- Bausch + Lomb Corporation announced changes to its executive leadership team. The following individuals will report directly to Chairman and CEO Brent Saunders. Asli Gevgilili will be executive vice president and chief human resources officer. Al Waterhouse will be executive vice president and chief supply chain and operations officer. Jonathon Kellerman will also join Bausch + Lomb in August and be responsible for compliance, privacy, and business transformation, serving as chief compliance officer and reporting to chief legal officer Bob Bailey. Additionally, chief communications officer T.J. Crawford and chief corporate development and digital officer Manisha Narasimhan, PhD, recently joined the company. Both roles, which are new to Bausch + Lomb, report to Mr. Saunders. Finally, current chief global manufacturing and supply chain officer Dennis Asharin will assume a new role as head of quality, reporting to Mr. Waterhouse. Current chief human resources officer Kelly Webber will step away from the corporate workplace after more than 35 years as an HR professional.
- Each year the American Academy of Optometry recognizes distinguished individuals who have made countless important contributions to advancing the profession of optometry. Awards of the Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses & Refractive Technologies include the Max Schapero Memorial Lecture Award to Contact Lens Spectrum editor-in-chief Jason Nichols, OD, PhD, MPH; the Founders Award to Ralph Stone, MS, PhD; and the Exemplary Service Award to Donald Korb, OD. Additional 2023 award recipients can be viewed at https://aaopt.org/about-us/news/#2023-award .
- The newly published World Society of Paediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus (WSPOS) Myopia Consensus Statement 2023 is now available in multiple languages. Translations in three languages (Portuguese, Spanish, and French) were provided by CooperVision and are available at wspos.org . Additional language translations including Arabic, Indonesian, Ukrainian, Hindi, Hungarian, Polish, Filipino, Romanian, Hindi, Telugu, Odia, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese are to come.
- Euclid Vision Corporation and Visionary Optics announced scholarships aimed at recognizing and supporting the efforts of forward-thinking eyecare providers in training. The Euclid 2023-2024 Resident Scholarships include the Tim Koch Memorial Scholarship ($1,000), the George E. Glady Scholarship ($1,000), and the Joann Simonsen Scholarship ($1,000). Submissions must incorporate the use of Euclid Ortho-K lenses. The final submission deadline is May 1, 2024. For more information and submissions, visit bit.ly/3DJZ247 .Visionary Optics is also offering three $1,000 scholarships. The scholarships were created to honor the enduring impact of Dr. Rob Breece, a pioneer of the modern specialty contact lens industry who was instrumental in initiating key advances in the field until his untimely death in 2009. The Visionary Optics scholarship parameters require submissions be a case report or clinical study using Visionary Optics’ Europa, Europa Tangent, or Latitude lenses. The submission deadline is also May 1, 2024. For more information, visit bit.ly/4533jf9 .
- In response to recent questions about the safety of contact lens materials, the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association (CLMA) addresses concerns regarding Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances and GP lenses. The CLMA clarifies that the testing conducted on contact lens materials only pertained to soft lenses, and the approved GP, scleral, and orthokeratology lenses have undergone rigorous evaluation and testing, meeting all required regulatory standards to ensure their safety and efficacy. Visit bit.ly/3YvZY60 to read the full safety statement.
- The Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) has named Debbie Jones, BSc, FCOptom, as its 2023 President’s Award recipient. The organization’s highest honor was conferred in recognition of her significant contributions to pediatric vision care, myopia control, and optometry education. Dr. Jones is a clinical professor at the School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Waterloo, and a lead clinical scientist with the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE).
- Hoot Health Inc. announced that it has launched Hoot Dry Eyes, a new marketing automation platform for eyecare professionals. The company also announced the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into its Hoot Myopia Care marketing automation platform for eyecare practitioners. This includes summaries of the latest clinical research, behavioral coaching learning series, and personalized practice videos to share with parents for myopia management.
- Harrow and Novaliq GmbH announced that Harrow will acquire the U.S. and Canadian commercial rights for Vevye (cyclosporine ophthalmic solution) 0.1%, a patented, non-preserved, ophthalmic solution prescription drug based on Novaliq’s proprietary EyeSol water-free technology.In other news, Harrow signed agreements with affiliates of Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. under which Harrow will acquire commercial rights for Flarex (fluorometholone acetate ophthalmic suspension) 0.1%, Natacyn (natamycin ophthalmic suspension) 5%, Tobradex ST (tobramycin and dexamethasone ophthalmic suspension) 0.3%/0.05%, Verkazia (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion) 0.1%, Zerviate (cetirizine ophthalmic solution) 0.24%, and Freshkote in the U.S. and Verkazia and Cationorm Plus in Canada.Additionally, Harrow announced the completion of the transfer to Harrow of the New Drug Application for Vigamox (moxifloxacin hydrochloride ophthalmic solution) 0.5%, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic eye drop for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis caused by susceptible strains of organisms.
