News from ABB Optical Group, Art Optical, Association for Schools and Colleges of Optometry, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, Santen, Valley Contax, and more…
Practice Tip: The lack of understanding about the importance of an eye exam for patients who have diabetes is compounded by a lack of awareness about the disease, write Drs. Mohammad Rafieetary and Salar Rafieetary, in “Address This Top Challenge in Managing Diabetes,” in the May 2022 issue. By educating patients, optometrists can build “awareness regarding the link between diabetes and eye conditions. Additionally, should the patient’s refractive change be suspicious for diabetes, the OD can further show their importance as a member of the patient’s health care team by contacting the patient’s primary care physician (PCP) to recommend diagnostic testing for the condition.” Visitbit.ly/3w3nxVM.
ABB Optical Group Designated Authorized Distributor of Eyeris Contact Lenses
ABB Optical Group announced it has become an authorized distributor of Eyeris contact lenses. Eyeris offers a daily disposable soft contact lens that has a prescription range of +6.00 D to
-13.00 D (1/4 D steps from -4.75 to -7.50), is comprised of 59% water, and uses cross-linking procedures to ensure consistent power across the optical zone, reports the press release. Visit https://info.abboptical.com/eyeris.
Art Optical and Michigan College of Optometry to Provide Virtual Orthokeratology Fitting Workshop
Art Optical will partner with the Michigan College of Optometry to present a virtual orthokeratology fitting workshop featuring Art Optical’s MoonLens. The workshop will occur May 12 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. EDT, and lead attendees through the clinical steps of fitting the lens with a live patient. Attendees will learn how to obtain reliable topography data, use the MoonLens calculator, and more.
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry Names New Director of Development
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry hired David O’Donnell as director of Development. Mr. O’Donnell has a track record of securing more than $100 million for non-profit organizations and campaigns across the country, according to the press release.
Bausch + Lomb and Novaliq GmbH Announce Phase 3 Trial on Drop for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction Meets Primary Endpoints
Bausch + Lomb and Novaliq GmbH announced its perfluorohexyloctane (NOV3) drop to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease linked with meibomian gland dysfunction met both primary endpoints of total corneal fluorescein staining in a multicenter, randomized, double-masked Phase 3 clinical trial. The study was comprised of 597 participants ages 18 years and older who used either NOV03 or a hyptonic saline solution four times daily. Blurred vision, mostly mild and transient, was the only adverse event that occurred in a high proportion of subjects treated with NOV03 vs. control, according to the press release.
Brien Holden Vision Institute Announces Myopia Awareness Week
The Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI) announced the launch of Myopia Awareness Week, which will occur May 23 to May 28. The week is a global initiative to bring attention to the growing epidemic of myopia in children across the world and will offer a range of educational resources for practitioners, parents, and advocates of myopia awareness, with a focus on “Make your Eye Moves” – a driver to engage in activities that promote eye health and reduce myopia risk. Resources and campaign information can be found at bit.ly/myopiaweek2022.
Contact Lens Update Issue Spotlights Scleral and Orthokeratology Lenses
Issue 65 of Contact Lens Update, published by the Centre for Ocular Research & Education, focuses on the potential benefits of scleral and orthokeratology lenses for the management of complicated cases, such as dry eye disease. The publication is sponsored by Alcon, CooperVision, and Johnson & Johnson Vision. Visit ContactLensUpdate.com.
CooperVision Continues Myopia Education with WCO; Launches ‘Online Success Center’; Invites Submissions for Awards Program
CooperVision and the World Council of Optometry have joined forces for a second year to provide myopia education. Specifically, planning is now underway by the two entities for a new series of clinical education resources and initiatives. In 2021, the WCO approved a standard of care resolution that advised optometrists to incorporate myopia management in their practices. Visit WCO’s myopia resource hub at https://myopia.worldcouncilofoptometry.info/. In other news, CooperVision launched its new ECP Viewpoints Online Success Center, a one-stop digital education platform that can be used by optometrists, technicians, staff, optometry students, and health care professionals. Visit https://coopervision.com/practitioner/ecp-viewpoints. Additionally, the company announced it is now accepting submissions for its 2022 Science and Technology Awards program, which fosters partnerships between recipients and CooperVision scientists with the goal of translating innovative ideas into practical solutions. Additional information and the online application are available at www.coopervision.com/about-us/science-and-technology-awards.
Heidelberg Engineering Names Xtreme Research Award Winner
Heidelberg Engineering announced Dr. Bettina Hohberger, of the Eye Clinic at the Friedrich Alexander University, in Erlangen, Germany, as this year’s winner of the Heidelberg Engineering Xtreme Research Award for her diagnostic insights into long COVID, due to her use of OCTA on the SPECTRALIS platform. The technology revealed certain characteristics in retinal density. The Xtreme Research Award recognizes talented researchers for their outstanding projects that provide tangible benefits to ophthalmic science, eye care, and improved patient care.
Johnson & Johnson Vision Names Company Group Chairman
Johnson & Johnson Vision appointed Peter Menziuso as company group chairman. In this role, he now leads the full Johnson & Johnson Vision portfolio. Mr. Menziuso has spent more than 30 years at Johnson & Johnson. Prior to his appointment as company group chairman, he was worldwide president for the company’s Vision Care division.
Kala Pharmaceuticals Announces New Coverage for EYSUVIS
Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that its loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension 0.25% (EYSUVIS) is now covered by Humana, named as a Preferred Brand on its Medicare formularies, effective June 1, 2022. Kala Pharmaceuticals says this adds approximately 7 million Medicare lives to EYSUVIS coverage, bringing total EYSUVIS Medicare coverage to 14.1 million lives, or approximately 30% of all Medicare lives.
