NOA FUTURE CONTACT LENS LEADER SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

CooperVision and the National Optometric Association (NOA) have awarded three $1,000 scholarships to exceptional optometry students who have a high interest in contact lenses. Announced during the Virtual Scholarship Awards Ceremony on June 27, the 2020 recipients of the Future Contact Lens Leader Scholarships are Christina Huynh, Kentucky College of Optometry; Jessica Olson Livermont, Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry; and Richard Wan, The Ohio State University College of Optometry.

Scholarship recipients were selected based on their membership in the National Optometric Student Association, their academic standing at their respective optometry schools, and their demonstration of contact lens leadership based on their application essay and faculty recommendations. The NOA Future Contact Lens Leader Scholarships are awarded annually to up to three qualified optometry students who are entering their third or fourth year of optometry school and are also eligible to those entering a contact lens residency program. ■

KEEP UP WITH INDUSTRY NEWS

between issues of Contact Lens Spectrum by subscribing to our e-mail newsletter, Contact Lenses Today. Visit the CLS site (clspectrum.com/newsletters ) to subscribe.

U.S. OPTOMETRY SCHOOLS INVITED TO CERTIFY MYOPIA PROGRAM

The U.S. optometric academic community can now access the online certification curriculum for CooperVision’s Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program featuring MiSight 1 Day contact lenses. Invitations to start certification were recently shared with 334 faculty and residents from the nation’s 23 schools and colleges of optometry.

According to CooperVision, invitations were sent to contact lens, pediatric, and primary care faculty, encouraging collaboration across subspecialties to enhance the continuum of care. CooperVision is also working directly with the contact lens chiefs at each school that has existing myopia management clinics to successfully roll out the Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program so that faculty and residents can prescribe the program to patients.

Enrolled faculty and residents will receive the same training that practicing eyecare professionals are currently experiencing. The online training program uses an autonomous learning approach that allows participants to progress at their own pace and at the time and place of their choice. It includes a five-course syllabus, optional engagement opportunities with peers and academic optometric colleagues at the University of Waterloo and University of Montreal via Ask the Expert webinars, and a separate optional opportunity to gain Paragon CRT certification.

Upon successful completion of the curriculum and online exam, faculty and residents will work with their dedicated CooperVision Myopia Management Specialist to activate their Brilliant Futures account. ■

BCLA PRODUCES PODCASTS

The first-ever podcast produced by the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) is now live. Chief executive Luke Stevens-Burt is joined by optometrist Sarah Farrant to discuss the results of a BCLA survey that was held to better understand the feelings of those returning to practice in the contact lens field after the pandemic. The podcast, titled “The Community Speaks – attitudes and adaptations under COVID-19,” is the first in a series of short audio sessions aimed exclusively at contact lens professionals. Other topics, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in practice and comfort levels in carrying out certain procedures in a post-COVID environment, also come under the microscope in the 30-minute episode.

In the second podcast, two leading eyecare professionals discussed their experiences of wearing face masks and carrying out procedures using PPE. Nick Howard, who works in two Lancashire hospitals fitting specialty contact lenses while developing innovative techniques for management of myopia and dry eye in independent practice, was joined on the podcast by Luke Allen, who manages and treats severe dry eye cases and fits specialist contact lenses in a private independent practice. The pair discussed everything from surgical masks and video slit lamps to boiling kettles to prevent Volk lenses from steaming up in the latest episode of the BCLA podcast series. They also shared tips on how to stay safe and improve communication with patients while wearing protective equipment.

The podcasts are available to both BCLA members and non-members. They can be accessed at www.bcla.org.uk/Public/Member_Resources/Online_Resources/BCLA--Yours-Podcast/Public/Member_Resources/BCLA--Yours-Podcast.aspx?hkey=3221f019-4a00-4259-8367-2c49fac0ef44 or via Pocket Casts and Spotify, search for “BCLA @ Yours Podcast.” ■

