- AccuLens is now offering third- and fourth-year students scleral lens training. After participating in a comprehensive scleral lens course, students are encouraged to take a final exam to demonstrate their knowledge of the material. Passing students will receive a Maxim four-lens student fitting set at no cost. Upon graduation, students can upgrade the set to a standard Maxim 3D 12-lens set.
- The GP Lens Institute (GPLI) announced the establishment of a new award, in honor of Dr. Art Epstein, to be presented at the GPLI Rising Stars Reception on Jan. 21 during the Global Specialty Lens Symposium in Las Vegas. The “Dr. Arthur B. Epstein GPLI Award for Excellence in Specialty Contact Lenses and Anterior Segment Disease” will be given for outstanding contributions via lectures and publications in the area of specialty contact lenses and anterior segment disease. The GPLI wanted to thank Woo University for dedicating the proceeds from its recent Oral Pharmaceuticals event toward a grant to establish this award.
- Haag-Streit announced the winners of its 2022 Slit Lamp Imaging Competition. This year, 168 entries were submitted by participants from 20 countries with many outstanding images among the submissions. First prize was awarded to Utpal Sarkar from Disha Eye Hospitals Barrackpore in Kolkata, India. His winning image shows a case of spherophakia. Rob Hancock from Wirral University Teaching Hospital in Wirral, UK was selected to win second prize. His image displays a patient with ocular albinism and has been captured with iris transillumination technique. Third prize was awarded to Kathleen Warren from Duke Eye Center, Durham, NC. Her winning image displays a case of epithelial ingrowth.
- Visibly has appointed Taylor Tedder, OD, as its chief medical officer. Dr. Tedder’s professional career encompasses 15 years of diverse experience in leadership roles with major health care companies, including Acuity Eye Group, CVS Health, and EssilorLuxottica. For more than 10 years, Dr. Tedder was in clinical operations with EssilorLuxottica, where he was involved in several growth and regulatory initiatives for the Lenscrafters and EyeExam of California brands.
- With support from CooperVision, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Optometry has named Adam Gordon, OD, MPH, as the CooperVision Endowed Faculty Scholar in Myopia Control and Contact Lenses. This new faculty position empowers Dr. Gordon to explore related topics of his choice and collaborate with scholars and industry partners around the world. Dr. Gordon, who is a professor of optometry, director of the Cornea and Contact Lens Service at UAB Eye Care, and chair of the School’s Department of Optometry and Vision Science, is committed to all aspects of cornea and contact lenses but has special interests in myopia control and the use of medically necessary contact lenses for patients with keratoconus, postsurgical conditions, and ocular surface diseases.
- The Contact Lens Institute has published a report examining U.S. consumer beliefs and behaviors influenced by inflationary pressures. The organization’s analysis affirms the immense value that patients place on their vision and contact lenses, correlated with strong category purchasing power and spending. It also reveals several contact lens-related behaviors that may change with personal financial challenges and advises the eyecare community to proactively address these potential shifts. “Remarkable Resilience: Prescribing Contact Lenses in a Challenging Economy” is now available for online review or as a free, 12-page download from SeeTomorrowNow.com .
- Santen Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., announced the approval of Cationorm Plus by Health Canada. Cationorm Plus is a sterile, preservative-free, artificial tear containing the novel Novasorb technology. According to the company, Cationorm Plus is safe for daily use and restores the three layers of the tear film on the eyes to offer relief from eye irritation and discomfort.
- Through a partnership between Myopia Profile and EssilorLuxottica, the companies plan to release a series of podcasts that cover clinical communication in myopia management, as well as the practice fundamentals of getting started in managing childhood myopia. The exclusive podcasts will offer engaging 10-minute episodes with a focus on providing simple steps and practical advice to eyecare practitioners. They will be housed exclusively on EssilorLuxottica’s new learning platform, Leonardo.
- Johnson & Johnson Vision announced that Lori Tierney has been named president of Americas. In this critical leadership role, Ms. Tierney will have full accountability for shaping the strategy and driving industry-leading growth of the vision care portfolio in both North America and Latin America (LATAM) and of brands such as Acuvue contact lenses. Ms. Tierney has had a long tenure of success within Johnson & Johnson, most recently serving as worldwide president for mentor. She also led Johnson & Johnson’s One Medical Device enterprise strategy and commercial operations.
