- Bausch Health Companies Inc. has announced that Dr. Yehia Hashad joined Bausch + Lomb Corporation (B+L) as executive vice president of Research & Development (R&D) and chief medical officer (CMO) effective Jan. 31, 2022. For the past 11 years, Dr. Hashad has held various roles at Allergan/AbbVie, including leading Allergan’s global clinical development program for its eyecare portfolio.
- Euclid Systems Corporation announced the initial launch of MyEuclid, an interactive, web-based customer portal designed to help drive practice efficiency and optimize Euclid orthokeratology fits. Euclid says that the interactive platform has an easy-to-use interface that works with Euclid’s simple three-factor fitting and boasts an “advance mode” for additional practitioner modifications. A full launch of MyEuclid to U.S. customers is planned for March 2022. In other news, Euclid expanded its U.S. commercial team with the addition of Kellie Wesley, who has joined the company as a National Account Manager, and Christie Yee, who was welcomed aboard as Euclid’s Practice Management Specialist.
- The Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) has released a position statement on myopia management. The statement addresses risks associated with myopia, risk factors for development of myopia, impact of myopic eye disease, and myopia management options. It can be found at https://mcusercontent.com/d2d25e58d1c4457fa11864bfe/files/a2f43c71-90ba-4334-d289-d4e7412fa800/CAO_Position_Statement_on_Myopia_Management_2022.pdf . The CAO supports the position of the World Council of Optometry and endorses evidence-based myopia management as a standard of care for all at-risk patients.
- AbbVie announced several changes for its Allergan eyecare business. Jag Dosanjh, formerly senior vice president, Medical Therapeutics, has been appointed to a newly created role of president, U.S. Neuroscience and Eye Care. As part of this new role, Mr. Dosanjh will continue to oversee the company’s vision care business. Ramin Valian, formerly vice president, Glaucoma and Reimbursement, has been named vice president, Eye Care, and will oversee the company’s dry eye/refractive, glaucoma, retina, and over-the-counter (OTC) portfolios. Mr. Valian will continue the company’s focus on identifying new treatments that address unmet needs and new approaches to improve access to its products. Glen Curran, formerly vice president, Anterior Segment, will now serve as vice president, Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) Therapeutic. Most recently, Mr. Curran oversaw the launch of Vuity (pilocarpine HCl ophthalmic solution) 1.25%.
- The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announced that the government will collect $1.5 million in civil penalties and $2 million in consumer redress from online contact lens company Vision Path Inc., dba Hubble Contacts, as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that Hubble violated the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act and the FTC’s Contact Lens Rule. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the government alleged that Hubble violated the federal Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act and the FTC’s Contact Lens Rule by selling contact lenses online without taking the steps required to verify subscribers’ contact lens prescriptions, improperly substituting Hubble’s own brand of contact lenses for those originally prescribed by consumers’ eyecare practitioners, and procuring what it falsely portrayed as independent consumer reviews of its products and services. In addition to requiring Hubble to pay civil penalties and consumer redress, the stipulated order entered by the court in February requires Hubble to refrain from altering prescriptions to change the brand prescribed, to verify the prescription for contact lens orders submitted without a written prescription, to cease other deceptive practices, and to satisfy ongoing recordkeeping, certification, and compliance obligations.
- Avellino Lab USA, Inc. and Keeler have entered into an agreement in which Keeler will distribute AvaGen on its U.S. website. According to Avellino, AvaGen is the first genetic test that helps determine a patient’s risk of keratoconus and the presence of transforming growth factor beta-induced (TGFBI) corneal dystrophies. Avellino says that the test allows for more confident management and treatment of patients who have these conditions to protect and preserve patient vision. The test examines 75 keratoconus-related genes and more than 2,000 variants of those genes to develop an actionable genetic risk score for keratoconus, according to the company.
- 1-800 Contacts announced the formation of a standalone business, Luna Solutions, focused on providing technology and services to third parties in the vision space. This company offers 20 integrated technologies and services—ranging from telehealth platforms for new and renewal glasses and contact lens prescriptions to eyewear virtual try-on, a digital pupillary distance tool, glasses and contact lens fulfillment, and more. According to the company, this suite of solutions enables eyewear retailers, brands, and practitioners to modernize their customer experience both online and in stores. Luna is a separate business held under common ownership with 1-800 Contacts that is formed through the combination of Premium Vision, Ditto, 6over6, and ExpressExam.
- SynergEyes, Inc. announced an exclusive distribution agreement with EyePrint Prosthetics. The alliance enables SynergEyes to offer the ScanFitPro lens. SynergEyes customers will have access to the ScanFitPro process, which designs a lens using free-form manufacturing technology and 3D imaging to deliver a one-of-a-kind scleral lens. This custom software gives practitioners the power to design an individualized ScanFitPro lens based on a scan of a patient’s unique ocular profile without diagnostic lens fitting, according to the company. The ScanFitPro design software is compatible with Oculus Pentacam’s Corneal Scleral Profile (CSP) Report and with Eaglet Eye’s Eye Surface Profiler (ESP). SynergEyes is planning to commercialize the SynergEyes ScanFitPro lens in the third quarter of 2022.
