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CRU 2023 will cover a host of topics, including a co-led presentation by Drs Deborah Jacobs and Melissa Barnett on the latest advancements in the contact lens field.

CRU 2023: New technologies and advances in the contact lens field, plus the new paradigm in specialty lenses

EnVision Summit Co-chairs Sherrol Reynolds, OD, FAAO; Katie Rachon, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO; Jessica Steen, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO; and Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO; express excitement for the upcoming conference and why optometrists should attend.

EnVision Summit 2025: Meet the chairs

As the optometry track of the EnVision Summit expands in 2025, so does attendee excitement for the conference, to be held from February 14-17 in Puerto Rico. Conference optometry faculty Sherrol Reynolds, OD, FAAO; Katie Rachon, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO; Ashley Wallace-Tucker, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Dipl ABO; Jessica Steen, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO; and Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO; share what they find makes EnVision special and what they plan to take part in during the conference.

Editor's note: The below transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Hello. My name is Dr Sherrol Reynolds, and I am a professor at Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I look forward to this year's EnVision Summit. It's going to be again in Puerto Rico. The dates are February 14 through the 17th, and it'll be in San Juan, Puerto Rico. And I have been invited again to present on the latest information when it comes to retina, new treatment when it comes to geographic atrophy, also talking about the latest research in retina, the latest update, the latest treatment modalities for our patients with retinal conditions, and to also be on panels with acclaimed experts and retinal specialists. I look forward to seeing you there.

Hi. I'm Katie Rachon. I'm an optometrist at Virginia Eye Consultants in Norfolk, Virginia. We are a tertiary care, OD/MD medical only center. I am currently the residency director there for 2 residents. And I'm excited to be a speaker at the EnVision conference and attending the conference this year, because last year we had an amazing time, and the optometry track, we learned from a wide variety of colleagues from different settings. We learned from a lot of ophthalmologists that joined us during our track, so we could hear a lot about comanagement. And of course, this is all in a beautiful setting in Puerto Rico over the weekend. So I'm really excited to join again as a speaker and as an attendee, and I hope to see you there.

Ashley Wallace-Tucker, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Dipl ABO:

I think it's incredible that ophthalmology and optometry are coming together in this conference. I don't think I've ever had a learning experience quite like this. It's just great to have a collaborative approach to eye care. You know, we have a lot to offer each other as two professions that are different but aligned in the mission for the best eye health and eye care for our patients.

I'm looking forward to EnVision in 2025 to connect with colleagues, with optometrists, with ophthalmologists, with high level education in a panel format, and to really engage our full community, our family members, our colleagues' children, in a really unique and special environment.

I'm excited that we are getting to do this again this year, and hopefully maybe some more of our optometry friends will learn about the conference and come join us, not just for the optometry track. I mean, it's really encouraged that we're all at the same meeting, and if you want to go sit in on a session that's going on over on the ophthalmology track that interests you go over there as well, and vice versa.

EnVision Summit optometry faculty Sherrol Reynolds, OD, FAAO; Katie Rachon, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO; Ashley Wallace-Tucker, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Dipl ABO; Jessica Steen, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO; and Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO; express excitement for the upcoming conference and why optometrists should attend.

Conference

EnVision Summit 2025: Meet the faculty

This quiz accompanies THIS article from our December issue

c. One-third eye width, canthus to canthus

d. One-third eye fissure opening vertically

Quiz: Know the ocular effects of eyelash growth serums

Hoya Vision Care is expanding the power range of their MiYOSMART spectacle, now offering a broader range of negative and cylindrical powers to help more patients with high myopia manage the condition. The expanded range of lenses also feature slimmer edge thickness than previous iterations, and the larger diameter works with a wider selection of frames.

The extension includes lenses that range from minus power of -13.00 diopters (D) to cylindrical power up to 4.00 D, accommodating both high myopia and astigmatism. The goal is to increase access to effective solutions for myopic children across the globe for improved visual outcomes.

“There is an urgent need to provide comprehensive solutions for children with high myopia as early as possible in order to reduce the risk of myopia-related complications in later life,” Natalia Vlasak, MD, MBA, Global Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs at HOYA Vision Care, said in a press release. “Slowing down the progression of myopia by just one diopter can reduce the risk of myopic maculopathy by 40%.

 With the extension of MiYOSMART’s power range to treat high myopia, it is not too late for these children to preserve their vision health for the future.”

Myopia is an epidemic, and high myopia carries extra risks, including increased incidence of myopic macular degeneration, retinal detachment, cataract, open angle glaucoma, vision loss, and additional complications associated with axial lengthening.

 While there is no treatment for myopia, it can be managed by slowing axial lengthening, typically via use of contact lenses or atropine drops.

