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INDUSTRY BRIEFS

• CooperVision announced a new U.S. education initiative called “Take Control: Myopia & You” to increase awareness of the disease and to encourage parents to schedule eye exams for their young children. Nine-year-old child actor Alan Kim will serve as a primary spokesperson. He has myopia and will share his MiSight 1 Day experience. In addition, actress and singer Madison Reyes, 17, will also support the campaign by sharing her experience with myopia and the lifestyle benefits of contact lens wear. In addition to celebrity spokespeople, the omnichannel “Take Control: Myopia & You” campaign will feature notable eyecare professionals. Content will live across owned channels and established parenting platforms, creating an information hub where parents can seek more information and get their questions answered.
• X-Cel Specialty Contacts announced the launch of “Feed Your Mind,” an educational program featuring the recently launched REMLens for overnight orthokeratology. According to the company, the 45-minute Feed Your Mind educational program allows practitioners to book a virtual staff training session or an in-person training and fitting session on a date and time that is convenient for their practice. To review course outlines and to register, visit www.xcelspecialtycontacts.com/feed-your-mind .
• The Global Myopia Awareness Coalition (GMAC) announced that the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) has joined the organization and will be represented on its board of directors. This marks a significant expansion of GMAC’s reach into the public health sector, whose cooperation is vital to successfully address one of the most pressing ocular health issues in generations.
• iCare USA’s parent company, Revenio, has announced its acquisition of Oculo, an Australian company dedicated to telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and clinical communications. Oculo’s software platform allows practitioners to communicate and exchange clinical correspondence—such as patient referrals—securely and instantly, according to the company. The software can also transfer clinical data and images in a secure and HIPAA-compliant way, replacing fax communications. According to the company, iCare Oculo’s telemedicine feature enables clinicians to arrange high-quality, completely secure video consultations from wherever there is internet.
• Orasis Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Julie Speed as senior vice president (SVP), head of strategy and marketing. She brings more than two decades of leadership in eye care and will be responsible for developing the brand strategy and for building the marketing organization as the company prepares for Phase 3 readout and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submission for lead candidate, CSF-1. Ms. Speed has previously held commercial leadership positions at Alcon and Johnson & Johnson Vision-Surgical as well as at Eyevance and TearLab.
• Allergan, an AbbVie company, announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Vuity (pilocarpine HCl ophthalmic solution) 1.25% for the treatment of presbyopia. Vuity is a daily, prescription eye drop that works in as early as 15 minutes and lasts up to six hours, as measured on day 30, to improve near and intermediate vision without impacting distance vision, according to the company. Specifically designed for presbyopia, Allergan says that Vuity is an optimized formulation of pilocarpine, an established eyecare therapeutic, delivered with pHast technology. The proprietary pHast technology allows Vuity to rapidly adjust to the physiologic pH of the tear film, according to the company. Vuity uses the eye’s own ability to reduce pupil size, improving near vision without affecting distance vision, according to Allergan.
• Prevent Blindness announced that the 2022 Person of Vision Award will be presented to Rick Gadd, president of Essilor North America. The award presentation event will take place on March 31, 2022, in conjunction with Vision Expo East. All proceeds from the event will go to support the sight-saving programs of Prevent Blindness. The Prevent Blindness Person of Vision Award recognizes an individual, corporation, and/or organization whose inspired outlook champions healthy vision and its importance for a healthy life. Mr. Gadd was selected as the recipient of the Person of Vision Award for his impactful leadership and dedication to providing quality eyecare products and services to those across the country.
• Avellino Lab USA, Inc., in honor of World Keratoconus Day on Nov. 10, announced a $25,000 donation to the National Keratoconus Foundation (NKCF) to support its educational efforts for this sight-threatening disease. Part of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at the University of California, Irvine, NKCF is an outreach program and founder of World Keratoconus Day. In addition to its donation, Avellino hosted an educational livestream on World Keratoconus Day. The group covered topics including the prevalence of keratoconus, disease diagnostics, and what patient types may benefit from genetic testing.
