Alimera Sciences has resubmitted its new drug application for Iluvien to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to a press release. The company will provide information on the FDA’s acceptance of the resubmission and a Prescription Drug User Fee Act date as it becomes available, the release said.
Month: March 2014
BLOG: The rising cost of generic drugs, part 2 — what you can do about it
In my last blog post on this topic, we discussed the astronomically rising cost of generic drugs in the U.S. and why this is happening. Certainly it’s a frustrating problem for patients and doctors alike. Here are some tips that may be helpful in navigating the system. Partner with a pharmacy. In the past few years, my practice has approached neighboring pharmacies both large and small with a list of eye medications that we most commonly prescribe (like those used after surgery). We’ve asked them to give fair treatment to (Read more...)
For Ocular Melanoma Mets to Liver, Fotemustine Disappoints
For patients with uveal melanoma (UM) metastases in the liver, response rates and progression-free survival are only slightly better if fotemustine is given through the hepatic artery rather then intravenously, new data show. Reuters Health Information
Research report on global ophthalmology devices market
The “Ophthalmology Devices Market (Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Scanner, Fundus Camera, Tonometer, Pachymeter, Perimeter, Slit Lamp, Excimer, YAG Laser, Femtosecond Laser, IOL, Contact Lens) – Competitive Landscape & Global Forecasts to 2018”, published by MarketsandMarkets, the ophthalmology devices market inclusive of diagnostic, monitoring and surgical devices is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% to reach $9,466.7 Million by 2018.
Research may lead the way toward new treatments for proliferative retinopathies
A new report published online in The FASEB Journal may lead the way toward new treatments or a cure for a common cause of blindness (proliferative retinopathies). Specifically, scientists have discovered that the body’s innate immune system does more t…
American Academy of Ophthalmology announces official launch of IRIS Registry
The American Academy of Ophthalmology today announced the official launch of the IRIS™ Registry, or Intelligent Research in Sight, the nation’s first comprehensive eye disease and condition registry.
Regenerative medicine a step closer as new method yields potent, renewable human stem cells
The curative and therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offers much promise, as these multipotent cells are currently being tested in more than 300 clinical trials in a range of diseases.
New legislation would delay permanent SGR fix for another year
Legislation to avert a March 31 deadline to cut physician Medicare payments by 24% has been scheduled for a Thursday vote in the US House of Representatives. But the measure is another 1-year temporary patch and not a more permanent fix to Medicare’s sustainable growth rate formula.Hopes for a more permanent solution were raised in February, when House and Senate negotiators reached a 5-year deal to provide physicians with a 0.5% annual increase in Medicare reimbursements, leading to optimism for a longer-term “doc fix.”
Prenatal diagnosis: A potential moral dilemma
Advances in fetal medicine helped by ultrasonography, amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, and maternal and fetal cord blood sampling are well-established. This has been coupled with progress in maternal fetal medicine, as pregnant women are incre…
Novel endoscopic OCT system holds promise for future of vitreoretinal surgery
LISBON, Portugal – A novel endoscopic optical coherence tomography system specifically designed for the eye could provide important information during vitreoretinal surgery, improving anatomical and functional outcomes and reducing complication rates, according to one speaker. “It is only a prototype at the moment, but it will probably become the future of OCT-guided surgery,” Francesco Boscia, MD, said at the Controversies in Ophthalmology meeting.
BLOG: The rising cost of generic drugs and what’s causing it
You’ve either seen it or heard about it from your patients: The cost of generics drug at the pharmacy is rising dramatically. In the past 2 years, generic drug makers have raised their prices on many age-old generic medications such as doxycycline and pravastatin, each of which increased tenfold in price in 2013, according to a survey by the National Community Pharmacists Association. About one-third of generic drugs are affected by this change, according to a study by Pembroke Consulting, a Philadelphia research firm, but not every dose of every (Read more...)
Motor learning: Lining up our sights
Neurologists at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have studied the role of the vestibular system, which controls balance, in optimizing how we direct our gaze. The results could lead to more effective rehabilitation of patients with vesti…
New enhanced microbial killing discovered in neutrophils
Case Western Reserve University researchers have discovered a novel population of neutrophils, which are the body’s infection control workhorses. These cells have an enhanced microbial killing ability and are thereby better able to control infection.
Blindness Down 50% in High-Income Countries, Causes Shifting
Rates of blindness have fallen sharply in high-income countries, but the main cause has changed from cataract to macular degeneration. Medscape Medical News
AAO officially launches IRIS Registry
The American Academy of Ophthalmology has launched the Intelligent Research in Sight Registry, the specialty’s first comprehensive national database, the academy announced in a press release. Piloted in 2013, the Intelligent Research in Sight (IRIS) Registry is designed to store patient data for use in clinical care, clinical research and regulatory compliance. The AAO announced the registry’s launch at its annual meeting in November 2013. According to the release, 2,300 physicians in 47 states are participating in the IRIS Registry, which currently holds more than 5 million patient records and (Read more...)
Tips to avoid eye irritation and longer-term damage to eyes during allergy season
With the advent of spring comes wind and allergy season, which can prove to be challenging for individuals who rely on contact lenses for clearer vision. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, approximately 1 out of 5 individuals in…
SIFI, NovaMedica agree to market eight products for treatment of ophthalmic pathologies in Russia
Leading Italian developer of innovative eye care solutions S.I.F.I. S.p.A. and Russian pharmaceutical company NovaMedica have entered into an exclusive commercial agreement for NovaMedica to market eight products developed and licensed by SIFI for the …
New-concept accommodating IOLs might overcome limitations of previous models
LISBON, Portugal — New-concept accommodating IOLs may overcome the limitations of existing models, providing a true alternative to multifocality in restoring all-distance vision, according to one speaker. “Accomodative IOLs, the holy grail of modern implantology, have not met the expectations so far, but research is ongoing. Once we achieve this goal, multifocal IOLs will not be able to compete, as it happened with pseudophakic glasses and IOLs,” Jorge L. Alió, MD, PhD, said at the Controversies in Ophthalmology meeting.
Speaker highlights controversies, evolving management strategies for infectious keratitis
LISBON, Portugal — Culture-directed therapy should be preferred to empirical methods in cases of severe and non-severe infectious keratitis, according to one specialist. “Many clinicians treat non-severe disease empirically, without obtaining a specimen,” Terrence P. O’Brien, MD, said at the Controversies in Ophthalmology meeting. “My suggestion is to always obtain a scraping of the cornea for culture, apply a broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, follow the patient, and then modify the treatment based on patient response and on laboratory findings about susceptibility of the organisms that have been identified.”
Specialist speaks in favor of anti-VEGF with bimonthly regimen
LISBON, Portugal — Aflibercept, a designed molecule that can meet all expectations from the start of treatment, is the latest promising option in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, according to one specialist. “It’s a fusion of the most high-affinity binding domains of the receptors and should provide higher affinity than ranibizumab (Lucentis, Genentech/Novartis) and bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech/Roche) and even higher affinity than the VEGF binding to native receptors. Better than nature — that’s quite something,” Ursula Schmidt-Erfurth, MD, said at the Controversies in Ophthalmology meeting.