- Art Optical Contact Lens Inc. has announced another recipient of its Specialty Contact Lens Travel Grant. Based on her case report: “Transplant Prevention – Management of PMD with Ampleye Scleral Lenses,” Stephanie Schumacher, OD, of Ontario, Canada, was awarded a $750 travel grant at the recent International Congress of Scleral Contacts meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Her case report highlights the differences between keratoconus and pellucid marginal degeneration (PMD) and discusses why scleral lenses are often superior to corneal GP lenses in the management of PMD. To view details and qualifications for future travel grants, visit artoptical.com/travelgrant .
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.
GSLS ANNOUNCES 2024 AWARD WINNERS
The Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS) has named the honorees for this year’s awards to be bestowed at the in-person meeting in Las Vegas on Jan. 17-20, 2024.
• AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Initiated in 2013, this award is given to distinguished clinicians, scholars, and/or scientists to recognize their lifelong achievements in the field of contact lenses, especially as they relate to specialty contact lenses. The honoree for 2024 is Jan P.G. Bergmanson, OD, PhD, DSc, FCOptom. He is the Brien A. Holden Professor of Optometry at the University of Houston College of Optometry and founding director of Texas Eye Research and Technology Center. He is a Life Foundation Fellow of The College of Optometrists, United Kingdom; Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and Diplomate in the Cornea, Contact Lens and Refractive Technologies Section; Fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society; and Lifetime Honorary member of the Swedish and Dutch Optometric Associations. He is the author of Clinical Ocular Anatomy & Physiology, 30th Edition.
Dr. Bergmanson is being honored for both his seminal contributions to the cornea and contact lens field and the knowledge that he has passed on to so many through his teaching, particularly in the areas of ocular anatomy and scleral lens research and practice.
• RISING STAR AWARD
New last year, this award is intended to recognize an emerging leader in the field of cornea and contact lenses. The awardee must demonstrate substantial contributions to the field, outside of what might normally be expected in this early phase of one’s career. The recipient 2024 award is Kevin Chan, OD, MS. He is senior clinical director for Treehouse Eyes PC. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.
Dr. Chan is being recognized for his extensive contributions to the research, clinical care, and dissemination of knowledge of myopia control and management.
SYMPOSIUM SPOTLIGHT: GSLS REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
Registration for the 2024 Global Specialty Lens Symposium, happening January 17-20, 2024, at the Horseshoe Las Vegas is now open. Hear from specialty contact lens experts on myopia, keratoconus, ocular health, and more! Register at GSLSymposium.com today!
IN MEMORIAM: GEORGE GLADY
— Contributed by Michael J. Lipson, OD
Longtime contact lens production innovator George Glady passed away on July 28 at the age of 73.
George was well known and highly respected for his creativity and dedication to the development of innovative contact lens manufacturing techniques and lens designs. He grew up in New York and attained degrees in physics, math, optical technology, production management, and industrial engineering, the latter from Rochester Institute of Technology. He held positions in manufacturing and engineering at UCO Optics (currently CooperVision), Bausch + Lomb, and Wesley-Jessen where his contributions pioneered rigid and soft lens production in the U.S. He took over a GP manufacturing business in Dallas that eventually merged with Corneal Design Corporation. Later, as a co-owner of Southern Contact Lens Technologies Inc., he developed the “Euclid System.”
George was an original founder and partner in Euclid Systems Corporation. There, he oversaw the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clinical study for overnight orthokeratology, for which a premarket approval was granted in 2004. He was integral in every aspect of Euclid lens production including the creation of an efficient, scalable, and repeatable manufacturing process; the design of all lenses currently in production by the company; programming of the system for order entry, process, shipment, and tracking; and obtaining FDA, CE, and ISO certification for the manufacturing facility.
George was honored with the Industry Enhancement award from the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association in 1992 and received a patent for the Vari-site Multifocal GP lens. His efforts in the advancement of contact lens manufacturing have impacted much of the current technology used in daily today’s contact lens production.
He enjoyed playing guitar and singing and was an avid baseball fan attending games in almost every major league park in the U.S. He was also a member of the Professional Bowlers Association and was proud to have a “sanctioned 300” game.
George is survived by Joann, his wife of 46 years, and their daughter Laura. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him including the multitude of friends he made in the contact lens industry in the U.S., China, and around the world.
Those who wish to honor George’s memory may do so with a donation in his name to the GP Lens Institute at gpli.info/donate , the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee at uusc.org , or the Wayland Historical Society at info@waylandmuseum.org.
![]({"src":"/media/tnxdmtw3/cover_cls_0923.jpg","focalPoint":null,"crops":[{"alias":"thumbnail","width":1110,"height":700,"coordinates":null}]})
