Nicox recorded revenue of €7.6 million in 2012 after recording no revenue in 2011, according to a company news release. The revenue increase was largely related to a $10 million milestone payment from Bausch + Lomb, which opted to continue developing latanoprostene bunod, a glaucoma drug candidate. As a result, there was a net loss of €10.2 million in 2012 compared with a net loss of €16.6 million in 2011.
Author: Healio ophthalmology
Shire US Holdings to acquire SARcode Bioscience
Shire US Holdings will acquire SARcode Bioscience under an agreement expected to close in the second quarter following regulatory approval and closing conditions, according to a news release.Shire, a global specialty pharmaceutical firm, will make an i…
Iontophoresis device for cross-linking receives CE mark
Sooft italia has been granted a CE mark for an iontophoresis device to deliver riboflavin to the cornea to treat keratoconus, according to a company news release.The approval covers the Iontofor CXL corneal iontophoresis technology, which allows ribofl…
Alimera Sciences reports net loss of $19.75 million in 2012
Alimera Sciences recorded a net loss of $19.75 million for 2012 compared with a net loss of $22.52 million in 2011, according to a company news release.For the fourth quarter 2012, there was a net loss of $5.29 million compared with a net loss of $6.07…
Retinoblastoma not linked solely to <i>RB1</i> mutations, study finds
Some cases of retinoblastoma may occur due to amplification of the MYCN oncogene rather than mutation of both alleles of the RB1 retinoblastoma suppressor gene, a study found. In such nonhereditary cases, children may not be at heightened risk of retin…
FDA approves phenylephrine hydrochloride solution to dilate pupil
Phenylephrine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution USP 2.5% and 10% has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Paragon BioTeck announced in a news release.The solution, an alpha-1 adrenergic receptor agonist used to dilate the pupil, has …
Quantel Medical pattern-scanning laser granted 510(k) clearance
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted 510(k) clearance to Quantel Medical for its Vitra Multispot laser, according to a company news release.The device, used to treat diabetic eye diseases, is a 532-nm photocoagulator that combines pattern …
BLOG: Unilateral conjunctivitis not always related to lacrimal duct obstruction
It has always been the teaching that recurrent unilateral conjunctivitis must be evaluated for partial or complete nasal lacrimal duct obstruction. This may be congenital or acquired.In the adult population, women are more commonly involved than men, w…
Clinical Specialties recalls Avastin unit dose syringes
Clinical Specialties Compounding Pharmacy has voluntarily issued a nationwide recall of Avastin unit dose syringes after it received five reports of intraocular infections, according to a press release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The recall covers 79 lots of Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech) distributed to physicians’ offices in Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Indiana from Dec. 18, 2012, to the present, the release said.
Concomitant retinal detachment, macular holes can be repaired simultaneously
Cases of combined full-thickness macular holes with concurrent rhegmatogenous retinal detachment are rare, but the conditions can be repaired simultaneously with good anatomic and visual results, according to a study.In addition, proliferative vitreore…
Ibopamine test elevates IOP in offspring of one parent with history of POAG
Ibopamine instillation increased IOP in subjects who had at least one parent with primary open-angle glaucoma, according to a study.The study authors said this signifies “an impaired function of outflow structures and, therefore, a predisposition to intraocular hypertension and possible glaucoma.”
PRK plus cross-linking stabilizes corneas, reduces aberrations in keratoconus
PRK plus cross-linking may be an alternative method in stabilizing corneas and reducing higher-order aberrations while enhancing visual acuity in eyes with keratoconus, according to a study.The prospective, interventional, nonrandomized clinical trial …
Anti-VEGF offers comparable benefits in phakic, pseudophakic eyes with AMD
Intravitreal ranibizumab injections for neovascular age-related macular degeneration yielded similar outcomes in phakic and pseudophakic eyes, according to a study.The retrospective review included 120 eyes of 110 patients with neovascular AMD; 75 eyes…
EyeTechCare raises €10 million to advance trial of ultrasound glaucoma device
EyeTechCare has completed a third round of funding, raising €10 million for an international clinical trial and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration registration process, according to a company news release.After the EyeMUST 1 trial on the EyeOP1 device, which involved about 60 glaucoma patients in France, EyeTechCare received a CE mark in May 2011 to begin marketing, sales and distribution activities for the noninvasive, ultrasound device, the release said.
High congenital esotropia a risk factor for reoperation
In children with congenital esotropia, risk factors for potential reoperation include congenital esotropia of 30 ∆D or greater and lateral rectus muscle underaction, according to a study.The retrospective review included 157 children with congenital esotropia. After at least one operation, patients were divided into two groups. A success group, defined as those with deviation within 10 ∆D, contained 89 patients, and a failure group, defined as those with deviation greater than 10 ∆D or a history of reoperation, contained 68 patients.
AcuFocus submits premarket approval application for corneal inlay
AcuFocus has completed submission of its premarket approval application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the Kamra corneal inlay, according to a news release.The device has a 1.6-mm aperture to allow only focused light to enter the eye, imp…
DSAEK more cost-effective than PK
Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty was found to be better than penetrating keratoplasty in terms of cost-effectiveness and utility benefits in treating corneal endothelial disease, according to a study.The retrospective study analyzed the cost-effectiveness of each technique through calculations of probable outcomes and complications based on published peer-reviewed literature. The analysis was administered from a third-party payer perspective over a 5-year time frame, the study authors said.
NSAID drug delivery system reduces inflammation, pain in phase 3 trial
BromSite demonstrated statistically significant superiority compared with vehicle in a phase 3 clinical trial that evaluated the reduction of pain and inflammation after cataract surgery, according to a press release from InSite Vision. InSite intends …
Staging system, response evaluation criteria anticipate survival in retinoblastoma patients
A proposed staging system and response evaluation criteria helped to predict event-free-survival and overall survival at baseline and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced retinoblastoma.The study included 28 patients with stage 3 retinoblastoma w…
BLOG: Is my practice overstaffed? Part 2
In my last blog, I discussed a gross screening ratio you can employ to begin to understand if your staffing costs are too high. In part 2 of this same subject, let’s review another common, very simple ratio that will help you begin to understand if you have too many or too few staff. This second way to evaluate staffing efficiency is to add up the number of support staff full-time equivalents, or FTEs (a technician working 40 hours per week is 1.0 FTE; a clerk working 30 hours per week is 0.75 FTE), and divide this figure into the practice’s annual collections. Normal limits for this ratio are $110,000 to $150,000 in annual collections per FTE in a typical general ophthalmology practice, with many variations depending on your circumstances.