"With the power range extension of MiYOSMART spectacle lenses to support children with high myopia, we are ensuring that it is never too late to help protect their vision for the future," said Vlasak in an exclusive quote. "Expanding access to MiYOSMART spectacle lenses to treat high myopia is a testament to HOYA's pledge to preserve the vision health of all children. We are dedicated to empowering Eye Care Professionals, parents, and policymakers to take urgent action for children’s eye health—continuously enhancing our myopia management solutions worldwide while advocating for vision-friendly habits, such as spending more time outdoors."

At this time, spectacle lenses for myopia management, including MiYOSMART, are not approved by the FDA or available for sale in the US. 

The FDA granted Breakthrough Device designation to SightGlass Vision’s Diffusion Optics Technology (DOT) spectacle lenses in February 2024

 but the agency has not approved additional spectacle options for myopia management.

MiYOSMART spectacle lenses launched in 2018, and more than 10 million units have been purchased across 40 countries.

 Hoya Vision Care is dedicated to innovative solutions for myopia management that not only limit the progression of the disease, but they also hope encourage wear time in patients to limit myopia progression effectively. By increasing lens diameter to fit more frames and decreasing edge thickness, Hoya has improved the cosmetics of their lenses to head off concerns about the look of conventional high prescription lenses.

Hoya Vision Care plans to continue to evolve treatment solutions to improve access to effective and innovative myopia control tactics, according to a news release.

1. HOYA Vision Care responds to the growing global issue of high myopia with new solutions to preserve children’s vision health. Hoya Vision Care. Press release. January 23, 2025. Accessed January 23, 2025. 

https://www.hoyavision.com/about-hoya/hoya-vision-care-news/news/hoya-vision-care-responds-to-the-growing-global-issue-of-high-myopia-with-new-solutions-to-preserve-childrens-vision-health/

2. Bullimore MA, Brennan NA. Myopia Control: Why Each Diopter Matters. Optom Vis Sci. 2019 Jun;96(6):463-465. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000001367. PMID: 31116165.​

3. Haarman AEG, Enthoven CA, Tideman JWL, Tedja MS, Verhoeven VJM, Klaver CCW. The Complications of Myopia: A Review and Meta-Analysis. 

. 2020;61(4):49. doi:10.1167/iovs.61.4.49

4. Maharjan EK. FDA grants SightGlass Vision Breakthrough Device designation for DOT spectacle lenses. 

. February 15, 2024. Accessed January 23, 2025. https://www.optometrytimes.com/view/fda-grants-sightglass-vision-breakthrough-device-designation-for-dot-spectacle-lenses

The updated range of lenses feature expanded negative and cylindrical powers, thinner edge thickness, and wider frame options.

Hoya Vision Care expands power range of MiYOSMART spectacle lenses for myopia

Semifluorinated alkanes (SFAs) seem to be all the rage since the launch of perfluorohexyloctane (PFHO) (Miebo; Bausch+Lomb) and cyclosporine 0.1% dissolved in perfluorobutylpentane (PFBP) (Vevye; Harrow). Both are indicated to treat the signs and symptoms of 

 (DED)—contrary to popular belief, there are no FDA-approved products with an indication for evaporative dry eye disease or meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Many of us have gladly adopted these two SFA-containing drops into our armamentarium of dry eye treatments and happily received whatever story the sales representative wants to tell us. The current DED treatment landscape is very crowded, and there is not 1 magic bullet that works for all our patients with DED. As doctors, we are continually searching for better treatment options for DED. This article aims to dive deeper into the preclinical and clinical studies around some of the science of these SFAs and help us better understand how SFAs work in the eyes of our patients seeking relief. 

SFAs are not a new development in the ophthalmic space. They have been used for decades in retinal surgeries. PFHO has been available as an over-the-counter artificial tear in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand since 2015 under trade names such as EvoTears, NovaTears, and Optase, among others, establishing a safety record. Much of the science for both PFHO and PFBP is buried within preclinical studies. I will quickly summarize findings from various studies used in the clinical claims we regularly hear today in hopes of clearing up muddy waters around these drops.

Vittitow et al evaluated PFHO to distinguish the evaporation rate of buffered saline vs harvested human meibum in an in vitro setting.

 The rate of evaporation was measured gravimetrically (weight based). The researchers found almost a 4 times difference in evaporation favoring PFHO vs meibum alone. Although these findings are statistically significant, investigators point out major study design concerns in the discussion section: “A major finding of the current study…in relative agreement with yet other studies that show that, in vitro, meibum lipid does not inhibit evaporation of saline significantly.” Furthermore, “PFHO on evaporation was not measured in vivo, in an environment where blinking and tear film composition is more complex.” The investigators point out that the control group does not mimic real-world dynamics, as harvest meibum does not inhibit evaporation well.