- The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) will once again be delivering Love Your Lenses Week, a campaign that raises awareness of safe contact lens wear and the benefits of wearing contact lenses. It will take place from June 13 to 19. For more details and to register for a free resource pack, visit www.loveyourlensesweek.com/register-now .
- Vision Path, Inc., the parent company that owns Hubble Contacts and ContactsCart, announced the hiring of Elliot Baldini as chief marketing officer. Mr. Baldini, who joins Hubble from the Massachusetts-based School of Rock, is the latest in a series of new hires that the company has made as it expands into new verticals in the eyecare industry.
- TissueTech, Inc. has named Ted Davis as its new president and CEO. He succeeds TissueTech founder and former CEO Amy Tseng, who retired on Jan. 3. Ms. Tseng remains a member of the company’s board of directors. In other news, TissueTech, Inc. has unveiled a corporate rebranding, including a name change and a new logo. BioTissue, Inc. and Amniox Medical, Inc. will now both be known under a single commercial, customer-facing entity, BioTissue, Inc. According to the company, the new BioTissue brand includes a bold new design representing healing, energy, and life. BioTissue will continue to roll out the updated branding in the weeks to come, including a new website, conference/exhibit booth, and full suite of customer-facing support materials.
- The campaign #MyopiaChat launched in the United Kingdom to facilitate a target of 1 million parent-practitioner conversations about myopia in 2022. The campaign was set up by Tom Griffiths, director of Scotlens, with five questions about the delivery of myopia management for eyecare practitioners (ECPs) to engage with from January to May. The questions and other information can be found at www.myopiachat.org/myopiachat . ECP feedback will be collated and presented to the U.K. government.
- Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. appointed José Trevejo, MD, PhD, as chief medical officer. Dr. Trevejo brings more than 20 years of experience advancing the clinical development of novel therapeutics for serious diseases. According to the company, Dr. Trevejo’s leadership will be highly valued in the continued advancement of TP-03, the Tarsus pipeline programs, and pipeline expansion opportunities.
- With the recent launch of its line of dry eye diagnostics, management, and treatment solutions into the United States, I-Med Pharma USA has partnered with DryEye Rescue to distribute and market its dry eye product portfolio. According to the company, DryEye Rescue will help raise awareness of the I-Med Pharma USA brand among optometrists in the United States and will work with optometry clinics to draft a plan to invest and incorporate the appropriate products, treatment technologies, and marketing in an efficient way to ensure that their specialty clinics can flourish.
- Visioneering Technologies, Inc. (VTI) launched the MyPath Myopia Education Initiative. MyPath Myopia is a new initiative that includes curated content in a variety of categories, including questionnaires, articles, webinars, scripts, helpful websites, efficacy data, and sales materials, to help eyecare practitioners (ECPs) manage myopia. According to VTI, it begins with the MyPath Myopia Accreditation. As part of this, VTI has created a series of short, customized courses with practical information to help both ECPs and staff understand the essentials of myopia management in practice. ECPs can access the MyPath Myopia hub at https://vtivision.com/practitioner/mypath .
- Valley Contax, Inc., in partnership with Contamac US, announced its next travel grant award opportunity. One student in the graduating class of either 2023 or 2024 will be selected. The submission process will begin with candidates submitting a 100-word essay that describes why they chose optometry as their career. Submissions opened on Feb. 14, 2022 and will close on Apr. 4, 2022. The Valley Contax social media team will announce a winner for this next award on Apr. 11. The submission form is available at https://fs10.formsite.com/MqlEMM/studentgrants/index.html .
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first generic of Restasis (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion) 0.05% single-use vials (eye drops) to increase tear production in patients whose tear production is presumed to be suppressed due to ocular inflammation associated with keratoconjunctivitis sicca. The sponsor of the approved generic cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% single-use vials is Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.
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SYMPOSIUM SPOTLIGHT: GPLI AND CLMA HONOR NINE INDIVIDUALS AT THE GSLS
Another successful Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS) concluded with a celebration on Saturday night, Jan. 22, in which nine deserving individuals were honored as part of the GP Lens Institute (GPLI)’s Rising Stars reception. Included were the highest awards from the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association (CLMA) and from the GPLI—the Josef Dallos award and the GPLI Practitioner of the Year, respectively.
The evening was highlighted by keynote speaker, major league baseball player Tommy Pham, who discussed his history of being diagnosed with keratoconus and how he was able to overcome all odds to succeed at the highest level. Mr. Pham also co-presented—with National Keratoconus Foundation Executive Director Mary Prudden—a new award in his name (pictured above).
Those being honored by the CLMA included:
- Josef Dallos Award: Dr. Paul Rose
- Industry Enhancement Award: Roger Zimmer (former publisher of Contact Lens Spectrum)
- Creative Design and Process Award: Christine Sindt, OD
- Honorary Recognition Award: Ken Leonhard
- Trailblazers Award: Jim Bonafini Jr.
The GPLI honored the following four individuals:
- Naomi “Jo” Svochak GPLI Practitioner of the Year: Stephanie Woo, OD
- Thomas J. “Tommy” Pham GPLI-NKCF Keratoconus Practitioner of the Year: S. Barry Eiden, OD
- Dr. Edward S. Bennett GPLI Educator of the Year: Jennifer Harthan, OD
- Thomas E. Anastor GPLI Distinguished Service Award: Edward S. Bennett, OD, MSEd
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