Ocuphire Pharma Announces Positive Results From Phase 3 Trial of Nyxol
Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. announced positive results from the MIRA-4 pediatric safety trial regarding Nyxol for the reversal of pharmacologically induced mydriasis. Specifically, the results show that Nyxol’s efficacy and safety in those ages 3 to 11 was consistent with the findings of previous studies performed by the company, which enrolled those ages 12 to 17 and those age 18 and older. Ocuphire says it plans to submit a New Drug Application with the FDA in late 2022.
Optometry Giving Sight Postpones Reception
Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) has put its OGS Beacon of Light Reception on hold, citing “unforeseen scheduling issues.” The organization adds it will be in touch with a new date and location as soon as details are confirmed. In the meantime, folks can contact Sharyn Gallatin at sharyn.gallatin@givingsight.org with any questions or concerns.
Prevent Blindness and Regeneron Join Forces with Expanded Diabetic Eye Disease Program
Prevent Blindness and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., are partnering to raise awareness on the impact of diabetes on vision and eye health through an expanded “Diabetes and the Eyes” program. Specifically, the program will now include a video series for both English and Spanish-language speakers, community-level health education and support, and refreshed materials, such as fact sheets and graphics. Visit https://preventblindness.org. In other news, Prevent Blindness will be holding the inaugural A.S.P.E.C.T. Patient Advocacy and Engagement Summit, May 9 to May 11, 2022, at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Summit aims to help patients and allies to become versed and involved in the vision condition that impacts their life, understand the disease process, and receive the Prevent Blindness “V2: Voice for Vision” advocacy training, which creates powerful voices addressing vision conditions in local, state, and national settings, the organization says. A.S.P.E.C.T. stands for Advocacy, Support, Perspective, Empowerment, Communication, and Training.
Santen’s Vernal Conjunctivitis Treatment Now Available
Cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion 0.1% (Verkazia) is now available for the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) in U.S. children and adults. Verkazia is a prescription-only drop thought to act by blocking the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-2, that can cause the allergic inflammation of the ocular surface seen in VKC patients, the company says. The most common adverse reactions following the use of Verkazia were eye pain (12%) and eye pruritus (8%), Santen says.
SightGlass Vision Spectacle Lenses Demonstrate Myopia Control After 24 Months
SightGlass Vision Diffusion Optics Technology lenses were effective in slowing myopia progression in children,according to 24-month interim data from a clinical trial presented at the 2022 Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology meeting. The trial, “Two Year Effectiveness of a Novel Myopia Management Spectacle Lens with Full Time Wearers,” was comprised of 256 children ages six to 10, who had myopia between -0.75 D and -4.50 D. Axial length exhibited a 0.21 mm difference, and the spherical equivalent refraction difference was 0.52 D.
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Announces Positive Topline Data from Phase 3 Clinical Trial of Demodex Treatment
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that its lotilaner ophthalmic solution, 0.25% (TP-03) for the treatment of Demodex blepharitis met the primary endpoint (complete collarette cure) and all secondary endpoints (mite eradication and complete lid erythema cure), in a Phase 3 trial, along with a favorable safety profile. The randomized, controlled, double-masked trial was comprised of 412 adults who used TP-03 b.i.d. in each eye for six weeks. The only adverse events occurring at a rate of ≥1% in the TP-03 group were instillation site pain/burning/stinging (7.9%, n=16) and dry eye (1.5%, n=3). As a result, the company says it plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the second half of 2022.
Valley Contax Announces 2022 Optometry’s Meeting Student Travel Grant Award Winner
Valley Contax, Inc., in partnership with Contamac US, announced the winner of their student travel grant. The grant was given to Cory Zwahlen, a second-year student from the Southern College of Optometry. He was selected from several applicants, all of whom submitted a short essay describing why they chose optometry as their career. Mr. Zwahlen will be using his travel grant to join fellow optometry students and attendees of this year’s “Optometry’s Meeting” in Chicago.
Visioneering Technologies Inc. Makes Changes to Commercial Organization
Visioneering Technologies, Inc. has made the following changes to its commercial organization: Brian Lane has been appointed chief operating officer, along with his current role as chief financial officer; Mike Tilleli has been named national sales director; Layna Mendlinger has been promoted to global head of marketing; Lynne Meyer has been appointed strategic account director; Pam Pritchard has been promoted to executive director of sales operations; and JP Rechach has been named inside sales manager, reporting to Pam Pritchard.
Vision Council Encourages Member Support of Healthy Vision Month; Announces Expanded Scholarship Fund
The Vision Council is urging its members to participate in Healthy Vision Month — May — by using the hashtag #HealthyVisionMonth and checking out the resources available on the National Eye Institute’s Healthy Vision Month page at bit.ly/3vFQGaP. Additionally, the organization is encouraging its members to share their Healthy Vision Month plans with Hayley Rakus, The Vision Council’s senior communications manager, at hrakus@thevisioncouncil.org for consideration on The Vision Council’s social media channels. Further, The Vision Council’s social media content calendar, accessible by members only, includes usable Healthy Vision Month messages. In other news, the organization is expanding the “Opening Your Eyes: The Vision Council Scholarship Fund” from its three launch schools — Georgia Piedmont Technical College, New York City Technical College, and Middlesex Community College — to other institutions within the National Federation of Opticianry Schools (NFOS), including Durham Technical Community College (Durham, NC) and Hillsborough Community College (Tampa, Fla.).
O.D. 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.