Agarwal et al evaluated the clearance rates of both SFAs in an ex vivo pig eye model. Evaporation was again measured gravimetrically, in a controlled environment that did not simulate tear turnover or blink shear rates; researchers found that 50% of PFBP had evaporated within 0.5 hours and 100% had gone within 2 hours.

 More than 50% of PFHO was still unevaporated at 24 hours. This model was repeated using a perfusion chamber to simulate tear turnover at 1 hour and found similar but less dramatic results. PFBP’s clearance rate vs cyclosporine 0.05% ophthalmic emulsion (Restasis; Abbvie) was 5.1 times slower, whereas PFHO’s clearance rate vs 0.05% cyclosporine was 11 times slower.

Spencer et al evaluated radiolabeled PFHO in an ex vivo model and found that PFHO was detectable in tears for up to 6 hours.

 In a separate study, Spencer et al evaluated radiolabeled PFBP and found that PFBP was detectable in tears for up to 8 hours.

Agarwal et al evaluated ocular surface tear dynamics in an in vivo animal model using live rabbits. Investigators found that both SFAs improved lipid layer grading (LLG) immediately upon instillation of a single drop while decreasing in the saline arm.

 In repeated dosing over 7 days, PFHO did see statistical significance starting at day 5 vs baseline in LLG improvement. However, the study did not show a statistically significant improvement in tear evaporation rate, tear volume, or osmolarity from baseline for either SFA or between SFAs. In a post-hoc analysis by the investigator, PFBP also showed a statistically significant improvement in LLG with no statistically significant difference vs PFHO.

Cyclosporine’s dose-ranging phase 2 study (NCT02617667), conducted by Wirta et al, included a PFBP vehicle arm, PFBP+0.05% cyclosporine, PFBP+0.1% cyclosporine, and cyclosporine 0.05% ophthalmic emulsion.

 Primary efficacy end points evaluated change from baseline in total corneal fluorescein staining (tCFS) and visual analog scale (VAS) dryness at days 15, 29, 85, and 113. PFBP alone showed no statistically significant difference in reduction in tCFS vs 0.05% cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion, with results numerically favoring PFBP at all measured time points. There were also no statistically significant findings for PFBP in symptom differences vs 0.05% cyclosporine.

Sheppard et al and Tauber et al evaluated PFHO vs saline as PFHO’s pivotal phase 3 studies and found PFHO demonstrated statistically significant improvement in tCFS and VAS dryness scores over 8 weeks vs saline.

 The study enrolled patients with a history of MGD and low tear film breakup time (TFBUT); however, TFBUT results were not reported after 8 weeks of treatment. Perhaps the lack of TFBUT data led to PFHO’s mechanism of action on the package insert as follows: “PFHO forms a monolayer at the air-liquid interface of the tear film [that] can be expected to reduce evaporation. The exact mechanism of PFHO in DED is not known.”

In summary of these findings, do SFAs work in DED? Doctors and patients seem to think so, and the data seem to support it. Do SFAs demonstrate an entirely new mechanism of action for treating DED? That is unclear. Neither SFA showed improvement in tear evaporation rates nor osmolarity in preclinical studies. Although many anecdotal reports show improvement in clinical markers, no well-controlled clinical studies have demonstrated improvement in TFBUT, osmolarity, meibography, meibomian expression, or any measures of MGD or evaporative DED. Finally, the preclinical study evaluating PFHO vs harvested human meibum was not conducted in an ideal environment mimicking a real-world environment. Do our patients really care about mechanism of action? I do not believe so. If they are feeling better, the mechanism of action is irrelevant.

is the president of Omni Eye Specialists, headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, and a founding partner of Keplr Vision. Schmidt is president of the Optometric Glaucoma Society and was recently named one of the Top 250 Innovators in Optometry by 

. He is an adjunct professor at various schools of optometry and is a frequent contributor to optometric journals. He is the author of 

Lids and Nasolacrimal System: Clinical Procedures

 and lectures internationally on glaucoma and other ocular diseases.

In the past 24 months Schmidt has received honoraria or compensation from the following companies as an advisor of speaker: Allergan, Bausch & Lomb, Lumenis, Sydnexis, Topcon, Thea Pharmaceuticals, Eyenovia, Sight Science, Harrow, M&S Technologies, Carl Zeiss

Vittitow J, Kissling R, DeCory H, Borchman D. In vitro inhibition of evaporation with perfluorohexyloctane, an eye drop for dry eye disease. 

 2023;98:100704. doi:10.1016/j.curtheres.2023.100704

Agarwal P, Scherer D, Günther B, Rupenthal ID. Semifluorinated alkane based systems for enhanced corneal penetration of poorly soluble drugs. 

