NEWS spectrum
AAO Names Award Winners
The American Academy of Optometry has announced the awards recipients for its annual meeting, Academy 2011 Boston, which will take place this month from Oct. 12 to 15 at Boston's Hynes Convention Center:
Charles F. Prentice Medal: Dennis Levi, OD, PhD, FAAO, dean, School of Optometry, University of California Berkeley.
2011 Glenn A. Fry Award: David Atchison, MScOptom, PhD, DSc, FAAO, professor, School of Optometry.
Irvin M. and Beatrice Borish Award: Jason Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO, Kevin McDaid Professor, University of Houston
AAO-Essilor Award for Outstanding International Contributions to Optometry: Posthumously awarded to Thomas Little, OD.
William Feinbloom awardee: Glen Steele, OD, FCOVD, professor of Optometry and chief of Pediatric Primary Care, Southern College of Optometry
Carel C. Koch Medal: David A. Sullivan, PhD, senior scientist and the Margaret S. Sinon Scholar in Ocular Surface Research at the Schepens Eye Research Institute
Eminent Service Award: Thomas L. Lewis, OD, PhD, FAAO
The Garland Clay Award: “The Development, Assessment, and Selection of Questionnaires,” Konrad Pesudovs, PhD, FAAO; Jennifer M. Burr, MRCOphth, MSc; Clare Harley, PhD; David B. Elliott, PhD, FAAO. Optometry & Vision Science. 84(8):663-674, August 2007.
The Harris Award: Michael J. Earley, OD, FAAO, of The Ohio State University's College of Optometry.
The Schapero Memorial Award: Mark Willcox, BSc(Hons), PhD, FBCLA
The Founders' Award: The Cornea and Contact Lens Research Unit (CCLRU) of the Brien Holden Vision Research Institute.
The 2011 Awards Ceremony will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 14 in Ballroom B of Hynes Convention Center.
Contamac Gains Silicone Hydrogel Patent
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent for the protection of Contamac Ltd. proprietary silicone hydrogel polymer materials, including Definitive. The patent covers polymer composition, formulation design, production, and contact lens manufacturing, including the provision of an indication for finished contact lenses resulting from the production process.
The Definitive material was developed for specialty contact lens application and is available in the United States through Art Optical, Metro Optics, Unilens, and X-Cel/Walman contact lens laboratories.
“This is a significant achievement for the company and is the first of a series of intellectual property that the company intends to protect,” said Robert McGregor, director, Contamac Ltd.
UHCO to Host CL Annual Meeting
The 28th Cornea, Contact Lens and Contemporary Vision Care Symposium, one of the longest running and thriving contact lens meetings, will take place on Dec. 3 and 4, 2011 at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas. This continuing education course, presented by the University of Houston College of Optometry with Jan Bergmanson, OD, PhD, as coursemaster, features internationally renowned researchers and clinicians who will address current and future issues in a rapid but friendly fire atmosphere.
Speakers will include Jason Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD; Kelly Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD; Edward Bennett, OD, MSEd; Earl Smith III, OD, PhD; William Miller, OD, PhD; William Townsend, OD; James Walsh, OD; Norman Leach, OD, MS; and Michael Twa, OD, PhD.
This year the University of Houston College of Optometry Award for Distinguished Research in Cornea and Contact Lenses goes to Fiona Stapleton, MSc, PhD, MCOptom, a British-trained optometrist currently serving as head of the School of Optometry at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Her internationally recognized research on the epidemiology of microbial keratitis, its incidence, and factors affecting its prevalence among contact lens wearers will be of considerable interest and value to delegates.
Other topics will include dry eye in contact lens wearers, myopia control, corneal and scleral contact lenses, why ultraviolet radiation can no longer be ignored, updates on keratoconus and Acanthamoeba, and recent releases of therapeutic agents.
Visit http://ce.opt.uh.edu/live-events/CCLCVC-annualSymposium2011.
Menicon Reorganizes International Operations
Menicon Company Limited has announced a major reorganization in its international operations and the creation of a new global management team in Menicon Holdings B.V. located in The Netherlands. The changes, effective immediately, fundamentally reorganize the company's non-Japanese entities with the aim to accelerate the introduction of innovative new products and services to support Menicon's growing contact lens and related businesses.
