PRACTICE TIP: Communicate technology’s value to staff
To increase the chance of staff members “buying in” to the purchase of new practice equipment, it’s imperative to explain how it will help them and the practice, writes Dr. Carl Spear in “How to introduce new technology to staff.” Good reasons to adopt technology that should be discussed with staff include how it can improve patient care, staff efficiency, or revenue. Read the full article here.

See the “Research Notes” below for additional news from Ocugen, Ocuphire Pharma, and Sight Sciences.

Avulux expands network to more than 200 ECPs across United States
Avulux, creator of the Avulux Migraine & Light Sensitivity Lenses specifically designed to assist people living with migraine and light sensitivity, has expanded its network to include more than 200 eye care providers across the United States, the company announced. Learn more about the Avulux Migraine & Light Sensitivity Lenses by visiting its website here.

BioTissue movie screening event highlights the impact of organ donation
BioTissue’s Sharing Miracles collaborated with Legacy Donor Services to co-sponsor an exclusive movie premiere event in honor of Donate Life America’s National Donor Day. (The annual observance is dedicated to spreading awareness and education about organ, eye, and tissue donation.) The event brought together more than 50 Donate Life state team members, donor families, organ and tissue recipients, local media, and BioTissue employees for an exclusive red-carpet movie screening of “Ordinary Angels.” The film, starring Hilary Swank, is based on a true story highlighting the importance and the gift of organ donation. For more information about Sharing Miracles, click here.  

CooperVision launches MiSight 1 day QuickStart Program
CooperVision’s recently launched its MiSight 1 day QuickStart Program, designed to simplify the process of prescribing MiSight 1 day contact lenses for eyecare professionals (ECPs). The MiSight 1 day QuickStart program, accessible via CooperVision’s Online Success Center, assists ECPs at various stages of MiSight 1 day prescription. Its tools include written guides, a series of short videos, and amplified support from CooperVision’s Myopia Management Specialist team members, allowing ECPs to tailor their learning experiences. Additionally, CooperVision has expanded its dedicated myopia management team to provide additional professional support to assist with the growing number of myopia patients.
In other CooperVision news, Jennifer Lambert, senior director, Global Myopia Management for CooperVision, has been named to the board of directors of the Global Myopia Awareness Coalition (GMAC).  

EssilorLuxottica completes acquisition of Japanese optical company
EssilorLuxottica has closed on its acquisition of Washin Optical Co., Ltd., a Japanese optical retailer with about 70 direct stores in the country. The agreement represents an important step in EssilorLuxottica’s commitment to grow its eyewear retail operations in the country and to achieve new levels of customer service. 

Euclid to host webinar on attracting patients to a myopia management/ortho-k practice
Registration is now open for a May 7 webinar hosted by Euclid, on attracting patients to myopia management and orthokeratology practices. The webinar will feature insights from Rob Gerowitz, OD, FIAOMC, FSLS, FBCLA and be moderated by Christie Yee, NCLEM, ABOC, COA. Registration can be done here.

EyeCare Partners names Mark Barron chief growth officer
EyeCare Partners announced that Mark Barron will serve the role of its new chief growth officer. In this role, he will focus on developing and executing comprehensive strategies to expand the company’s patient base, optimize existing and identify new revenue opportunities, and support care teams in the continual delivery of patient experiences. For more information, click here.

Retina & Glaucoma Collaborative Summit Offers early bird registration price
The 2024 Retina & Glaucoma Collaborative Summit, hosted by the Retina Special Interest Group and Glaucoma Section, is offering early bird pricing through May 9. The summit will take place from May 31, 2024, to June 1, 2024, at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Ky.; early bird tickets are available at $250 for academy members and $350 for nonmembers. From May 10 to May 31, pricing will be $400 for all registrants. For registration and more information, click here. 

Safilo Group renews licensing agreement with Marc Jacobs
Eyewear designer and manufacturer Safilo Group will continue its partnership with Marc Jacobs International to produce Marc Jacobs-branded eyewear until December 2031. The partnership between the two began in 2004.

TFOS announces 10th international conference, to be held in Venice
The Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) announced it’s “10th International TFOS Conference on the Tear Film and Ocular Surface: Basic Science and Clinical Relevance” will be held Oct. 30 through Nov. 2. The venue will be the Hilton Molino Stucky in Venice, Italy. Registration and more information can be found here.

Research Notes

• Ocugen, Inc., announced that the data and safety monitoring board for the Phase 1/2 ArMaDa clinical trial for OCU410 has convened and approved medium dosing of the therapy in the dose-escalation phase of the study. Three subjects with geographic atrophy (GA) were dosed in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial to date. An additional three subjects will be dosed with the medium dose (Cohort 2) and three patients with the high dose (Cohort 3) of OCU410 in the dose-escalation phase. OCU410’s mechanism of action is delivery of the ROR Related Orphan Receptor A gene. The ArMaDa clinical trial will assess the safety of unilateral subretinal administration of OCU410 in subjects with GA.
• Ocuphire Pharma announced the enrollment of the first subject in the LYNX-2 Phase 3 registration study evaluating phentolamine ophthalmic solution 0.75% (PS) for the treatment of decreased visual acuity under low (mesopic) light conditions following keratorefractive surgery. The previous LYNX-1 Phase 3 study evaluating PS successfully met its primary endpoint, with 13% of subjects gaining 15 or more ETDRS letters of mesopic low contrast distance visual acuity at Day 8 vs. 3% on placebo (p<0.05). For more information about the prior LYNX-1 Phase 3 study evaluating PS, click here.
• Sight Sciences announced the publication of results of a large scale, comparative real-world clinical outcomes study of patients treated by three minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) technologies. The results, published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, judged the efficacy of three commonly used MIGS technologies in combination with cataract surgery compared to cataract surgery alone. More information can be found here.