. 2018;538(1-2):119-129. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2018.01.019

Krösser S, Spencer E, Grillenberger R, Struble CB, Fischer K. Ocular and systemic distribution of 14C- perfluorohexyloctane following topical ocular administration to rabbits. I

Krösser S, Korward J, Tauber J. Pharmacokinetics and distribution of perfluoroputylpentane, a novel eye drop vehicle, in rabbits after topical administration. Presented at: Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Congress; October 30-November 2, 2024; Venice, Italy.

Agarwal P, Khun D, Krösser S, et al. Preclinical studies evaluating the effect of semifluorinated alkanes on ocular surface and tear fluid dynamics

. 2019;17(2):241-249. doi:10.1016/j.jtos.2019.02.010

Wirta DL, Torkildsen GL, Moreira HR, et al. A clinical phase II study to assess efficacy, safety, and tolerability of waterfree cyclosporine formulation for treatment of dry eye disease. 

 2019;126(6):792-800. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2019.01.024

Sheppard JD, Kurata F, Epitropoulos AT, Krösser S, Vittitow JL; MOJAVE Study Group. NOV03 for signs and symptoms of dry eye disease associated with meibomian gland dysfunction: the randomized phase 3 MOJAVE study. 

. 2023;252:265-274. doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2023.03.008

Tauber J, Berdy GJ, Wirta DL, Krösser S, Vittitow JL; GOBI Study Group. NOV03 for dry eye disease associated with meibomian gland dysfunction: results of the randomized phase 3 GOBI study. 

. 2023;130(5):516-524. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2022.12.021

What we know and what we do not know…yet.

Semifluorinated alkanes in dry eye disease

The FDA has granted Breakthrough Device designation for SightGlass Vision's Diffusion Optics Technology (DOT) spectacles lenses, which are under investigation for the slowing of myopia in children.

 DOT is the first design to leverage contrast management mechanism of action, which gently scatters light across the retina. If approved by the FDA, DOT spectacle lenses will be the first non-contact lens myopia control tactic available to the US market.

“The FDA Breakthrough Device designation for Diffusion Optics Technology (DOT) spectacle lenses is a milestone for our organization—and for the broader fight against the pediatric myopia epidemic. Recent studies

 illustrate that about half of U.S. children are myopic, yet most are not receiving treatments proven to slow myopia progression,” Andrew Sedgwick, CEO of SightGlass Vision, said in a press release. “We are enthusiastic about more closely collaborating with the FDA as we pursue US market clearance.”

DOT technology has a rich history of positive results in clinical trials. The CYPRESS study is in its 5th year, with the most recent data presented in September 2023 at the Congress of the Chinese Ophthalmological Society in Changsha.

 The full 4-year outcomes showed statistically significant slowing of axial length progression and cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (cSER) in patients aged 6-10 who used DOT spectacle lenses.

Prior to this, SightGlass Vision presented positive outcomes at ARVO 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The 42-month data from the CYPRESS study extension indicated positive safety and efficacy in children aged 6-10 (at the start of the study).

 The extension re-enrolled 98 patients from the original multi-site clinical trial, which had previously reported improvements in axial length and cSER.

SightGlass Vision, which is a joint venture of CooperCompanies and EssilorLuxottica, has set its sights on developing innovative technologies to combat the global myopia crisis. DOT spectacle lenses are already on the market in China, the Netherlands, and Israel, and the technology is in preliminary market trials in other countries.

1. SightGlass Vision receives breakthrough device designation from US Food and Drug Administration. Press release. February 14, 2024. Accessed February 15, 2024.

Current Trends in Pediatric Eye Examinations and Contact Lens Prescribing in the U.S.

 Poster presentation at the Global Specialty Lens Symposium, January 2024.

3. Myopia Management 2024 Report, Jobson Optical Research, January 2024. 

https://reviewofmm.com/2024-myopia-report/

4. SightGlass presents four-year results of CYPRESS trial at CCOS. Review of Myopia Management. September 5, 2023. Accessed February 15, 2024. https://reviewofmm.com/sightglass-presents-four-year-results-of-cypress-trial-at-ccos/

5. Chalberg T, et al. Control of myopia using diffusion optics spectacle lenses: efficacy and safety study (CYPRESS) 42-month results. ARVO 2023 Annual Meeting presentation. 27 April 2023.

Diffusion Optics Technology (DOT) spectacle lenses are intended to slow myopia progression in children via contrast management mechanism of action.

Pipeline

FDA grants SightGlass Vision Breakthrough Device designation for DOT spectacle lenses

Patient Case 2: Reversal of Contact Lens Intolerance in a Young Patient Following Demodex Blepharitis Treatment

A panelist discusses how treating Demodex blepharitis led to successful reversal of contact lens intolerance in a young patient, highlighting the importance of addressing underlying ocular surface conditions.

Deborah S. Jacobs, MD, MS

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