- A class-action lawsuit, which began in 2015 and accused several contact lens manufacturers of anticompetitive price fixing, has finally come to a close. The case ended with Alcon and Johnson & Johnson Vision agreeing to separate settlements that together equal $75 million. The proposals were initially put forth in April of this year and agreed to by all parties in October. According to court filings, Alcon agreed to pay $20 million, while J&J Vision will dole out $55 million. They join previous settlements from Bausch + Lomb and CooperVision, which agreed to pay $10 million and $3 million, respectively, in 2019. In agreeing to the settlements, none of the four companies admitted to any wrongdoing in the case.
- Roger Buckley, MA, PhD, FRCS, FRCOphth, HonFCOptom a renowned ophthalmologist with extensive experience in clinical practice, research, and teaching, passed away recently. Dr. Buckley trained at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, where he was appointed to the consultant staff in 1981; he also directed the Contact Lens Service there for many years, and remained an honorary consultant. He was appointed professor of Ocular Medicine at City University London in 1997. Additionally, Dr. Buckley was professor emeritus at Anglia Ruskin University and one of the founders of VERI (originally the Vision and Eye Research Unit [VERU]). Dr. Buckley was president of the Medical Contact Lens and Ocular Surface Association from 1989 to 1992; a member of the European Contact Lens Society of Ophthalmologists; vice president of the International Society for Contact Lens Research from 1993 to 1995; president of the British Contact Lens Association from 2003 to 2004; a founding member of executive committee, Allergy UK (formerly the British Allergy Foundation); and a member of the Contact Lens Sub-Committee of the British Standards Institution, representing the British Medical Association and the College of Ophthalmologists from 1984 to 1989; among other organizations.
- Valley Contax Inc., in partnership with Contamac US, announced the travel grant winner who will attend the Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS) in Las Vegas. Applicants had to submit a short essay about a contact lens patient who was meaningful to them. The award went to Joanna Liu, a fourth-year student at The Ohio State University College of Optometry. She submitted a story about a patient who immigrated to the U.S. from a small rural village in Ethiopia and how the contact lenses improved her vision and quality of life.
- To provide faster delivery to eyecare professionals and their patients, CooperVision has expanded its made-to-order manufacturing at its technologically advanced facility in Scottsville, NY, to include all Biofinity toric multifocal contact lenses for the U.S. and Canada. All trial lenses and six-packs of the brand’s most prescribed powers are now being produced at the site, with plans to manufacture 100% of the U.S. and Canada’s Biofinity toric multifocal six-pack volume within the next few months. The expansion reduces delivery times by eliminating international shipping and customs clearance steps. All orders to service other markets will continue to be manufactured at the company’s facility in the U.K.
- Johnson & Johnson Vision has received approval from Health Canada for Acuvue Abiliti Overnight Therapeutic Lenses for Myopia Management. These lenses are worn overnight for the control of myopia and are specifically designed to match a patient’s eye based on its unique corneal shape and prescription to temporarily reshape the cornea. This approval follows Health Canada’s approval of Acuvue Abiliti 1-Day Soft Therapeutic Lenses for Myopia Management in September 2021.
- After receiving preliminary accreditation from the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMU), an accredited exclusive graduate health care education institution in Provo, UT, will start its Doctor of Optometry program in May 2023. According to RMU, an advanced modern medical curriculum combined with flexible interactive in-person and online courses will prepare students to provide exceptional eye care while helping to meet workforce demands. Students may begin to apply for the inaugural cohort.
- Bausch + Lomb Corporation and Novaliq GmbH announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted the New Drug Application (NDA) filing for investigational treatment NOV03 (perfluorohexyloctane). A potential first-in-class eye drop with a novel mechanism of action, NOV03 is an investigational therapy to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease associated with meibomian gland dysfunction. NOV03 has been assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date of June 28, 2023.
- Eyenovia Inc. announced the planned retirement of lead independent director Ken Lee Jr., effective as of Sept. 30. Mr. Lee was a member of Eyenovia’s Nominating and Corporate Governance, Audit and Compensation Committees. His committee obligations have been assumed by the remaining board members.
- Azura Ophthalmics Ltd. announced the company’s U.S. 11,459,351 patent was granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. According to the company, this patent strengthens its intellectual property (IP) portfolio protecting its use of dual-action keratolytic drug conjugates in development for the treatment of ocular diseases associated with the eye lid margin and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Azura’s base IP coverage includes patents related to keratolytic method-of-use, manufacturing, formulation, instruction of use, and dosage spanning MGD, dry eye disease, contact lens discomfort, blepharitis, Demodex, and immune-mediated ocular surface disease.
