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Contact Lens Spectrum

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NEWS SPECTRUM

Contact Lens Spectrum July 1, 2021 Vol 36, Issue July 2021 Page(s): 3, 5-7

CONTACT LENS PRESCRIPTION VERIFICATION MODERNIZATION ACT REINTRODUCED

The Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety (Alliance) applauded the House reintroduction of the Contact Lens Prescription Verification Modernization Act (H.R. 3353). According to the Alliance, the bipartisan legislation, introduced by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), increases patient safety by prohibiting prescription verification made via robocall and establishing a paper trail by instead requiring that online sellers use direct communication—e-mail, live phone call, or fax—to confirm prescriptions and to ensure that patients are receiving their prescribed lenses rather than a substitution not approved by an eyecare provider that could put their eye health and vision at risk. The bill also requires online sellers to develop HIPAA-compliant methods for patients to electronically transmit contact lens prescriptions. ■

COOPERVISION AND COOPERVISION SPECIALTY EYECARE SPONSOR 2021 CONTACT LENS AND PEDIATRIC RESIDENCY SUMMIT

CooperVision and CooperVision Specialty EyeCare recently sponsored the fourth annual Contact Lens and Pediatric Residency Summit. The event—which took place both virtually and in-person in May—brought together the 2020-2021 class of contact lens and pediatric residents from more than 20 educational institutions across the United States and Canada.

According to the company, the program helped attendees build confidence in selecting and fitting contact lenses, including those for myopia management. In addition to learning strategies to advance overall patient care, residents had the opportunity to participate in hands-on and instrument-driven specialty contact lens fittings.

Additionally, eyecare professionals certified with CooperVision’s Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program led a panel discussion on how to maximize CooperVision’s entire contact lens portfolio. And, clinical and research experts across the contact lens, myopia management, and irregular cornea categories hosted a series of workshops and breakout sessions on various topics, including the evolution of contact lenses, contact lenses for all ages, common misconceptions about myopia management, and how to build a contact lens practice. ■

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ABB OPTICAL GROUP RELAUNCHES ANNUAL ABB CARES PROGRAM

ABB Optical Group has announced the return of its signature community grants program, ABB Cares. Launched in 2014, the program has awarded more than $75,000 in grants to non-profit organizations across the country. Applications for the program will be accepted beginning Aug. 2.

This year, ABB will award one ABB Cares Platinum Grant of $5,000, one Gold Grant of $2,500, and one Silver Grant of $1,000 to charities nominated by professionals in the eyecare industry, including optometrists, opticians and office staff. Organizations do not need to focus on eye health to qualify for a grant.

To be considered as a grant recipient, all candidates must comply with the following:

  • the non-profit must be a 501(c)(3) organization and provide proof of that status;
  • the organization’s local office must be within 30 miles of the nominating practice’s primary location;
  • the organization must be located in the United States;
  • all applications must be submitted in English; and
  • applications must be completed and submitted online.

The deadline for submitting an application is 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 31, 2021. For more information or to submit an application, visit ABBOptical.com/ABBCares . ■

IACLE ANNOUNCES 2021 CONTACT LENS EDUCATOR AWARD WINNERS

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) announced the winners of its 2021 Educator of the Year Awards, which recognize and reward achievements in contact lens education worldwide. The meetings that they will attend to receive their awards will be confirmed once COVID-19 restrictions allow.

The 2021 winners are IACLE Americas Contact Lens Educator of the Year, Johanna Garzón, PhD, Universidad de La Salle, Bogota, Colombia; IACLE Asia Pacific Contact Lens Educator of the Year, Wei Xu, Jinling Institute of Technology, Nanjing, China; and IACLE Europe/Africa – Middle East Contact Lens Educator of the Year, Byki Huntjens, PhD, City, University of London, UK. ■

SYMPOSIUM SPOTLIGHT

Global Myopia Symposium

The 2nd annual Global Myopia Symposium will be held virtually, Sept. 17 to 19, 2021. Registration coming soon. Visit GMSymposium.com for the full agenda.

Optometric Management Symposium

Join us for the Grand Reopening of the Optometric Management Symposium (OMS), being held Dec. 2 to 5, 2021 at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. OMS is the premier event for clinical and business management and optical strategies. This 3.5-day conference offers a great balance of continuing education, networking opportunities, and time to export and learn the latest in the exhibit hall. For more information and to register, visit omconference.com .