INDUSTRY BRIEFS

• Bausch + Lomb (B+L) announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Katt Design Group. The agreement provides B+L with exclusive rights in the United States to manufacture and sell an advanced orthokeratology lens system. B+L will market the system as the Bausch + Lomb Arise Orthokeratology System and expects to launch the system in the second half of 2020. The Bausch + Lomb Arise Orthokeratology System is a software fitting platform that utilizes a patient’s corneal topography images to identify and recommend lens design, including the correct landing zone for the patient. In other news, B+L announced that it has received approval from Health Canada for the sale of Bausch + Lomb Ultra One Day daily disposable silicone hydrogel contact lenses. B+L anticipates that the lenses will be available to select practitioners in Canada beginning in the fourth quarter of 2020, with a full national launch in early 2021.
• X-Cel Specialty Contacts launched a new and simplified warranty and returns policy. The new policy will be effective Sept. 1, 2020 and will allow unlimited exchanges within 120 days on all warranted custom soft and GP products (including the Atlantis scleral). Under this new policy, X-Cel will also move from a return fee upon credit to an exchange fee upon reorder, which will allow for simpler reconciliation of account statements. Additionally, add-on fees have been eliminated, including charges for truncation, fenestration, lenticulation, notching, and prism among others. Tangible Hydra-PEG (Tangible Science), plasma treatment, and material surcharges remain in effect.
• Alcon announced that Pataday Once Daily Relief Extra Strength (olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.7%), formerly prescribed as Pazeo, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sale over-the-counter (OTC) in the United States. Pataday Once Daily Relief Extra Strength is a once-daily eye allergy itch drop offering 24 hours of relief without a prescription. The product will be available online beginning this month, ahead of national retail availability in February 2021. In other news, Alcon has launched the Precision1 daily disposable silicone hydrogel (SiHy) contact lenses in Canada. Precision1 comes to the Canadian market after launching in 2019 in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, with more launches expected around the globe in 2020 and 2021.
• BostonSight announced that it has partnered with Spectrum International to expand global access to BostonSight Scleral, the organization’s commercial scleral lens product. The partnership with Spectrum brings BostonSight Scleral to the Latin American market. BostonSight Scleral is a specialty lens product that is manufactured at BostonSight’s ISO-certified, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-compliant manufacturing laboratory. BostonSight also has a partnership with India-based LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) that provides ocular health solutions to India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) has chosen Michael F. Chiang, MD, as director of the NIH’s National Eye Institute (NEI). A practicing ophthalmologist, Dr. Chiang is currently the Knowles Professor of Ophthalmology & Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, and he is associate director of the OHSU Casey Eye Institute. He is expected to begin his new role as the NEI director in late 2020. Dr. Chiang is also past chair of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Medical Information Technology Committee and has served as an at-large member of the AAO Board of Trustees. He is a member of the AAO IRIS (Intelligent Research in Sight) Registry Executive Committee and is chair of the AAO IRIS Registry Data Analytics Committee.
• CooperVision has acquired C&E GP Specialists Inc., a custom orthokeratology contact lens manufacturer and distributor. Founded in 2003, GP produces the iSee design. In addition, it manufactures and distributes a large portfolio of lens designs such as the Global OK-Vision (GOV) series brands and OrthoTool’s designs. It will also continue as a key distributor of Paragon CRT lenses. Steve Wagner, GP Specialists’ former president and key principal, will serve as a consultant to the company over the next several months to assist with a smooth transition. Mark Cosgrove will remain as GP Specialists’ general manager and will be responsible for daily operations. Rich Jeffries from CooperVision Specialty EyeCare’s senior management team will provide additional guidance, working across functions to help develop and deliver current and future offerings. In unrelated news, CooperVision has hired Rajeev Garg, PhD, as global head of Myopia Management Strategy. In this newly created role, he leads initiatives including market development, acquisitions and joint ventures, technology licensing, and lifecycle management in this growing segment of vision care. Dr. Garg brings more than 20 years of experience in driving innovation and growth in health care, including in optometry and ophthalmology. He most recently served as executive director, Surgical Marketing at Bausch + Lomb and prior to that in senior marketing roles within Johnson & Johnson’s cataract, contact lens, and sterilization businesses. Earlier in his career, he focused on pharmaceuticals development at Abbott and Merck.
• Blanchard Contact Lenses appointed Richard Dorer national sales director. Mr. Dorer replaces Lee Buffalo, who decided to take on a new part-time role as director of Product Education and Sales Training. Mr. Dorer is NCLE certified and has 36 years of experience in the eyecare industry, having spent 15 years working for another specialty lens manufacturer and even owning an optometry practice himself at one point.
• Treehouse Eyes announced the opening of six new centers. In collaboration with select practices, Treehouse Eyes is bringing its proprietary myopia management directly into select primary care practices across the country. The latest practitioners/practices to join the growing Treehouse Eyes family are Dr. Chad Lawson, Bethany Optical in Portland, OR; Dr. Lawrence Jacobs, Highlands Ranch HD Eyecare in Highlands Ranch, CO; Dr. Denise Smith, The Center for Vision Development in Austin, TX; Dr. Vito Vricella, Fenton Family Eyecare in Fenton, MO; Dr. Sharokh Kapadia, St. Johns Eye Associates in St. Augustine, FL; and Dr. Meera Sutaria, Insight Eye Optique in Sterling, VA.
• Valley Contax announced that its quality management system has been certified to comply with the requirements of ISO 13485. This internationally recognized certification is designed to ensure that medical devices are designed, manufactured, and distributed such that they meet the needs of customers and adhere to all applicable regulations.
• Sight Sciences, Inc. announced that Donald J. Zurbay has been appointed as a member of the company’s board of directors. Mr. Zurbay joins with more than 28 years of experience primarily leading finance, accounting, and strategy for high-growth medical technology businesses. He currently serves as CFO of Patterson Companies, Inc., a leading dental and animal health products company. Previously, he was CFO of St. Jude Medical, Inc. until its sale to Abbott in 2017. In addition to Sight Sciences, he currently serves on the board of directors for Silk Road Medical.
• TearLab appointed Adam Szaronos to the position of chief commercial officer (CCO). Mr. Szaronos is joining the TearLab executive team from Alcon, where he was most recently the head of dry eye devices, responsible for building and leading the company’s commercial business unit in the dry eye disease and meibomian gland dysfunction space.
• Nicox SA announced an exclusive license agreement with Itrom Pharmaceutical Group for the registration and commercialization of Zerviate (cetirizine ophthalmic solution), 0.24% for the treatment of ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis. Itrom is granted exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Zerviate in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
• Iacta Pharmaceuticals and Zhaoke Ophthalmology Pharmaceutical (ZKO), a Hong Kong-based pharmaceutical company, have entered into a definitive license agreement on the licensing of two of the company’s products, IC 265 for dry eye and IC 270 for allergic conjunctivitis. The exclusive license is for ophthalmic indications in China and other countries of Southeast Asia. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
• Eyenovia and Arctic Vision announced that they have entered into an exclusive license agreement for Arctic Vision to develop and commercialize MicroPine for the treatment of progressive myopia and MicroLine for the treatment of presbyopia in Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) and South Korea.

