Articles

Novartis plans to assume complete control over Alcon Laboratories Inc. in a two-step process that some analysts and some members of Alcon?s board of directors are challenging for its fairness under Swiss and US merger laws.

A Kaiser Permanents Southern California study published in this month?s Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, compares ranibizumab (Lucentis) and bevacizumab (Avastin) and found them to be equally effective in halting vision loss.

Presbia , which develops and markets a surgical solution for presbyopia has appointed ophthalmic surgeons Dr Jorge L. Alio of Madrid, Spain (an OTEurope editorial advisory board member) and Dr Kerry K. Assil of California, have agreed to serve on its Medical Advisory Board.

Alcon is to buy the rights in the United States for two FDA-approved topical eye care products from Sirion Therapeutics, Inc Durezol, a marketed ophthalmic corticosteroid approved for the treatment of inflammation and pain associated with eye surgery, and Zirgan, a recently approved antiviral for the treatment of acute herpetic keratitis (corneal ulcers).

Research published in the journal Cell Death and Disease by University College of London scientists indicates that a simple eye test may, in future, be able to detect Alzheimer's, amongst other diseases.

The Glaucoma Research Foundation?s highest honour, the Catalyst Award, has been given to Jeffrey B. Kindler, chief executive officer and chairman of the Board of Pfizer Inc. The award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in research and education in support of those affected by glaucoma.

Alcon has entered into the surgical glaucoma market by acquiring Optonol, a manufacturer and marketer of novel minature surgical implants used to reduce IOP.

Alcon's formal response to Novartis' s proposal to acquire the minority publicly traded shares of Alcon. In a letter to the CEO of Novartis the Alcon Committee said that the terms proposed were “grossly inadequate.”

Carl Zeiss's current CEO, Dr Michael Kaschke, has resigned his position on the company?s Management Board.

Successful limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) treatment in eight patients using their own stem cells without immunity suppression has been reported by scientists at the North East England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI).

Researchers in The Netherlands have concluded that dietary intake or plasma levels of vitamins C and E and magnesium do not seem to be associated with diabetic retinopathy.

Research claims that imaging devices can effectively support ophthalmologists with glaucoma diagnosis

)? Oraya Therapeutics, Inc., announced today that enrollment is now underway for the first ever masked and sham-controlled study to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of radiation therapy for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The groundbreaking clinical trial is being conducted at seven European sites, and will include a minimum of 150 patients, with approximately one third of those receiving a sham exposure and the remainder receiving radiation dosing of either 16 or 24 Gray (GY).

Heidelberg Engineering has launched an informative microsite about BluePeak blue laser autofluorescence.

Combination bevacizumab and 25?J/cm2 or 12?J/cm2 PDT significantly reduced the number of bevacizumab treatments required over six months. This study aimed at examining number of treatments, but not visual acuities. However, visual acuities responded favourably in all three groups.

The full scientific programme for the March Congress is now available.

Novartis is to exercise its option to purchase the remaining shares in Alcon, Inc., owned by Nestle S.A. at a weighted average price of US$180 per share in cash following the agreement between Nestle and Novartis in April 2008.

A 13-year-old boy was referred because of visual deterioration in his right eye. The visual acuity was two metres of counting fingers. Indirect ophthalmoscopy and biomicroscopy revealed exudative macular oedema as well as tumour-like telangiectatic vessels and exudation in temporal periphery.

In this article R.V. Agrawal et al., assist ophthalmologists in accurately diagnosing anterior uveitis.

A recent study, published in the Archives of Ophthalmology found that injections of a corticosteroid, triamcinolone directly into the eye may slow progression of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR).

A comparative evaluation of local anaesthesia for cataract surgery, published in The Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery says that randomized clinical trials are needed to facilitate statistical methods of metaanalysis to establish convincingly the overall benefits and efficacy of the various local anesthesia procedures in cataract surgery.

The President of the Macular Disease Society (MDS), Gwyneth Dickinson, has been awarded the MBE in the UK's New Year's Honours. Mrs Dickinson, a former nurse, is honoured for her voluntary work as a trustee, Chairman and now President of the Society.

Crystalens AO is the first aberration-free accommodating IOL

Alcon acquires Optinol and enters glaucoma surgical market.

Ophthalmic surgeon Bobby Qureshi is the first in the UK to implant light-adjustable lenses (LALs), which have the capacity to be altered after surgery to provide the best vision for each individual eye without glasses.

Northeastern University engineering professor Jeffrey Ruberti and his research colleagues are breaking new ground in the technique known as "hybrid tissue engineering" by attempting to combine cow tissue with human tissue to produce corneas for human transplant.

Rayner Intraocular Lens Limited, has marked a milestone with a celebration to honour the 60th anniversary of the implantation of the first intraocular lens (IOL) in a patient. The late Sir Harold Ridley implanted the first IOL on 29 November 1949 at St. Thomas Hospital in London. Due to the controversial nature of the surgery, this first surgery was conducted in almost total secrecy.

Fight for Sight has announced £500,000 funding for a new research programme to develop an optimal model of care services for patients with inherited retinal diseases. The five-year programme will be led by Professor Graeme Black, Director of the National Institute for Health Research Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, supported by Professor Tony Moore of Moorfields Eye Hospital and Miss Susie Downes of Oxford Eye Hospital.

Findings published in the European Journal of Ophthalmology have found that intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) combined with panretinal photocoagulation in patients with open angle neovascular glaucoma (NVG) can reduce iris and angle neovascularization and temporarily inhibit further PAS formation.

In the December issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology Brandeis University researchers published a paper about the highly precise scleral lens, to treat severe cornea or ocular surface disease, the Boston Ocular Surface Prosthesis (BOS-P).