- Specialty contact lens innovator Daddi Fadel, DOptom, joined the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) in September 2022. Dr. Fadel is a well-known designer and fitter of scleral lenses for irregular cornea and orthokeratology lenses for myopia control. Dr. Fadel is the founder and head of the European School of Scleral Lenses, founder and past president of Accademia Italiana Lenti Sclerali, and co-founder and president of the Euro & Austral-Asia Scleral Lens Academy. CORE’s specialty contact lens-related work includes design optimization for orthokeratology and scleral lens physiological performance.
- CooperVision’s contact lens manufacturing facility in Alajuela, Costa Rica, has been elevated to LEED Gold status following program recertification from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence in sustainable design, construction, and operations. The 100,000-square-foot plant—which produces CooperVision’s Clariti 1 day family of silicone hydrogel contact lenses—previously achieved LEED Silver certification in 2019. To elevate the facility from LEED Silver to LEED Gold certification, CooperVision invested in improvements to the air conditioning system, including the implementation of additional controls for the building’s cooling towers and chillers, which has resulted in an increase in electrical efficiency while reducing water consumption.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has developed draft guidance for manufacturers of hydrogen peroxide-based contact lens care products (HPCP) to consider when labeling their solutions in response to a number of adverse events, including cases in which consumers have lost their eyesight. On Aug. 17, the FDA published a draft guidance titled, “Hydrogen Peroxide-Based Contact Lens Care Products: Consumer Labeling Recommendations - Premarket Notification (510(k)) Submissions” (fda.gov/media/160909/download ). The document comes more than five years after the agency convened its Ophthalmic Devices Panel and its Risk Communication Advisory Committee to discuss how to communicate potential HPCP risks.In the proposed guidance, the FDA follows the advice of its advisory panel on the use red caps and tips, though the agency leaves some of the recommendations up to companies to decide whether to implement. The FDA noted that the panel also called for manufacturers to redesign and standardize HPCP labeling so it stands out from other products. The guidance goes on to make other recommendations such as making sure manufacturers include contraindications of HPCP products on their labeling as well as prominently displaying potential known hazards associated with the solutions. Additionally, the FDA said that manufacturers should include non-product-specific warnings that state consumers should follow the direction of their eyecare practitioner and all labeling instructions for proper use while also caring for the various components of the product, such as the lens case, or potentially face serious injury.
Stakeholders can comment on the draft guidance until Oct. 17 at regulations.gov/document/FDA-2022-D-0986-0001 . - Valley Contax Inc. and Contamac U.S. announced the winner of their student travel grant. The grant has been awarded to Emily Zimmerman, a second-year student from the SUNY College of Optometry. She will be using her travel grant to join fellow optometry students and attendees at Academy 2022 in San Diego. Information about the next travel grant opportunity, which will enable a student to attend the Global Specialty Lens Symposium 2023 in Las Vegas, will be available shortly.
- CooperVision and EssilorLuxottica have officially launched MiSight 1 day contact lenses in China. It is the first product of any type that has an indication from the Chinese National Medical Products Administration for slowing the progression of axial length. EssilorLuxottica is the exclusive distributor of MiSight 1 day in China’s mainland.
- The Contact Lens Institute (CLI) has launched a short-form video series designed to help the eyecare community communicate and reinforce healthy contact lens wear and care guidance with existing and new wearers. Presented by a 2022 CLI Visionary, each minute-long “Make It Easy” episode offers examples of exam room conversations to promote important health and safety habits. The first installments are now available on the CLI YouTube channel and at EASYWayProgram.org . The “Make It Easy” video series will be promoted across CLI’s social media channels, CLI Visionaries’ own digital channels, and through CLI member companies Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, and Johnson & Johnson Vision.
- Treehouse Eyes has launched a consumer public relations (PR) campaign to educate parents about childhood myopia and treatment options in time for back-to-school season. The campaign includes earned media outreach in 15 U.S. cities to generate awareness. The PR campaign started in late July and runs through October to cover the back-to-school period. It has already resulted in several local news stories, including: KTVI-TV in St. Louis and KWTX-TV in Waco, TX.
- Visibly announced that it has received 510(k) Clearance from the FDA for its Visibly Digital Acuity Product. According to the company, consumers can access Visibly’s on-demand, self-administered visual acuity test using a combination of a touchscreen mobile device and computer connected to the internet. In addition, consumers can take the test at any time and complete the entire experience in about six minutes, according to the company. Completed vision test results are made available to eyecare professionals immediately and securely, helping them evaluate the best course of action for each patient.
