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After treatment cessation, eye growth returned to age-expected levels and the accumulated myopia control treatment gains were retained over the following 12 months after treatment was ceased.

New study supports retention of myopia control in CooperVision's MiSight 1 day contact lenses

Reed will be honored with the Doctor of Ocular Science honorary degree in part of the college’s 2025 commencement.

Southern College of Optometry to recognize Dr Steven Reed with honorary degree

New data for 0.25% reproxalap was announced by Aldeyra Therapeutics, supporting the company’s NDA resubmission for the treatment of dry eye disease.

Aldeyra Therapeutics hits primary end point in 1 of 2 phase 3 trials for reproxalap

The law is the product of a 2-year collaborative effort by the North Dakota Optometric Association and the North Dakota State Board of Optometry.

North Dakota law establishes optometric telemedicine guidelines

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Recognize characteristics and stages of macular hole for better pictures

Clinical imaging of macular holes

Dr Robert Maloney discusses IOLs at the 2025 Controversies in Modern Eye Care meeting

CIME 2025: What the first IOL can teach modern optometrists

 meeting in Los Angeles, California, Robert Maloney, MD, MA, shone a spotlight on a historic event that continues to shape the field: the first implantation of an 

 by Sir Harold Ridley in 1950. While hailed today as a foundational innovation in cataract surgery, Ridley’s groundbreaking work was initially met with hostility, skepticism, and ethical concern. His experience serves as a compelling reminder to optometrists that innovation often walks a tightrope between risk and reward.

Ridley’s first IOL implantation, though revolutionary, came at a time when medical experimentation lacked today’s rigorous oversight. The early IOLs caused severe inflammation and had not been adequately tested in animals. As noted during the presentation, these practices arguably violated principles of the then-emerging Nuremberg Code, which emphasized informed consent and ethical clinical research.

Yet the controversy wasn’t simply about safety; it highlighted a critical tension that persists today: the push for innovation vs the duty to protect patients from harm. As Maloney emphasized, “The process of invention is really a conversation between the inventor, who’s doing something radical, and the establishment, which says, ‘We need to protect patients.’”

Drawing a parallel to today’s advancements, Maloney suggested that history doesn’t repeat itself—but it does spiral. As optometrists encounter emerging treatments, technologies, and diagnostic tools, Ridley’s story offers a historical lens through which to assess new developments. It reminds clinicians to ask essential questions: Are we balancing innovation with safety? Are we learning from past missteps?

Unlike traditional, lecture-heavy meetings, the CIME format emphasizes discussion, debate, and practical takeaways. Rather than providing long lists of diagnoses, the sessions challenge practitioners to think critically about the “gray zones” of modern practice. Every 10 to 15 minutes, attendees will likely hear a pearl that can be directly applied to patient care.

“This meeting is not about rehearsing what we already know,” said Maloney. “It’s about exploring what we don’t know—and doing it with colleagues in a fast-paced, collegial setting.”

Conference

CIME 2025: What the first intraocular lens can teach modern optometrists

Dr Steven Ferrucci at Controversies in Modern Eyecare 2025

Emerging hope in retinal disease: New therapies for GA and beyond

2025 Controversies in Modern Eye Care meeting

, which took place May 4, in Los Angeles, California, Steven Ferrucci, OD, FAAO, chief of optometry at the Sepulveda VA Hospital in Los Angeles and professor at Marshall B. Ketchum University, shared his excitement about advancements in 

, in an interview. His insights are a powerful reminder that the therapeutic landscape is evolving rapidly, bringing new hope for patients once considered untreatable.

New FDA-approved therapies for geographic atrophy

Geographic atrophy, the advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is now receiving long-awaited attention. According to Ferrucci, 2 medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have demonstrated the ability to slow GA lesion progression over time. While the specific drugs were not named, this likely refers to pegcetacoplan (Syfovre; Apellis Pharmaceuticals) and avacincaptad pegol (Izervay; Astellas Pharma), both of which received FDA approval in 2023.

“GA is probably a little more common than we might think,” said Ferrucci. With over 1.5 million Americans affected—a number he suspects is underreported—these new therapies mark a significant shift in how optometrists can manage this chronic and previously untreatable condition.

The promise of genetic and onetime therapies

Ferrucci also highlighted the potential of gene therapy. In contrast to current anti-VEGF treatments that require frequent intravitreal injections, future gene-based therapies may allow for a single viral vector injection that transforms the eye into a long-term source of anti-VEGF expression. “It might be a one-and-done type thing,” Ferrucci noted, though some maintenance may still be required.

This approach could revolutionize treatment for diseases like wet AMD and diabetic retinopathy, improving patient adherence and reducing clinical burden.

Optometrists should also be aware of newer treatment modalities, such as the Valeda Light Delivery System, a light-based therapy for dry AMD. Promising treatments for inherited retinal diseases like Stargardt disease and retinitis pigmentosa are also emerging. A newly approved treatment, Encelto, targets macular telangiectasia, a condition that previously had no effective interventions.

