News from the American Academy of Optometry Foundation, Bausch Health, CooperVision, Harrow Health Inc., Luxottica, and more…
Practice Tip: As symptoms of dry eye disease can overlap significantly with allergies, it can take some detective work to determine the true culprit, or culprits, to prescribe the most appropriate treatment. Scott Hauswirth, OD, FAAO, and Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Optometric Management’s “Dry Eye,” columnist, say the presence of papillae is a clear indicator of allergy: “That tells us that we need to treat the front surface, and we need to be moving into a topical antihistamine, a mast cell stabilizer, or a pill, along with a topical drug in some cases.” For more on this topic, visit https://www.optometricmanagement.com/issues/2022/june-2022/leading-off-how-to-know-whether-it-8217;s-dry-eye.
American Academy of Optometry Foundation Launches Inaugural Bright Ideas Pitch Competition
The American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) announced its inaugural Bright Ideas Pitch Competition, designed to provide recognition, mentoring, and a monetary reward to new or early stage entrepreneurs who have an idea or innovation to improve eye care treatment or devices. Finalists will present their pitches live during the American Academy of Optometry’s annual meeting, Academy 2022 San Diego, to be held Oct. 26 to Oct. 29. For more information and to apply, visit aaopt.org/education/professional-development/#bright-ideas-pitch. The application deadline is July 8.
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry Name Award Winners
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) announced the recipients of its 2022 Special Recognition Awards: Dr. David S. Loshin (ASCO Lifetime Achievement Award); all the teaching faculty, both didactic and hands-on clinical teachers, at ASCO’s member institutions in the United States and Canada (Dr. Jack Bennett Innovation in Optometric Education Award); Vernon Dela Cruz, doctor relations at VSP Vision (ASCO Ophthalmic Industry Leadership Award); Dr Lucy Kehinde (ASCO Rising Star Award); and Dr. Andrea Meagher (ASCO Student Award in Clinical Ethics). All award winners were acknowledged during ASCO’s Annual Business Meeting.
Bausch Health Board Chairman Resigns
Bausch Health announced that its chairman Joseph Papa resigned from the board, effective immediately. According to the company, it has appointed John Paulson to the board to replace Mr. Papa upon his resignation. Mr. Paulson serves as an independent director of Bausch + Lomb. He established investment management firm Paulson & Co in 1994 and is its president and portfolio manager.
CooperVision Expands New York Manufacturing and Distribution Facilities
CooperVision began construction on the expansion and renovation of its manufacturing, packaging, and distribution facilities in Scottsville and West Henrietta, NY. The Scottsville facility will expand by 5,500-square-feet and includes investments in new technology that will accommodate growth in product manufacturing capacity, resulting in shorter order fulfillment times, the company says. The West Henrietta facility will expand by 150,000 square feet, increasing its footprint by more than 50% and adding upgrades in technology for packaging, storage, and ordering, as well as an updated warehouse management system, CooperVision says.
Harrow Completes Transfer of Ophthalmic Therapies
Apraclonidine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution (Iopidine 1%), neomycin and polymyxin B sulfates and dexamethasone ophthalmic suspension (Maxitrol 3.5 mg/10,000 unites/0.1%), and \ moxifloxacin ophthalmic solution (Moxeza 0.5%) ophthalmic therapies acquired by Harrow Health Inc., have been transferred to the company, including the acquisition of the NDAs. The FDA-approved medicines Iopidine, indicated for post-surgical elevations in IOP, and Maxitrol, indicated for steroid-responsive inflammatory ocular conditions, are now commercially available, while Moxeza, indicated for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis, is set to be commercialized later. Product orders for Iopidine and Maxitrol can be made directly through Harrow’s customer service-ordering partner Cardinal’s Cordologistics.
Luxottica Founder Passes Away
Luxottica founder Leonardo Del Vecchio died on Monday, June 27, at age 87, in a Milan hospital, according to the Associated Press. His cause of death was not disclosed. Mr. Del Vecchio was one of Italy’s wealthiest, thanks to his company’s eyewear for companies, such as Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana.
Pixium Vision Expands Board of Directors
Pixium Vision SA, a bioelectronics company focused on innovative bionic vision systems to aid patients who have lost their sight, appointed Anja Krammer and August Moretti as members of its board of directors. Ms. Krammer is a start-up veteran with a history of strategy and implementation in health care, and Mr. Moretti is a financial executive with a history of raising capital, according to the press release.
Prevent Blindness Declares July Dry Eye Awareness Month
Prevent Blindness named July “Dry Eye Awareness Month” to provide free resources to eye care providers and the public on the chronic condition. This includes fact sheets and shareable social media graphics available in both English and Spanish, and a dedicated web page. (Incidentally, the theme of the July issue of Optometric Management is dry eye disease!) OCuSOFT Inc., has partnered with Prevent Blindness in support of “Dry Eye Awareness Month.” For more information on dry eye, visit the Prevent Blindness resource page at preventblindness.org/understanding-dry-eye.
SightGlass Vision Spectacles Myopia Progression Compares Favorably to Control Group
A 24-month interim data from the CYPRESS clinical trial shows that spectacles that use SightGlass Vision Diffusion Optics Technology significantly reduces axial length (mean absolute reduction: 0.27 mm) and cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction progression (mean absolute reduction: 0.77 D) in children ages 6 and 7 years old vs. the control group. Study investigators enrolled, randomized, and dispensed the lenses to 256 eligible children across 14 clinical trial sites in the United States and Canada. At the time of enrollment, subjects were ages 6 to 10 and had myopia between -0.75 D and -4.50 D, with nearly a third of them being age 6 or 7.
Vision Council Releases Report Regarding Consumer Choices and Eye Care and Eyewear
The Vision Council made available the “Focused inSights 2022: Consumer Choices” report, which explores consumer choices regarding eye care and eyewear. Highlights of the report: A total of 92% say they believed it was easy to schedule their last eye exam, and 30% say they did so because they needed new glasses. See https://thevisioncouncil.org/product/focused-insights-2022-consumer-choices-summary.
Vision Expo West Opens for Registration
The Vision Council and its co-organizers announced that Vision Expo West is now open. The event takes place Sept. 14 to Sept. 17 in Las Vegas at the Venetian Expo & Convention Center. Grab your registration here: https://west.visionexpo.com/ Also, find information about partner hotels, the show schedule, and education. Further, the organization is offering a webinar titled “Maximizing Your Vision Expo ROI,” taking place Wednesday, June 29, from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT. Register to attend the webinar at https://bit.ly/3xZpiEy.
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.