COVID-19 BRIEFS

• CooperVision donated $25,000 to start a 2020-2021 Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) Student Relief Program, which will provide emergency funding to support students attending an ASCO member school or college of optometry. Each of ASCO’s schools and colleges of optometry will select either one student to receive a $1,000 grant or two students to each receive a $500 grant. ASCO and CooperVision will not be involved in selecting the grant recipients. While this is a need-based grant and not based on an academic achievement, the students must demonstrate academic progress. Institutions are encouraged to prioritize awarding students with the greatest financial need. This is a one-year program to provide financial assistance as a result of students impacted by COVID-19.
• The International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) has launched an Online Student Trial Exam (STE) to support educators whose students are currently unable to attend their institutions in person or who want to assess students’ knowledge online. The Online STE is hosted on IACLE’S Teaching Online Platform (IACLETOP). The STE was previously a 100 multiple-choice question (MCQ) assessment in paper format to help teachers gauge how their students are progressing through their contact lens curriculum. The paper-format STE will now be discontinued. Delivering the STE online means that IACLE can offer a number of enhancements: a choice between the traditional 100 MCQ exam or a reduced STE that has 50 MCQs; questions and answer options randomized, so each student gets an individual exam; the option to complete the STE via a smartphone app as well as on a computer; and online feedback for each student, either on the day or when the educator prefers. The Online STE will be free of charge until the end of 2020 and will initially be conducted in English. Translations into Spanish, Korean, Chinese (Simplified), and Bahasa will be completed by September.
• With the global COVID-19 pandemic continuing to drive patients to look for alternative methods of access to care, ABB Optical Group (ABB) and EyecareLive have announced enhancements to the EyecareLive platform. The new ABB e-commerce enhancement within the EyecareLive platform allows patients to purchase their prescribed contact lenses directly from their eyecare practitioners (ECPs). The payment can be processed through the application, and insurance benefits can be applied. The order is then fulfilled by ABB, on behalf of the ECP, and shipped directly to the patient. EyecareLive introduced other additions and enhancements to its platform, including the ability for ECPs to e-prescribe medications and to send the prescriptions directly to their patients’ preferred pharmacy, the capability for ECPs to schedule virtual appointments on behalf of patients, and a reimagined, easier-to-use practitioner portal with intuitive improvements and built-in tools.