GOVERNMENT NEWS

• The National Eye Institute has opened the first stage of a federal prize competition designed to generate miniature, lab-grown human retinas. Visit http://bit.ly/2q6Ps7J .

NONPROFIT

• Brien Holden Vision Institute CEO Kovin Naidoo was recognized at the Saudi Ophthalmology 2017 conference for his work in preventative ophthalmology, particularly in childhood blindness and cataract.
• Prevent Blindness awarded Dr. John E. Crews, DPA, of the CDC, the 2017 Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health. In other news, Prevent Blindness announced a partnership with ThinOPTICS. A portion of the proceeds from each pair of Gregory Burns Collection ThinOPTICS stemless reading glasses will be donated to support the nonprofit’s 20/20 @40 program.

COMPANY NEWS

• Bausch + Lomb made the following changes to its management team: Joe Gordon expands his role, from senior vice president and general manager U.S. consumer health care, to include the U.S. vision care business; Tracy Valorie, senior vice president and general manager, U.S. pharmaceuticals, expands her role to include U.S. surgical business.
• Essilor shareholders approved the planned combination with Luxottica, including the appointment of members to the future EssilorLuxottica board of directors, according to the company.
• NAI appointed Jason E. Porter to director of engineering and continuous improvement.
• In celebration of its 80th birthday, Polaroid Eyewear has created the “Fish Bowl,” a short film inspired by Edwin Herbert Land, the inventor of polarized film. ■

Primary Eyecare Network offers this education: Frame Adjusting and Selection, both on June 22, Almeda, Calif.; Center for Paraoptometric Education, July 10 to 12, Almeda, Calif.; and Risk Assessment, Aug. 2, online webinar. PrimaryEye.net .

• Shire and Parion Sciences Inc. have entered into a partnership granting Shire exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize P-231, an investigational epithelial sodium channel inhibitor for the potential treatment of dry eye disease in adults. Parion has the opportunity to co-fund in future development stages, according to the companies.
• SynergEyes has launched a job finder program for contact lens and cornea residents via portal on synergeyes.com .

FDA NEWS

• TrueTear (Allergan), an intranasal neurostimulating device from Allergan, has been granted FDA marketing authorization. The device temporarily increases tear production in adult patients, according to the company.
• Haag-Streit received FDA approval for its Fundus Module 300 slit lamp attachment, which is compatible with the BQ 900, BP 900, BI 900 and BM 900 slit lamps, and can be used in combination with the IM 900 or IM 600. ■