Practice Tip:
“To gain an accurate clinical picture of the patient, I suggest discussing openly and honestly with them their drop-taking regimen,” writes Timothy Earley, OD, in this month’s “iBusiness” column. Specifically, he says he typically asks non-judgmental questions, such as “When was the last time you missed a drop of your medication?” He explains that asking in a non-judgmental way assumes drops are missed from time-to-time and, thus, will typically elicit an honest answer. See the full “iBusiness” column at https://www.optometricmanagement.com/issues/2022/october-2022/business-ibusiness. 
 
Aramis Biosciences’ Dry Eye Therapy Completes Phase II Enrollment
A917, a novel, first-in-class, topical immunomodulatory agent for the treatment of dry eye disease, from Aramis Biosciences Inc., has completed enrollment in its Phase II proof-of-concept clinical trial (clinical trial identifier NCT05238597). 
 
Bausch + Lomb Program Covers DED on Thursday
“Eyeing Up Evaporation: Getting at the Heart of Dry Eye Disease” is a free, live webinar presented by Bausch + Lomb. The program, including speaker Justin Schweitzer, OD, will take place on Thursday at 7 p.m. Specifically, the webinar will review the latest thinking on the role of evaporative DED, looking at causation, mechanisms of stress on the ocular surface, and approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Register at https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServletV2?target=reg20V2.jsp&eventid=3934721&sessionid=1&key=6E141FBFE9E44CC4B9845E5D39450B56&groupId=4127468&partnerref=multiemail5b&sourcepage=register&regTag=4127468. 
 
CooperVision Adds SynergEyes
CooperVision added SynergEyes to its CooperVision Specialty EyeCare business unit. This development broadens the company’s extensive range of products and services and creates a complete portfolio for the treatment of keratoconus and irregular cornea in North America, according to the company. SynergEyes product lines include: Duette, UltraHealth, SynergEyes iD, and SynergEyes VS. As part of the agreement, SynergEyes CEO Bob Ferrigno will serve as a consultant through 2023, and Louise Sclafani, OD, vice president of professional affairs for SynergEyes, will join the CooperVision of Americas team. Manufacturing of SynergEyes products and materials will transition to CooperVision Specialty EyeCare’s facility in Gilbert, Ariz. 
 
CORE Eye Science Game Now Available Online
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) has made its “Ultimate Eye Science Game” available www.COREKnowledgeGame.com. The game features approximately 800 rapid-fire multiple-choice questions covering a wide variety of basic and clinical ocular research topics, primarily related to the anterior segment. Additionally, CORE announced it has begun licensing versions of the game for use by manufacturers, educational institutions, and ocular associations to enable customized question sets and exclusive branding, among other unique elements.
 
JAMA Ophthalmology Study Shows Prevalence of All AMD Remains High
“The Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the United States in 2019,” a JAMA Ophthalmologypublication, found that in 2019, an estimated 19.82 million Americans were living with some form of AMD. This is an increase of more than 2.75 times previous estimates. An estimated 8.34 Americans had early AMD, and 1.49 million had late AMD, which includes choroidal neovascularization and geographic atrophy. Read the article in full at 
bit.ly/AMDPrevalenceJAMA.
 
Oyster Point to Be Acquired by Viatris
Oyster Point Pharma Inc. entered into a definitive agreement under which Viatris Inc intends to acquire it as the foundation of its new ophthalmology franchise. The terms of agreement include a Viatris purchase of all outstanding shares of Oyster Point Pharma for $11 per share in cash at closing, plus a contingent value right for potential cash payment of up to $2 per share upon achievement of specified targets from Oyster Point Pharma in 2022. The transaction was approved by Oyster Point Pharma’s board of directors. 
 
Prevent Blindness Updates Low Vision Resource
“Living Well With Low Vision,” from Prevent Blindness, is a redesigned resource for those living with low vision. Updates to the resource include updated interactive guides for those who have age-related macular degeneration and diabetes-related retinopathy; a new section on vision loss and mental wellness; updated patient and caregiver resource directors; and more. The resource is supported by grants from Genentech and Horizon Therapeutics. To find out more, attend the non-profit’s webinar on Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. Registration is available at https://lowvision.preventblindness.org. In other news, Prevent Blindness named Jim McGrann, CEO of PECAA, chair of the organization’s board of directors, and added Susan A. Primo, OD, MPH, FAAO, of Emory Eye Center, and the Emory University School of Medicine, and Susan L. Stone, MBA, SLStone Consulting, LLC, as new board members. 
 
Vision Council Executive Summit Open for Registration
The Vision Council’s 2023 Executive Summit, taking place Jan. 9 through Jan. 11, is open for registration. The tentative agenda for the three-day event can be found at https://thevisioncouncil.org/2023-executive-summit. In other news from The Vision Council, the December social media content calendar is now available to members. Find it here: https://thevisioncouncil.org/members/monthly-social-media-content-calendar.  
 
Woo U and International Keratoconus Academy Announce Free Keratoconus Education Program
Woo U and the International Keratoconus Academy, with support from iEducation by Glaukos, created the joint program the Keratoconus Essentials Program (KEP), which contains a series of nine educational videos related to keratoconus diagnosis and treatment. KEP is geared toward eye care practitioners, residents, and students. To register for the program, visit https://keratoconus-essentials-program.teachable.com.
 
OD Notebook is published weekly on Wednesdays. Unless otherwise noted, the information presented is based on press releases and/or announcements by the respective organizations. Find earlier editions here. To submit a press release to be considered for publication, click here.