Global Specialty Lens Symposium

The Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS) Education Committee is now accepting abstracts for Free Papers and Posters for GSLS 2022, which is being held Jan. 19 to 22 at Bally’s Las Vegas. The Education Committee is seeking topics including clinical case reports, case series, and clinical and basic research on all aspects of contact lenses (such as materials, designs, lens care) in addition to related topics such as corneal and ocular surface disease, diagnosis and treatment approaches, and practice management. Visit gslsymposium.com for more information. ■

WORLD HEALTH LEADERS ADOPT TWO GLOBAL EYE HEALTH TARGETS FOR 2030

Ministers of Health agreed to adopt two new eye health targets for 2030 at the 74th World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) highest decision-making body. All countries have committed to a 40% increase in effective coverage of refractive error by 2030 and to a 30% increase in effective coverage of cataract surgery by 2030. The targets cement the WHO’s global strategy on vision set out in its “World report on vision” and in the World Health Assembly resolution on eye health adopted last year. More than 250 health ministers and government officials, WHO representatives, and civil society, academic, private sector organization, and eye health experts attended the event. ■

AAOF ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNER

The American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) announced the recipient of the Joe and Janet Barr Early Career Cornea and Contact Lens Research Award: Gulnoza Azieva, a second-year OD/MS student at the State University of New York College of Optometry. Her research project focuses on the development of a protocol to assess ocular surface in the marmoset and to identify reliable parameters that will help with the assessment of CLIDE (contact lens-induced dry eye). She will be honored at Academy 2021 Boston. ■