- Polaris Dawn, the first of the Polaris Program’s three human spaceflight missions, announced the suite of science and research experiments that the crew and SpaceX will conduct throughout the mission. The selected projects are designed to advance both human health on Earth and on future long-duration spaceflights. Of note are two eyecare experiments: use of ultrasound to measure changes to the eye’s structure in microgravity; and wearing a contact lens embedded with microelectronics that will allow the crew to continuously monitor changes in the shape and pressure of the eye, a first for a human spaceflight mission. For a full list and description of the selected science & research experiments and associated institutions, visit Polaris Dawn’s Science and Research site at polarisprogram.com/science-research .
- BioTissue Holdings Inc. announced the completion of its name change from TissueTech Inc. The change is part of a corporate-wide branding initiative launched earlier this year to better represent the company’s entire portfolio and pipeline of products. Pursuant to the name change, the former TissueTech Inc. has become BioTissue Holdings Inc., and its subsidiaries BioTissue Inc. is now BioTissue Ocular Inc., and the former Amniox Medical Inc. is now BioTissue Surgical Inc.
- The International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) welcomes a new Bronze Sponsor – Menicon Co., Ltd. According to Menicon, partnering with IACLE allows it to support contact lens education, research, and best practice evidence-based approaches for those teaching and aspiring the next generation of eyecare professionals.
- The World Council of Optometry (WCO) and partner, CooperVision, shared the results of a survey on the uptake of myopia management among global eyecare professionals. Building on the WCO global resolution that hopes to advance myopia management as the standard of care, WCO and CooperVision presented results of pre- and post-event surveys given as part of a virtual event, “Myopia Management: Putting it Into Practice” attended by 1,245 individuals representing 95 countries earlier this year. The surveys aimed at evaluating the impact of the educational content of the program on clinical practice.
- With funding from the 59th Medical Wing, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, Air Force, and Army medical researchers are developing a HIPAA-compliant smart phone application to connect providers downrange with on-call ophthalmologists either in-theater or at a clinic. The smart phone application, called FOXTROT (which stands for forward operating base expert telemedicine resource utilizing mobile application for trauma) will bring specialty eye care much closer to the point of injury. Specifically, it will allow providers downrange to conduct eye exams and assist with diagnosis and the management of eye injuries. Currently, the application is being developed in collaboration with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center. The next steps are to test the application to ensure it functions well downrange and develop standardized protocols for the use of the application.
- Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that by year’s end, co-founder and chairman, Michael Ackermann, PhD, plans to transition off the board of directors. Upon this transition, Wendy Yarno, current member of the board, will be appointed lead independent director, and CEO Bobak Azamian, MD, PhD, will become chairman.
- Visionix USA, formerly Luneau Technology USA and Optovue Inc., followed up on its global rebrand by announcing the opening of a center of operations in Lombard, IL. TThe location is home to sales and service operations supporting Optovue, Visionix, Briot, and Weco brands. The company’s location in Fremont, CA, will be maintained as a hub for global research and development for the Optovue OCT product line, and its location in Ontario, as the Canadian sales and services office.
- Salvat Laboratories submitted a New Drug Application to the FDA for the approval of the ocular corticosteroid clobetasol, formulated in a nanoemulsion for the treatment of inflammation and pain in post-ocular surgery patients. IMPACT-SVT is the patented nanoemulsion drug-delivery technology that improves drug penetration and bio-adhesion, providing comfort, according to the press release.
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.
EYECARE BUSINESS GAME CHANGERS NAMED
Dr. Nichols
Jason J. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, editor-in-chief of Contact Lens Spectrum and the Contact Lenses Today newsletter, received a 2022 #EBGameChanger award from Eyecare Business magazine. He was recognized for his contributions to the profession and the eyecare industry. Read about the 2022 honorees in the issue of EB: eyecarebusiness.com/issues/2022/november-december-2022 .
SYMPOSIUM SPOTLIGHT: 2023 GSLS PHOTO CONTEST
The Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS) is seeking interesting photographs of conditions, diseases, or other occurrences from your clinical practice, with a special interest in contact lenses and the anterior segment. All submissions must be sent through the online portal. Three winning photos will be selected by the GSLS planning committee and be featured on a future issue of Contact Lens Spectrum.
Submit your photos by Dec. 31 to bit.ly/GSLS23Photo .
![]({"src":"/media/bq1lh2l1/cover_cls_1222.jpg","focalPoint":null,"crops":[{"alias":"thumbnail","width":1110,"height":700,"coordinates":null}]})