Mr. Toshio Matsushima serves concurrently as president of Menicon Holdings and executive officer, global strategies and operations in the parent company. Working with his newly appointed management team, he will directly oversee the international business to enable faster implementation of the company's strategic plan.
All Menicon Group companies outside of Japan are now unified under one entity, Menicon Holdings in Emmen, the Netherlands. Menicon Holdings will serve as Menicon's international headquarters and will oversee all commercial operations outside of Japan.
In addition, Menicon Holdings will build new headquarters and a new manufacturing plant in Emmen. The new plant, slated to open in early 2013, will initially produce custom contact lenses for the European market and house Menicon's European R&D center. Menicon says the new plant will significantly expand Menicon's lathing as well as molding manufacturing capacity, both for GP and soft disposable lenses.
Jonathan Jacobson has been appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of Menicon Holdings, reporting to Mr. Matsushima. The CEO will harmonize and lead Menicon's global organizations in Europe, North America, and the rest of the world as one united organization.
Pierre Monteil has been appointed chief operating officer of Menicon Holdings, reporting to the CEO. He will be responsible for the company's day-to-day operating activities.
Manuel Martin Tamargo has been named chief financial officer, reporting to the CEO. He will be responsible for Menicon's global financial strategy & management, global HR and ERP.
Anatole Diep has been appointed chief manufacturing officer, reporting to the CEO. He will lead Menicon's production and logistics strategies and operations outside of Japan and Singapore.
Rainer Hassenstab has been appointed QA/RA director, directly reporting to Mr. Matsushima.
The new Menicon Holdings will have an R&D Team to work with the company's global chief technology officer, Mr. Steve Newman, based in Singapore, to focus on bringing newly developed innovative products and services to the global markets.
Dr. Jennifer Choo has been appointed manager of Specialty Lens Clinical Affairs for Menicon Holdings. Dr. Choo will oversee the company's Rose K business while also handling professional and clinical affairs for the company's growing specialty lens portfolio. For the last three years, Dr. Choo has been project leader at Adventus Technology Inc and at the Brien Holden Vision Institute based in Sydney, Australia.
Contamac Names New Executive
Contamac has appointed Peg Achenbach, OD, FAAO, as chief medical and academic strategist for Professional Services, Vision Care at Contamac US where she will oversee the development of the company's continuing education programs with strategic focus on specialty contact lenses.
Most recently, Dr. Achenbach was the senior director, Professional and Medical Affairs for Vistakon. She also served as vice president of Medical Operations for SDR Pharmaceuticals. Following her graduation from Pacific University College of Optometry, Dr. Achenbach directed the development of new contact lens solutions and materials while managing clinical research at Bausch + Lomb and also was in private practice for 16 years. She is a member of the American Optometric Association (AOA) as well as the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).
“The addition of Dr. Achenbach to our team is further acknowledgement of our leadership position in the specialty lens marketplace,” said Marty Dalsing, president of Contamac US.
Dr Achenbach joins Timothy O. Koch, COT, FCLSA, and Martin Conway, FBDO, as the newest member of the Contamac Professional Services team.
| CooperVision Plans Executive Leadership Changes |
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| In an effort to update and expand CooperVision's market presence in key regions, the following changes are being made to the CooperVision, Inc. executive leadership team. Effective Nov. 1, 2011, Dennis Murphy, current president, Americas, is being promoted to executive vice president for Global Sales and Marketing. Andrew Sedgwick, current president, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), is being promoted to president, The Americas, including Latin America. Juan Carlos Aragon, president, Asia Pacific & Latin America, is being promoted to president, EMEA, and will continue to be responsible for Australia and New Zealand. Fernando Torre, executive vice president, Global Operations, will add Global Distribution & Packaging to his responsibilities. |
| WEB UPDATE |