- CooperVision Specialty EyeCare has announced a new series of workshops focused on scleral lens fitting, consultation, and practice management. The Beyond the Limbus (BTL) dual-tracked series offers master’s training for intermediate and advanced scleral lens fitters, as well as basics training for support staff and eyecare professionals (ECPs) who have not been exposed to scleral contact lenses. The workshops—which are available to ECPs in the United States and Canada—will consist of a single-day intensive training session geared for varying skill levels. Comprised of five sessions, the BTL dual-tracked series began on Sept 18. in Detroit. Upcoming sessions include Oct. 9 in San Francisco, Oct. 16 in Boston, Nov. 6 in Toronto, and Nov. 13 in Los Angeles. To learn more or to register, visit 2604005.hs-sites.com/beyondthelimbusfall2022 .
- Glaukos has acquired an exclusive global license to develop and commercialize iVeena Delivery Systems’ investigational pharmacologic treatment for keratoconus, IVMED-80. IVMED-80 is a proprietary disease modifying topical eye drop with orphan drug designation that upregulates lysyl oxidase and induces pharmacologic corneal crosslinking to strengthen the cornea and treat keratoconus.
- Using a commercially available masked stereolithography printer retrofitted with humidity and temperature controls, plus a new gelatin-based ink formulation, a team of scientists from the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) 3D bio-printed an in vitro eye model in under three hours. The resulting “eye” included aqueous, vitreous, and blood chambers; a blood outlet/inlet, aqueous and vitreous outlets; and a 500μm-thick cornea—absent of any artificial support structures. Phosphate-buffered saline was used as an aqueous and vitreous humor mimic in the corresponding drug delivery study, which measured contact lens-delivered dye transfer in each chamber and channel. The team’s future work will focus on adding diffusion barriers to better simulate drug diffusion through ocular tissues, experimenting with copolymer inks to extend each model’s lifespan, and fine-tuning physiological dimensions.
- TearLab will be expanding its position in corneal health under the new name Trukera Medical. The rebranding reflects the company’s vision and future growth strategy targeting a broader set of unmet needs across corneal health.
- ThermaMEDx announced a partnership with EyeCare Partners to expand EverTears distribution across EyeCare Partners’ network of nearly 700 affiliated practices in 18 states across the United States.
- Bausch + Lomb and Novaliq announced that the FDA has accepted the new drug application filing for investigational treatment NOV03 (perfluorohexyloctane), an investigational therapy to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease associated with meibomian gland dysfunction. NOV03 has been assigned a PDUFA action date of June 28, 2023.
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SYMPOSIUM SPOTLIGHT: GSLS EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT
The leading global contact lens conference is being held Jan. 18 to 21, 2023, at the Horseshoe Las Vegas, formerly Bally’s. Choose from 40+ hours of CE with topics of myopia, scleral lenses, presbyopia, and much more! Register today at the early bird rate by visiting www.gslsymposium.com . Don't delay—the early bird registration ends Oct. 31!
AAO AND AAOF ANNOUNCE AWARD WINNERS
Each year, the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) and American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) recognize individuals who have made significant contributions and excelled in the profession. The following individuals are this year's award recipients:
- Ann E. Elsner, PhD, Charles F. Prentice Medal Award/AAO
- James S. Wolffsohn, BSc, MBA, PhD, Glenn A. Fry Lecture Award/AAOF
- Jack Phu, OD, PhD, Irvin M. and Beatrice Borish Award/AAO
- Sajeesh Kumar, PhD, American Academy of Optometry – Essilor Award for Outstanding Contributions to International Optometry/AAO
- Jerry Cavallerano, OD, PhD, William Feinbloom Award/AAO
- Hector C. Santiago, OD, PhD, Brien Holden Humanitarian Award/AAO
- Loretta B. Szczotka-Flynn, OD, PhD, Carel C. Koch Medal/AAO
- Joseph C. Lehman, OD, MS, The Julius F. Neumueller Award in Optics/AAOF
- Sherry J. Bass, OD, Vincent Ellerbrock Clinician Educator Award/AAO “Myopia Control: Why Each Diopter Matters”
- Mark A. Bullimore, MCOptom, PhD, and Noel A. Brennan, MScOptom, PhD, Garland W. Clay Award/AAO
- Jason S. Ng, OD, PhD, Michael G. Harris Family Award for Excellence in Optometric Education/AAOF
- Herbert Wertheim, OD, DSc, MD, Honorary Fellowship Award/AAO
- Joan M. Exford, OD, Life Fellowship Award/AAO
- Chris A. Johnson, PhD, DSc, Life Fellowship Award/AAO
- Joseph P. Shovlin, OD, Tony Adams Eminent Service Award/AAO
- William D. Carter, Founders’ Award/AAO
- Robin L. Chalmers, OD, Max Schapero Lecture Award /AAO
- Sandra Block, OD, MEd, MPH, Henry B. Peters Award/AAOF
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