Glycerol-preserved corneal tissue delayed exposure of glaucoma drainage shunts significantly longer than pericardium patch grafts, according to a study.“[This study] indicates that [glaucoma drainage implant] coverage with glycerol preserved corneal tissue compared with pericardium may significantly decrease the rate of an exposure event and provide a longer time to initial exposure event. Functional advantages, such as the ability to perform laser suture lysis, and improved cosmesis are further advantages in using corneal tissue,” the study authors wrote.
Month: June 2014
Epimacular brachytherapy reduces re-treatment for up to 2 years
Epimacular brachytherapy safely reduced ranibizumab re-treatments for up to 1 year in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration, according to a study.The MERITAGE trial included 53 patients previously treated for neovascular AMD who un…
University of Utah researcher to receive Nelson Trust Award for Retinitis Pigmentosa
Research to Prevent Blindness, a New York-based foundation, has announced that University of Utah researcher Wolfgang Baehr, Ph.D., will receive the Nelson Trust Award for Retinitis Pigmentosa-and an accompanying $100,000 to pursue new scientific leads…
Eylea recommended for approval in Europe for DME visual impairment
Aflibercept injection has been recommended for approval by the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use for the treatment of visual impairment due to diabetic macular edema, according to a Regeneron press release.The recommendation is ba…
Progress made in understanding how the brain processes visual information
A Montana State University assistant professor in neuroscience is part of a team that has made progress understanding how the brain processes visual information.
Telemedicine is effective strategy to screen for potentially blinding disease in infants
Telemedicine is an effective strategy to screen for the potentially blinding disease known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), according to a study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI).
How Far Would You Go for Science?
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Dr. Roger Steinert shares a story told by Nobel laureate Dr. Barry Marshall, whose great discovery of Helicobacter pylori as the cause of peptic ulcer disease wa…
Aerie Pharma’s Glaucoma Drug Succeeds in Mid-stage Trial
Aerie Pharmaceuticals Inc said its single-drop glaucoma treatment was shown to be superior to each of its two components in a mid-stage trial. Reuters Health Information
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute researchers receive $2.82 million grant
The National Institutes of Health’s National Eye Institute has granted three vision researchers from the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine a 5-year, $2.82 million grant to study retinitis pigmentosa, according to a press release.The recipients of the grant include Rong Wen, MD, PhD, and Byron Lam, MD, professors of ophthalmology at Bascom Eye Institute, along with Ziqiang Guan, PhD, a research associate from Duke University Medical School.
IOP-lowering Effect of Phaco Alone or With Canaloplasty
What are the advantages of combining these two procedures versus phacoemulsification alone in lowering IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma? Journal of Glaucoma
Cataract Care: Optometrist-Delivered Postop Discharge Scheme
A new study describes a shared care scheme involving community optometrists in the postoperative management of patients who have undergone cataract surgery. What advantages does it offer? The British Journal of Ophthalmology
For Noncompliant Patients, a Fix That Works
Help your patients become more compliant — taking medications as prescribed, going on a diet, drinking less, or quitting smoking — without adding to the length of their visits. Here’s how. Medscape Business of Medicine
Ampio stops OptimEyes Study enrollment, cites early benefits
Ampio Pharmaceuticals announced it will halt enrollment to the OptimEyes Study with fewer participants than originally intended, citing early positive responses to ultra–low-dose danazol for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, according to a company press release.The Transplant and Ophthalmology Division of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been notified of the changes, which will reduce enrollment from 450 patients powered at 95% to the present enrollment of more than 355 patients, providing a power of 88%, according to the press release.
Auxilium Pharmaceuticals plans to merge with QLT
Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a fully integrated specialty biopharmaceutical company, and QLT Inc., a Canadian-based biotechnology company focused on developing innovative orphan ophthalmology products, today announced that they have entered into a d…
Alpha antagonists linked to increased risk of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome
The risk of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome, or IFIS, was markedly increased in patients who used selective or nonselective alpha-antagonists before cataract surgery, according to study findings.Data were culled from the Veterans Affairs Ophthalmic…
Ultra-widefield imaging improved diabetic retinopathy detection
SAN FRANCISCO — Ultra-widefield imaging with or without fluorescein angiography could have significant implications for identifying and treating diabetic retinopathy, according to data presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 74th Scientific Sessions.“Ultra-widefield imaging with or without fluorescein angiography can help select patients for more-intensive monitoring for potentially earlier target treatments to minimize loss of visual field due to laser treatments,” Belinda A. Brooks, NP, CDE, MSc, PhD, of the Sydney Diabetes Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, said during a presentation here. “Ultra-widefield imaging is easier and faster to perform. It (Read more...)
UK research exposes barriers to fitness and fun for older people with sight loss
Groundbreaking research into how older people with sight loss can engage in physical activity (1) has been released by sight loss charity, Thomas Pocklington Trust (2), who called on leisure…
Expert outlines challenges of visual accessibility for people with low vision
New approaches and tools are needed to improve visual accessibility for people with low vision in the “real world,” according to a special article in the July issue of Optometry and Vision Science…
Poor patient safety, record keeping common violations in clinical trials
Failure to protect patient safety and maintain documentation were among the most common violations US regulators cited in warning letters regarding the conduct of clinical trials, according to new data.“All research stakeholders have a fundamental responsibility to conduct ethical clinical trials following the principles of good clinical practice,” researchers wrote in the Journal of Medical Ethics.
ThromboGenics to remain standalone company, CFO to resign
ThromboGenics today issued a press release stating that it will continue as a standalone company and plans to pursue discussions for a potential partnership for the commercialization of Jetrea in the United States.The release stated separately that Chr…