthesia, such as haemorrhaging, optic nerve trauma or globe perforation.

Guy Sallet talks us through a new "viscoless" procedure and outlines the advantages of such surgery, which include fewer IOP spikes, shortened surgery time and less microincision blockages.

There are several surgical options available for the correction of aphakia, yet there is no clear winner in the competition for the best method: anterior chamber intraocular lenses (IOLs), suturing a posterior chamber IOL in the sulcus or using an iris claw lens. If an iris-claw lens, like the Verisyse IOL (AMO), is chosen, it will usually be fixated to the iris in the anterior chamber. Alternatively this IOL can also be fixated on the posterior surface of the iris (Figure 1).

Travel guide to Stockholm for the XXV ESCRS congress. Sponsored by Oertli.

Stockholm travel guide

Ophthalmology Times Europe E-News will provide daily coverage from the 2007 European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) annual congress in Stockholm, beginning September 8 - 12. On sight at ESCRS 2007 . . . Ophthalmology Times Europe editorial team will provide coverage of the top clinical presentations, breaking industry news and latest new products from Europe's largest annual ophthalmic congress. Check your e-mail throughout the ESCRS meeting for all of the important news and research to emerge from the congress and more! Even if you are unable to attend this year's ESCRS meeting, it doesn't mean you have to miss out on the important news from Stockholm. Do you have colleagues and associates who are not receiving Ophthalmology Times Europe E-News? If so, direct them to www.oteurope.com for the latest updates from the ESCRS meeting. Finally, the Ophthalmology Times Europe team would like to extend its thanks to Alcon Laboratories for sponsorship of this project. Enjoy the meeting!

The ESCRS will be running a number of sightseeing excursions during the course of the meeting. The Panoramic Stockholm & Vasa Museum Tour will take you through the major districts of the city up to Jjällgatan for a panoramic view of Stockholm and from there onto the famous Vasa Museum. There will also be an opportunity to see Stockholm from the water and take tours of the City Hall and Drottningholm Palace.

Food and Drink Whatever style of food you have a craving for, Stockholm will be able to cater for it. We would like to recommend just a few restaurants where you are guaranteed to eat like a king.

AMO is voluntarily recalling its Complete MoisturePlus contact lens solutions after receiving data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linking the solution with an increase in the occurrence of the eye infection, acanthamoeba keratitis.

Bausch & Lomb is suing Alcon, claiming that it made false advertising claims about Bausch & Lomb's contact lens solution, ReNu MultiPlus.

Alcon has announced its intention to acquire WaveLight AG by means of a friendly takeover, with both parties entering into a business combination agreement.

Insertion of a SmartPlug (Medennium) can be an effective management tool for severe dry eye syndrome.

Angle-supported phakic IOLs can no longer be sold or implanted in France because of their association with significant endothelial cell loss, which was discovered in patients two to three years after implantation.

Topcon Medical Systems has received FDA approval for its 3D OCT-1000. Meanwhile, the firm has also announced that it is to become the sole European distributor of OptiMedica's Pascal Photocoagulator.

Optos has launched a new version of its proprietary retinal imaging software, V2 Vantage.

Results from Phase II continuation studies of pegaptanib sodium (Macugen) for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO), found that the relative benefits of the treatment were maintained throughout the continuation period with no new safety signals to report.

Opko Health has entered into an agreement to acquire the Canadian company, Ophthalmic Technologies.

Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) has submitted a proposal to acquire Bausch & Lomb for $75 per share in cash and AMO stock.

The FDA has sent Allergan a warning letter relating to misleading information printed in a professional journal advertisement for its ophthalmic solution, Acular LS.

Ellex has launched a website that is to become the primary online resource for the company's selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) users.

AMO has received FDA approval for the Advanced CustomVue Monovision procedure, the first wavefront-guided procedure for the correction of myopic prebyopes, with or without astigmatism.

The FDA has approved an import license application for the iCare tonometer, produced by Finnish firm Tiolat Oy.