For the fourth quarter ending Dec. 31, 2013, Regneron has reported $610 million in revenue, which represents a 47% increase over the prior year’s period, and brings the total year-end revenue to $2.11 billion for 2013, which is a 53% increase over total year-end revenue for 2012, according to a company press release.
Month: February 2014
Navilas laser system receives marketing approval in Japan
OD-OS has gained marketing authorization for its Navilas laser system from the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency in Japan, according to a company press release. Ellex Japan, Osaka, will be the marketing authorization holder and exclusive distr…
Ranibizumab found to have no effect on vessel diameter in certain patients
Terai and colleagues reported in the Journal of Retinal and Vitreous Diseases that intravitreal ranibizumab did not significantly affect retinal vessel diameter in patients with diabetic macular edema. The abstract explained that study included 14 men and 16 women with a mean age of 60 years diagnosed with diabetic macular edema.
Potential to restore light sensitivity in blindness
Progressive degeneration of photoreceptors – the rods and cones of the eyes – causes blinding diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. While there are currently no available treatments to reverse this degeneration, a …
Study indicates relationship between multivitamin supplement use and cataract risk in men
Long-term daily multivitamin supplement use may lower cataract risk in men, according to a study of nearly 15,000 male physicians published this month in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology
Eleven Biotherapeutics begins phase 3 trial for dry eye solution
A clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company announced Tuesday that it has begun patient randomization and dosing in the next phase of a study for a dry eye treatment.Eleven Biotherapeutics of Cambridge, Mass., is in the beginning stages of the company’s first phase 3 clinical study of EBI-005, a topical ophthalmic solution, according to a press release.
Picosecond UV laser creates high-quality LASIK flaps
Ljubljana, SLOVENIA — An innovative picosecond UV laser platform creates precise LASIK cuts and smooth flaps, according to one surgeon.The Schwind Sirama is a solid-state laser with a short wavelength of 355 nm and spots that are one-third of the spot size of standard femtosecond lasers. Pavel Stodulka, MD, used it to perform 9.5-mm LASIK flaps with a hinge at 12 o’clock in 11 eyes of six patients with myopia from –1 D to –5 D. “The laser has integrated pupil detection and cuts the flap in a circular pattern, (Read more...)
New aberrometer provides good outcomes in myopic LASIK
Ljubljana, SLOVENIA — The new iDesign aberrometer is an effective, safe and reliable tool for treatment planning, providing good refractive outcomes and postoperative higher-order aberration results, according to one surgeon.“The iDesign (Abbott Medical Optics) provides an innovative approach, with five measurements taken within a single capture sequence, including autorefraction, wavefront aberrometry, corneal topography, keratometry and pupillometry. Additional features are the high resolution Hartman-Shack wavefront sensor and the high measurement range between –16 D and +12 D, cylinder up to 8 D and [higher-order aberrations] up to 8 µm [root mean (Read more...)
Greek ophthalmology residents complain of undertraining, seek opportunities abroad
Ljubljana, SLOVENIA — Ophthalmology residents in Greece are not satisfied with the level of training they receive and are determined to seek opportunities abroad to improve their surgical skills, according to a survey. According to Lampros Lamprogiannis, MD, ophthalmology resident at the University of Thessaloniki, the current economic crisis has affected the availability and quality of training. “We suffer from lack of equipment, malfunction, overload and shortage of specialists who have the time for teaching,” he said at the winter meeting of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.
Expanded EUREQUO registry will include patient-reported outcome data
Ljubljana, SLOVENIA — The EUREQUO cataract and refractive surgery database will be expanded this year to include a patient-recorded outcome module. Two questionnaires, the Catquest-9SF for cataract surgery and the Quality of Life Impact for refractive surgery, will be included, with translation into 11 different languages, Mats Lundström, MD, PhD, said at the winter meeting of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. The module will contain a calculation algorithm for patient-reported data. Users of EUREQUO will be able to analyze both clinical outcomes and patient-reported outcomes.
Glaucoma treatment may be improved by nanodiamond-embedded contact lenses
By 2020, nearly 80 million people are expected to have glaucoma, a disorder of the eye that, if left untreated, can damage the optic nerve and eventually lead to blindness.The disease often causes pressure in the eye due to a buildup of fluid and a bre…
UPV/EHU researchers develop method for diagnosis, prognosis of cutaneous melanoma
UPV/EHU researchers have developed a method for the diagnosis and prognosis of cutaneous melanoma, the type of skin cancer with the highest mortality rate.This method will help not only in the more effective early detection of this cancer, but also in the development of more personalised treatments.
Glucose Prompts Passing Glaucoma Fix in Some
In patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), topical application of glucose can lead to temporary recovery, according to Australian researchers. Reuters Health Information
Anti-VEGF Agents as an Adjunct to Trabeculectomy
Is bevacizumab as ‘revolutionary’ here as it is for other ophthalmic conditions? Medscape Ophthalmology
A 45-Year-Old Man With Progressive Vision Loss in One Eye
A 45-year-old man presents with progressive vision loss in one eye and decreased peripheral vision in the other eye. What is your diagnosis? Medscape Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology singled out in 2014 OIG work plan
On Jan. 31, the Office of the Inspector General published its Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2014. Each year the OIG publishes the plan, which advises the health care industry about the topics and areas on which the OIG intends to focus its resources. As usual, this year’s plan identified a number of topics of interest to ophthalmologists.For many years the OIG has identified billing for evaluation and management (E&M) services as an area of focus. This year’s work plan is no different; it identifies inappropriate payment for E&M services (Read more...)
Evolving femtosecond laser technology leads to increasingly better outcomes
Ljubljana, SLOVENIA — Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery with the Lensar laser system is a safe and fast procedure, and continuous evolution will lead to further improvement, according to one speaker. “When we started in 2012, we felt like entering a new galaxy, where we could aim at an extremely high level,” Detlef Holland, MD, said at the winter meeting of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. The new second-generation disposable patient interface device, which improves suction and centration shift, has made docking easy and eye fixation stable.
Optoelectronic test bench shows effect of toric IOL rotation on image quality
Ljubljana, SLOVENIA – Toric IOLs are “forgiving” devices, as small amounts of rotation are well tolerated and do not induce significant image alteration, according to a study conducted with the aid of a device simulating the optical characteristics of the human eye. “The literature suggests that rotation over 30° induces loss of the whole cylindrical correction. In our study, we found that the toric effect is lost at 45°. For IOL rotations within 5°, image quality does not change significantly,” Daniele Tognetto, MD, said at the winter meeting of the (Read more...)
Quality measurement system improves surgical quality, patient satisfaction
Ljubljana, SLOVENIA — The Quality Measurement System in Ophthalmology, based on the Quality Index Bellevue developed in 2007 by the Augenklinik Bellevue in Kiel, Germany, has been extended to more than 20 centers in northern Germany that jointly collect their results into a large database. According to Jörg Förster, CEO at the Bellevue clinic, the Quality Measurement System in Ophthalmology not only provides a useful benchmark for quality assessment, but also has improved the quality of performance of individual surgeons and the overall satisfaction of patients.
BLOG: Is your practice large enough? Part 3
In a practice eager for sustained growth, there are usually one or more defining incentives. These usually take the form of personal financial rewards for the surgeons, although there are prominent exceptions. I have more than one client for whom profit growth is mainly an opportunity to fund their charitable work. For most, old-fashioned competition is a common motivation: “Dr. Winters has just eclipsed my case volume — I’m no longer the No. 1 surgeon in town.” However, if this is your motivation for being competitive today, have a backup (Read more...)