INDUSTRY BRIEFS

  • Luneau Technology launched a new service program that will offer an elevated level of technical support for current customers as well as help eyecare professionals (ECPs) who want to modernize their practices with emerging technologies. Industry veteran Ron Reed will be driving the enhanced Service Solutions program as National Customer Support and Maintenance Manager. In this newly created role, he will lead a team of regional field service, technical, and customer service specialists. He will be working closely with Canada Territory Manager Doug Hart and with Field Specialists Wayne Hodgins and Nash Beshay to scale service coverage for ECPs across North America. Luneau Technology also welcomed Lance Brown as Tier 3 Client Support Engineer. In his newly created role, he will be responsible for advanced technical consultation, connectivity needs assessment, and issue resolution for the Visionix product family. He will be reporting to Mr. Reed and will be working closely with fellow Tier 3 Client Support Engineer Tommy Orr.
  • CooperVision recently expanded its myopia management and one-day brand teams by hiring Kamela Bearlin as senior global brand director, 1 Day Brands and Jennifer Lambert as senior global brand director, Myopia Management and by promoting Elizabeth Lumb, BSc(Hons), MCOptom, to director of Global Professional Affairs, Myopia Management. Ms. Bearlin will work with regional commercial teams to grow the CooperVision wearer base and to support market-leading growth through the company’s rapidly accelerating 1 Day silicone hydrogel portfolio. Ms. Lambert will work with CooperVision’s global and regional teams to expand its Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program worldwide. Ms. Lumb will work closely with CooperVision’s regional marketing and professional affairs teams to support the ongoing commercialization of the Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program, including MiSight 1 Day and the recently acquired SightGlass Vision technology.
  • Valley Contax, Inc. and co-sponsor, Contamac, US, are partnering again to offer complimentary diagnostic sets to optometry graduates across the United States. They feature a compact Custom Stable Elite set of lenses that are selected to apply to most patients and are manufactured in Optimum Extra lens material, according to the companies. To receive a diagnostic set, each recipient has demonstrated a thorough understanding of the Custom Stable lens design by participating in a training video and passing a quiz to show their competency.
  • Nevakar Inc. announced the establishment of Vyluma Inc., a newly formed company with a focus on the development and commercialization of therapies to treat ophthalmic diseases. At inception, Vyluma will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Nevakar Inc. According to Nevakar, Vyluma will focus on first-in-class and best-in-class ophthalmic pharmaceutical therapies, with an emphasis on refractive errors. NVK002 is Vyluma’s lead product candidate in late Phase III clinical development, with readouts anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2022. Vyluma’s pipeline includes programs for treatment of pediatric myopia, presbyopia, night vision disturbance, acute ocular pain, and hyperopia.
  • CooperVision Specialty EyeCare’s Procornea DreamLite night lenses have received European approval for slowing the progression of myopia in children and young adults. DreamLite night lenses can be used for myopia control with children who have a refraction of –0.75D to –5.00D and a maximum cylindrical refraction of –2.50D. The lenses are currently available across Europe, the Middle East, and China.
  • As part of ABB Optical Group’s continued efforts to connect and engage with eyecare professionals (ECPs), the company has introduced an online Virtual Eyecare Practice Experience. According to ABB, this completely virtual experience focuses on helping ECPs discover new ways to increase patient satisfaction and retention, such as enhancing direct-to-patient product delivery, implementing strategies for long-term practice success through harnessing the power of data, accessing education opportunities for ECPs and their staff, and practice process and strategy tools. The self-guided experience simulates the expertise of an in-person discussion between ECPs and ABB’s consultative business team members, and practitioners and staff can access it whenever it is convenient for them. For more information and to access the ABB Virtual Eyecare Practice Experience, visit abbvepe.com .
  • EyeYon Medical announced that it has received CE Mark, which gives it approval by the European Union to commercialize EndoArt. EndoArt is a synthetic implant that is designed to replace dysfunctional endothelium in patients awaiting human donor tissue as a first-line treatment for patients who have chronic corneal edema. In May, EndoArt received both China’s Innovative Device Status and the Breakthrough Device Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  • Laboratoires Théa has acquired The EyeBag brand. The MGDRx EyeBag was launched 16 years ago by Prof. Teifi James as a natural, effective treatment for dry eye, meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), blepharitis, and the symptoms associated with these conditions. While distribution transitions into the Théa network over the coming months, the product will continue to be available through normal EyeBag distributors or direct from the EyeBag sales team in Halifax.
  • Oyster Point Pharma, Inc. announced a newly formed research collaboration with Adaptive Phage Therapeutics (APT) to leverage APT’s PhageBank technology for the development of potential treatments for multiple ophthalmic diseases. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Oyster Point Pharma has the option and certain rights to obtain an exclusive license to develop and commercialize APT’s PhageBank technology for ophthalmic diseases or disorders. Under the license terms, if such option is exercised, Oyster Point Pharma has agreed to pay APT potential development and regulatory milestones, as well as the potential for sales-related milestones and tiered royalties of net sales, if a licensed phage therapy is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). APT retains production rights to PhageBank and will supply Oyster Point Pharma with product at an agreed upon cost-plus model.
  • MediPrint Ophthalmics announced its new corporate branding and a new website. According to the company, the new corporate logo was designed to better reflect and illustrate the purpose and passion underlying the company’s goal to use the MediPrint process to help protect sight by printing ophthalmic drugs on the surface of contact lenses. The new website (www.mediprintlens.com ) contains information on how MediPrint Ophthalmics is developing a solution for an unmet need in glaucoma, according to MediPrint. It also highlights information on its pipeline of products, including those for dry eye and allergy (which are all based on its proprietary MediPrint process) and contact lenses.
  • AcuFocus, Inc. appointed John Garland as its global vice president of Sales. In his new role, he will be responsible for global sales strategy and will focus initially on building the U.S. sales field team. Additionally, the company appointed Jason H. Safabash as its vice president of Research & Development (R&D), citing his more than two decades of experience as a leader in bringing eyecare devices to market. Mr. Safabash is an experienced technical leader who has a proven track record in successfully developing and delivering presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses and injector systems to the ophthalmic market.
  • The International Sports Vision Association (ISVA) and MacuHealth launched Sports Nutrition for Your Eyes, a new educational resource on the ISVA website (www.sportsvision.pro ) designed to help educate athletes about how proper nutrition can have preventive and protective benefits for their overall well-being‚ improve their vision and eye health, and help enhance their sports performance. Sports Nutrition for Your Eyes includes some real-world examples of visual performance measures that can benefit from proper nutrition and supplementation, offers links to several resources with information on how certain vitamins and minerals can contribute to eye health, and provides practical advice on what to look for before selecting a supplement.
  • Johnson & Johnson Vision, along with Lions Clubs International Foundation, has expanded the “Sight for Kids” program into four underserved, low-income South Florida counties. The goal is to provide services to at least 20,000 children in the first year. The Florida Heiken Children’s Vision program, a division of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, is a third collaborator in the “Sight for Kids” program.

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