Author: Healio ophthalmology

AMA opposed to Senate Health Care bill

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The AMA sent a letter to Senate leaders stating its overwhelming disapproval with the U.S. Senate’s proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The Senate Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, released to the public last week, maintains much from the version the House passed May 4, but presents some critical changes, such as a slower phase out of Medicaid expansion and funding cost-sharing exchange plans for 2 years.

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VIDEO: Mazzo discusses cooperation of large, small companies in ophthalmology

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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. ― At the OCTANe Ophthalmology Technology Summit here, Jim Mazzo, global president of ophthalmic devices at Carl Zeiss Meditec, discusses how companies both large and small are cooperating to grow business in ophthalmology; Johnson & Johnson’s CEO’s commitment to ophthalmology; and how the OTS meeting is helping to bring all parties together.

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J&J CEO confirms company’s commitment to ophthalmology

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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Johnson & Johnson is “absolutely committed” to ophthalmology and is actively looking at ways to increase its presence in the space due to the large unmet needs of an aging population, Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson, said here. In a wide-ranging interview at the OCTANe Ophthalmology Technology Summit with Jim Mazzo, global president of ophthalmic devices at Carl Zeiss Meditec, Gorsky was asked if he sees other areas in ophthalmology in which the company could further expand or if he was focused fully on (Read more...)

PUBLICATION EXCLUSIVE: Young woman who went blind in one eye presents years later with symptoms in fellow eye

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A 21-year-old Hispanic woman presented to the University of New Mexico with a 1-month history of worsening flashes of light and scotomas in her left superior field of vision.Regarding her medical and ocular history, the patient had previously been diagnosed with a “generalized vasculitis.” When she was 14 years old, she developed joint pain in her wrists, ankles and knees. Within a week of the onset of the arthralgias, she also lost vision in the right eye and has since only seen bare light perception in that eye. She was (Read more...)

Senate health care bill takes slower approach to House bill, expert concerns persist

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The Senate health care bill, released to the public today, maintains much from the version the House passed May 4, 2017, but presents some key changes such as a slower phase out of Medicaid expansion and funding cost-sharing exchange plans for 2 years.“The most important take away is that both the House and Senate versions make efforts to stabilize the insurance market — the non-employer, individual insurance markets — in various ways,” Kristine Blackwood, from the international law firm Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, told Healio.com. “There should largely (Read more...)

Avedro names new chief financial officer

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Thomas E. Griffin will join Avedro as its new chief financial officer. “Tom’s financial acumen combined with his significant experience in the medical technology industry for both private and publicly held companies will be a tremendous asset,” Avedro Chief Executive Officer Reza Zadno, PhD, said in a company press release.

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FDA commissioner calls for public input on lifting generic barriers

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In introducing the FDA’s Drug Competition Action Plan, the commissioner announced his intent to assess ways FDA rules may be misused to create obstacles against generic drug access and competition; the organization plans to hold a meeting on July 18, 2017, to solicit input from the public.“Too many patients are being priced out of the medicines they need,” Scott Gottlieb, MD, commissioner of the FDA, wrote in the FDA’s blog. “While FDA doesn’t have a direct role in drug pricing, we can take steps to help address this problem by (Read more...)