A pair of just-published studies examine different pharmacologic agents with the aim of preventing hypertensive phase associated with Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation. Medscape Ophthalmology
Tag: Ophthalmology
AMD May Progress at a Similar Rate in the Other Eye
The severity of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in one eye seems to pace the rate of degeneration in the other eye, new research has found. Reuters Health Information
Experimental Plug Aids Recovery From Cataract Surgery
The novel approach is a reasonable alternative to medicated eye drops, early research suggests. Medscape Medical News
Implanted Ring Aims to Replace Reading Glasses
A corneal inlay awaiting FDA approval would mean people who have good distance vision, but need glasses for up-close reading, wouldn’t have to keep taking glasses on and off. Medscape Medical News
New Standardized DMEK Technique Saves Eyes
The Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) approach eliminates upside-down grafts and has a low rate of graft failure. Medscape Medical News
No More Reading Glasses: KAMRA Vision Implants Treat Presbyopia
Presbyopia, the inability to see things up close, affects large portions of the population as we grow older. Most people with the condition end up using reading glasses, putting them on and off as necessary, while some people keep them on throughout the day and end up looking like that English teacher from your childhood that would read famous poems in front of the class. Soon there may be a new options for Americans that would rather avoid glasses all together.
The KAMRA Vision corneal inlay device has a camera-like aperture that automatically adjusts to change the depth of field of the image that falls on the retina. This allows implantees, after a 10 minute procedure using topical anesthesia, to go about their day without resorting to glasses and hopefully allowing them to regain their healthy vision. The device has been going through clinical trials, with some details on the latest below.
Regeneron’s Eylea Works Better vs Avastin and Lucentis in Study
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said its drug Eylea (aflibercept) for diabetic macular edema produced significantly greater improvement in visual acuity from baseline to 52 weeks compared with Genentech’s Avastin (bevacizumab) and Lucentis (ranibizumab). …
Safe to Just Observe Mild Vitreomacular Adhesion?
A study looks at the outcomes of patients with vitreomacular adhesion who are managed with observation. Medscape Ophthalmology
Embryonic Stem Cells Improve Vision, Appear Safe at 22 Months
Phase 1/2 studies conducted in the United States are the first to report the long-term safety and possible biological activity of human embryonic stem cell transplants in human disease. Medscape Medical News
Significant Retinopathy Risk With Long-Term Hydroxychloroquine
Long-term use of hydroxychloroquine may carry a significant risk of toxic retinopathy, according to a retrospective case-control study. Reuters Health Information
Sneak Peek at AAO 2014
Dr Roger Steinert outlines the popular and not-to-miss sessions at this year’s American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting, and for those who can’t make it, the ‘virtual meeting’ is an option. Medscape Ophthalmology
Corneal Crosslinking in Keratitis: A 40-Eye Experience
A trial of corneal crosslinking in infectious keratitis raises more questions than it answers. Medscape Ophthalmology
The Vexing Problem of Retained Lens Fragments
This comprehensive article covers the prevention, management, and outcomes of retained lens particles during cataract surgery. Medscape Ophthalmology
FDA OKs Aflibercept (Eylea) for All Retinal Vein Occlusions
The expanded indication now covers macular edema after branch retinal vein occlusion, and not just blockages to the central retinal vein. FDA Approvals
Long Flights and Patients at Risk for Acute-Closure Glaucoma
Patients with risk factors for acute-closure glaucoma may consider taking special precautions on long flights, researchers suggest. Reuters Health Information
Distant Vision, Toric Intraocular Lenses After Cataract Surgery
Toric intraocular lenses provide higher spectacle-free distant vision rates than do aspherical control intraocular lenses, researchers from The Netherlands report. Reuters Health Information
ILUVIEN Eye Implant for Diabetic Macular Edema Finally FDA Approved (VIDEOS)
The FDA, finally, after three rejections, has given approval to pSivida‘s (Watertown, MA) ILUVIEN drug eluting eye implant for treating diabetic macular edema (DME). The device, about the length of, but much narrower than, a grain of rice (3.5 mm x 0.37 mm), is injected intravitreally using a syringe-like device. Once deployed, the device slowly releases fluocinolone acetonide (FAc), a corticosteroid, for the next three years to control inflammation within the eye and help slow down the effects of DME. The 25-gauge needle used during implantation is small enough for the wound to heal on its own following the procedure.
“FDA approval of ILUVIEN, our third FDA-approved product for retinal disease, provides an important treatment option for DME patients in the U.S., the majority of whose DME, despite anti-VEGF intra-ocular injections as frequently as monthly, is not optimally managed. ILUVIEN’s clinical trials showed that ILUVIEN can actually reverse vision loss in many DME patients. Another advantage of ILUVIEN over existing therapies is that a single injection provides sustained therapy for three years,” said Paul Ashton, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of pSivida, in the announcement.
Protein Content in Compounded Bevacizumab Varies Considerably
The protein concentration of bevacizumab prepared by U.S. compounding pharmacies for intravitreal injection shows significant variations, according to New York-based researchers. Reuters Health Information
Eye Implant Iluvien for Diabetic Macular Edema Clears FDA
The FDA has approved eye implant Iluvien, from Alimera Sciences and pSivida Corp, for treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) in patients who have been previously treated with a course of corticosteroids and did not have a clinically significant rise…
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Use in Glaucoma
What is the view of complementary and alternative therapies for glaucoma? A new survey provides some insight. Journal of Glaucoma