Paragon BioTeck announced the United States Patent and Trademark Office affirmed claims made by the company in the patent for its R-phenylephrine hydrochloride formulation, which is used to attain dilation of the pupil for ocular examinations. The ruling was handed down by the office after Altaire Pharmaceuticals sought in 2015 to invalidate Paragon’s patent that claims a method of maintaining purity of the formulation. The ruling affirmed that the petition by Altaire was without merit. This is only the fourth written decision by the Patent Trial and Appeals Board, according (Read more...)
Author: Healio ophthalmology
Congressman Tom Price, MD, nominated as HHS secretary
President-elect Donald J. Trump announced Congressman Tom Price, MD, (R-Ga.) has been chosen as secretary of the HHS.“It is an honor to be nominated to serve our nation as secretary of Health and Human Services,” Price said in a press release. “Thanks to President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence for their confidence. I am humbled by the incredible challenges that lay ahead and enthusiastic for the opportunity to be a part of solving them on behalf of the American people. There is much work to be done to (Read more...)
Adherence to a Mediterranean diet may lower odds of neovascular AMD
A diet high in fish or omega-3 fatty acids can be protective against age-related macular degeneration, so those who adhered to a Mediterranean diet had lower odds of developing the disease, according to study. Researchers included 5,060 randomly sampled people ages 65 years and older from seven study centers in Europe — United Kingdom, Estonia, Norway, France, Italy, Greece and Spain — in a cross-sectional, population-based epidemiologic study. All participants underwent an eye examination and digital retinal photography, and their dietary intake in the previous year was assessed using a (Read more...)
AGTC posts $3.6 million net income in third quarter
AGTC reported a net income of $3.6 million in the third quarter compared with a net loss of $9.1 million in the same quarter of 2015, according to a press release.Quarterly revenue totaled $11.8 million, an increase from $11.1 million in the second qua…
Santen releases topline results supporting efficacy, safety of Opsiria for non-infectious uveitis
Topline results for the SAKURA phase 3 program show the efficacy and safety of Opsiria as a potential treatment for non-infectious uveitis of the posterior segment, Santen announced in a press release.Opsiria (440 g sirolimus injection), an intravitrea…
CMS releases tool to facilitate Quality Payment Program
The CMS recently launched an online tool to aid in sharing electronic data for the Medicare Quality Payment Program to reduce clinician burden, while improving overall quality of care, according to a press release.This new launch, known as an Application Program Interface (API), builds upon the CMS’s Quality Payment Program website that was released in October. It will facilitate the retrieval and maintenance of the program’s measures for organizations, as well as enable organizations to create applications for physicians and their practices. The Explores Measures tool was developed by the (Read more...)
Sun Pharma launches BromSite in US
BromSite for the treatment of postoperative inflammation and prevention of ocular pain is now available in the United States, Sun Pharma announced in a press release.BromSite (bromfenac ophthalmic solution 0.075%) was approved by the FDA on April 8 and…
VIDEO: Surgical options available to correct stage 1 dysfunctional lens syndrome
At OSN New York, George O. Waring IV, MD, discusses the emerging subspecialty of surgical correction of presbyopia, with a focus on corneal based procedures for management of the stage 1 dysfunctional lens syndrome.
VIDEO: Retina specialists create opportunity for anterior segment specialists
At OSN New York 2016, John W. Kitchens, MD, discusses ways the anterior segment specialist can partner with a retina specialist, sharing ideas from both a business standpoint and a surgical standpoint.
VIDEO: Surgeon gives pearls on performing CLASS procedure to lower IOP
CHICAGO ― At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting here, Juan Carlos Izquierdo, MD, discusses his experience performing the CLASS CO2 laser procedure (IOPtima) to lower IOP in patients with glaucoma.
Researchers say simultaneous infection of Zika, chikungunya possible
New research presented at the 2016 America Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene annual meeting found mosquitoes can carry more than one flavivirus at a time, enabling them to potentially infect humans with Zika and chikungunya viruses in a single bite.“There was a large-scale study recently in Nicaragua where they found that over 20% of the patients that have one arbovirus actually were coinfected with another one, so we figured there must be a reasonable number of mosquitos that actually are exposed to two viruses at the same time,” Claudia (Read more...)
VIDEO: Approach to dysfunctional lens syndrome addresses source of problem
At OSN New York 2016, Karolinne Maia Rocha, MD, discusses dysfunctional lens syndrome. In the aging eye, the first stage of dysfunctional lens syndrome is loss of accommodation. The approach to dysfunctional lens syndrome improves light scatter and abe…
VIDEO: Surgical guidance system alleviates surgeon stress in the OR
The emergence of refractive cataract surgery is the “most important development” in cataract surgery over the past few years, Carlos Buznego, MD, told colleagues at OSN New York 2016. Ideally, refractive cataract surgery incorporating a surgical planni…
Glaukos posts $1.2 million net income in third quarter
Glaukos reported a net income of $1.2 million, or $0.03 diluted net income per share, in the third quarter compared with a net loss of $2.1 million, or $0.07 diluted net loss per share, in the same quarter last year, according to a press release.Quarte…
Study: Validated questionnaires should be administered to LASIK patients before and after surgery
The administration of a validated questionnaire to LASIK participants before and after the procedure can effectively assess symptoms and patient satisfaction and determine if patients experience new symptoms after surgery, according to a study.Research…
Nine strategies to reverse physician burnout
Building upon a decade of research on the rise and cost of physician burnout, researchers at the Mayo Clinic proposed nine strategies that health care organizations can implement to reverse the trend, limit the risk and promote physician well-being, according to a recent news release.“Research has shown that more than half of U.S. physicians are experiencing symptoms of burnout, and the rate is increasing,” Tait Shanafelt, MD, director of Mayo Clinic’s Program on Physician Well-being, said in the release. “Unfortunately, many organizations see burnout as a personal problem to be (Read more...)
PUBLICATION EXCLUSIVE: How to adjust IOL power in unusual cataract cases
With newly developed methods of IOL power calculation, we are approaching 90% or higher accuracy of being within 0.5 D of the intended refractive target. The Barrett Universal formula uses improved algorithms, the Hill-RBF method relies on artificial intelligence with large data sets, and the Ladas Super Formula incorporates both novel methods as well as crowd-sourced big data to continuously hone its results. But even with these techniques of calculation, there is still a need to adjust the IOL power in unusual cataract cases.The A-constant of the IOL reflects many (Read more...)
PUBLICATION EXCLUSIVE: Several options available to fix refractive misses in cataract surgery
Welcome to another edition of CEDARS/ASPENS Debates. CEDARS/ASPENS is a joint society of cornea, cataract and refractive surgery specialists, here to discuss some of the latest hot topics in ophthalmology.As cataract surgery becomes more of a refractiv…
FDA clears Xen for refractory glaucoma
The FDA has cleared Allergan’s Xen glaucoma treatment system for refractory glaucoma, according to a company press release.The Xen system consists of the Xen45 gel stent and the Xen injector. The stent is implanted through an ab interno approach and creates a new drainage channel to reduce IOP.
VIDEO: Intraoperative aberrometry used in routine and atypical cases
At OSN New York 2016, Kathryn M. Hatch, MD, describes how she uses intraoperative aberrometry in the operating room routinely for astigmatism management to titrate limbal relaxing incisions and to adjust IOL power decisions. She also relies on intraope…