• iVeena Delivery Systems announced completion of a pre-investigational new drug (IND) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the development plan for a novel pharmacologic treatment for pediatric myopia. IVMED-85 is an investigational eyedrop formulation containing copper intended for treatment of pediatric myopia. According to the company, IVMED-85 will be the first eye drop inducing both scleral and corneal cross-linking for myopia control. The investigational formulation is a once-daily topical eye drop. In line with this novel approach, the FDA confirmed that a 505(b)(1) regulatory submission is appropriate, as it is a drug development pathway for products with no prior regulatory approvals.
• With the recent expansion into the United States, I-Med Pharma USA announced the appointment of Brent Jones to chief commercial officer. Previously, Mr. Jones has held positions with Eyevance Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharma, Bausch + Lomb, and Ista Pharmaceuticals. I-Med Pharma USA appointed Michelle Schnabel to the role of vice president Business Development. She has been in the ophthalmic industry for the last 34 years with a certification as an ophthalmic medical technician. Ms. Schnabel has held positions with Optos N.A., Bausch + Lomb, Carl Zeiss Meditec, and TearScience. In other news, I-MED Pharma USA will directly sell its dry eye products to eyecare professionals throughout the United States. Its product offering includes I-Drop artificial tears, I-Lid ’N Lash ocular hygiene cleansers, I-Defence night-time dry eye ointment, I-Vu omega-3 nutritional supplements, I-Relief therapeutic mask, the E>Eye intense regulated pulsed light (IRPL) device specifically designed to treat evaporative dry eye due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), and I-Drop MGD preservative-free, viscoadaptive eye drop containing a lipid designed to enhance and stabilize all three layers of the tear film.
• Prevent Blindness has announced that Jim McGrann, chairman and CEO of Healthy Eyes Advantage + PECAA (HEA + PECAA), has been named chair-elect of the Prevent Blindness board of directors. Additionally, R.V. Paul Chan, MD, MSc, MBA, chair, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, University of Illinois College of Medicine, and Adéola Oduwole, MSc, vice president & chief of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, have been elected to the board of directors. Also, Sandra Block, OD, MEd, MPH, retired from the Illinois College of Optometry, has been elected as the board of directors Secretary. Susan Primo, OD, MPH, professor of Ophthalmology, director of Optometry Services and Low Vision Services at Emory Eye Center, and Joshua Ehrlich, MD, MPH, assistant professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Michigan, Kellogg Eye Center, have been named co-chairs of the Center for Vision and Population Health at Prevent Blindness Advisory Committee. Stacy Lyons, OD, professor of Optometry and the chair of Specialty and Advanced Care Department at the New England College of Optometry, will serve as chair of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness Advisory Committee.
• TearLab Corporation announced the addition of James V. Mazzo to the company’s board of directors. With more than 40 years of experience in the medical device space, Mr. Mazzo has held a number of leadership positions, including CEO of Allergan’s North American and European eyecare organizations; chairman, president, and CEO of Advanced Medical Optics (AMO); executive vice president of Abbott’s global ophthalmology business; executive chair and CEO of AcuFocus; and global president of ophthalmic devices for Carl Zeiss Meditec. Currently, Mr. Mazzo is executive chairman of Neurotech and an advisor for Avellino Labs. He is also an advisor for Zeiss and for Bain Consulting. He is the founder and chairman of Octane, a member of the International Intraocular Implant Club, and executive committee board member with the Medical Device Manufacturers Association.
• EyeDock.com recently published a new feature on its website called EyeDock/Meds (www.eyedock.com/meds ). EyeDock/Meds is a searchable, browsable database of more than 2,000 ophthalmic medications and products. It includes both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs as well as select oral medications relevant to eye care. According to the company, its easy-to-navigate interface makes it look and work great on phones and tablets.
• Kubota Vision Inc. announced that it received Quality Management System - ISO 13485:2016 certification for the creation and development of ophthalmic medical devices. ISO 13485 is an internationally recognized safety and quality standard for medical devices. The company reports that it is in the final stage of launching Kubota Glass, a wearable device for myopia management.
• The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry announced that, in light of the spreading COVID-19 Delta variant, fall meetings originally planned in person will now be held virtually. Refunds for already-paid registration fees are in progress. Visit https://connect.opted.org/events/calendar . ■