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| ■ B+L Launches Vision Experts Facebook Page Bausch + Lomb (B+L) has launched the Vision Experts Facebook page, an aggregated site of industry news and events. The site will provide commentary from B+L experts and a venue to encourage discussion among the optometry community on the latest happenings in the industry. Commentary will be provided by the following internal experts: Joseph T. Barr, OD, MS, FAAO, VP of Global Clinical & Medical Affairs and Professional Services, Vision Care; Carla J. Mack, OD, MBA, FAAO, director, Global Medical Affairs, Vision Care; Mohinder M. Merchea, OD, PhD, MBA, FAAO, FBCLA, director, Medical Affairs, Vision Care North America; Michael Pier, OD, director, Professional Relations, Vision Care North America; Christopher Snyder, OD, MS, FBCLA, director, Professional Relations, Vision Care North America; Stephanie Su, OD, FAAO, manager of Research Clinic Operations. You can find more information on Vision Experts at www.facebook.com/VisionExperts. Vision Experts will also participate on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VisionExperts. ■ Art Optical Introduces Online Ordering Art Optical has introduced an online ordering option for practitioners and contact lens technicians involved in specialty contact lens fitting. The new online order page is accessible at https://www.artoptical.com/ordering/online-order-form/ and offers a comprehensive listing of the custom lens options available from Art Optical. |
| INDUSTRY BRIEFS |
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| ■ Menicon Z (tisilfocon A) (Menicon Co., Ltd.) material has received an expanded indication from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for management of irregular corneal conditions (in non-diseased eyes) including keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, post-penetrating keratoplasty, post-radial keratotomy, and post-LASIK surgery. Within the coming weeks, the company will release a large-diameter, 16.5mm blank for sale to authorized laboratories. ■ Through Oct. 31, 2011, Lens Dynamics will contribute a portion of its proceeds from Dyna Semi-Scleral, Dyna Cone Plus, Dyna Cone Elite, Dyna Intra-Limbal, and Dyna Intra-Limbal Elite to World Sight Day 2011. ■ Acculens has reached an agreement for the licensing of its Maxim and Comfort SL branded scleral lens designs to Brazilian company Mediphacos. The agreement is currently set to open the Brazilian market to the Acculens scleral designs during the fourth quarter of 2011 and is optioned to expand into all of South America, Central America, and Mexico. ■ Bausch + Lomb (B+L) and Technolas Perfect Vision GmbH (TPV) have entered into a definitive agreement providing B+L with an option to purchase all outstanding and unowned TPV shares for a total company value of up to 450 million, based on the achievement of certain milestones and earnouts. TPV was established in 2009 through a joint venture between B+L and 20/10 Perfect Vision AG to develop and sell advanced refractive and cataract technologies. ■ The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) has completed its first Future Faculty Program. This program, funded by a grant from Walmart, was held in conjunction with ASCO's Summer Institute for Faculty Development this past July. Fourteen graduate students from nine institutes participated in the program, which was centered on the issues that graduate students face as they embark on a career in optometric education. Topics addressed academic culture, developing teaching skills and credentials, and the role of junior faculty. ASCO hopes to expand the Future Faculty Program in 2013. ■ The 15th annual East-West Eye Conference will take place Oct. 20 to 23, 2011 at the Cleveland Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The meeting offers more than 175 hours of continuing education credit for optometrists in addition to education for opticians and allied eye professionals. This year's contact lens track includes speakers from private practice, academia, and research. Visit www.eastwesteye.org. ■ SynergEyes, Inc. recently reported that its Duette Multifocal second-generation hybrid contact lens has been prescribed to more than 1,000 patients since it became available in a select group of practices this summer. SynergEyes began releasing the Duette Multifocal lens in August. ■ Jerry Hayes, OD; Neil Gailmard, OD, MBA; and Billy Cochran, OD, recently introduced Prima Eye Group, a new concept in practice management support and group purchasing services for private practitioners. Based in Atlanta, Ga., Prima Eye Group provides a business support platform for growth-oriented practice owners, including practice millionaires, established practice owners, and new-to-practice optometrists who want to increase practice revenues and net income. Visit www.primaeyegroup.com. ■ The American Optometric Association has changed the name of its Online Paraoptometric Training-Navigator (OPT-N) Program to Paraoptometric Skill Builder. Funded through education grants from Essilor and Vistakon, Paraoptometric Skill Builder offers online courses at beginner and intermediate learning levels and accommodates individual learning styles. Visit www.aoa.org. ■ SarCode Bioscience, Inc. recently announced that the initial patient has been enrolled in the company's Phase 3 clinical study (OPUS-1) of SAR 1118 ophthalmic solution, a first-in-class molecule that inhibits T-cell inflammation by blocking the binding of two cellular surface proteins (LFA-1 and ICAM-1) that mediate the chronic inflammatory cascade. SAR 1118 may be able to reduce inflammation associated with dry eye. The OPUS-1 trial will study the safety and efficacy of SAR 1118 in the treatment of dry eye disease. |
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