Optometrists are on the front lines of detecting and managing retinal disease. With innovations coming fast, clinicians must remain vigilant and proactive in learning about these breakthroughs. As Ferrucci suggests, keeping “your ears open and your eyes open” may be the key to offering hope to patients we once thought were beyond help.

As a retinal expert, Ferrucci discusses some emerging retinal therapies that excite him.

CIME 2025: Steven Ferrucci, OD, FAAO, shares therapeutic update for retinal disease

Research conducted by CooperVision and University of Rochester Flaum Eye Institute, in collaboration with the Instituto de Optica “Daza de Valdés,” may have identified a novel marker for 

. This discovery, which will be presented May 7 in a paper at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology 2025 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, explores the change in both anterior segment and lens geometry according to accommodative demand.

The paper, titled “OCT-based marker for accommodative effort in presbyopes,” explores changes in the anterior segment and crystalline lens geometry in relation to accommodative demand. While the study included a range of subjects in a variety of stages of presbyopia, the change was most pronounced in emmetropic and myopic presbyopes. Investigators used 3D optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure and monitor geometric alterations in patients with varying stages of presbyopia. Focusing ability remained, even when reduced, and crystalline lens thickness was the key marker for focusing effort, particularly in myopes.

“We believe this is the first in vivo study to show the evolution of physiological response of the crystalline lens as adults age,” Percy Lazon de la Jara, director of research programs for CooperVision and a paper coauthor, said in a press release. “CooperVision’s deep commitment to advancing ocular science and care means evaluating the entire eye, including how it changes from presbyopia onset through stabilization. This latest work—employing a remarkable application of OCT to uncover previously unavailable insights—will help map optical corrections that could be incorporated into future presbyopia correction methods and devices.”

Investigators believe the new marker for accommodation in presbyopes has the power to drive future category innovation.

While the study included a range of subjects in a variety of stages of presbyopia, the change in crystalline lens geometry and anterior segment was most pronounced in emmetropic and myopic presbyopes.

ARVO 2025: New research reveals new marker for presbyopic accommodation

At CIME 2025, Selina McGee, OD, FAAO, says some patients underestimate oculoplastic care. She stands in front of a sign that says Controversies in Modern Eye Care 2025.

The 19th annual Controversies in Modern Eye Care (CIME) kicked off on Sunday, May 4th in Los Angeles, California. Attendees settled into the ballroom at the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles with coffee and a full suite of scientific programming, including hot topics from both the ophthalmic and optometric spheres.

Selina McGee, OD, FAAO, met with the editorial team bright and early so the Eye Care Network could interview her about both symposia she participated in at the meeting. In the first of two interviews, Dr. McGee spoke about oculoplastics. She revealed what's trending, what patients are curious about (including light therapy and dry eye spas), and nonsurgical interventions which could remove barriers in oculoplastic care.

At Controversies in Modern Eye Care, Dr. McGee talks about helping patients and clinicians expand their understanding of oculoplastics.

At CIME 2025, Selina McGee, OD, FAAO, says some patients underestimate what's possible in oculoplastic care

Matt Jones, OD; Matt Burns, OD; and Joe Sugg, OD; detailed what optometrists can expect to change when HB 1353's regulations are enacted later this year.

Arkansas' passage of HB1353 received well by optometrists in the state

A significant change is coming through new legislation that grants the Department of Insurance expanded authority to regulate vision benefit managers (VBMs). HB 1353 brings VBMs under the health benefit plan definition, providing regulators with more oversight capabilities that weren't previously available. Arkansas Optometric Association legislative cochairs Matt Jones, OD, and Joe Sugg, OD, and executive director Matt Burns detailed what optometrists can expect to change when the new regulations are enacted later this year.

The association will be implementing educational resources to help doctors with this transition, ensuring companies follow the law in coordination with the Department of Insurance. Doctors will need to be proactive in filing complaints with the Arkansas Insurance Department when violations occur.

The bill addresses several crucial areas:

Prevents discriminatory reimbursement based on buying groups or business models

Eliminates mandatory product routing to specific labs

Prevents patient steering to distant offices

Prevents reimbursement through credit cards

Protects against retroactive payment reversals when eligibility was confirmed

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive concerning HB 1353 from legislators, optometrists, and ophthalmologists. Sugg, Jones, and Burns cited that optometrists feel the playing field has been leveled, allowing them to prioritize the doctor-patient relationship. The bill has also received support from across the medical community.

The legislation aims to level the playing field between VBMs and optometrists, make it more attractive for optometrists to accept these plans, improve patient access to care, enhance patient choice, and create better conditions for optometrists contracting with these plans to practice.

The success of such initiatives relies on professional unity and participation. Jones said he encourages other optometrists in and outside the state to join their state and national associations, support their state leaders working behind the scenes, get involved in grassroots efforts, and contact state association executive directors for involvement opportunities

Matt Jones, OD; Matt Burns; and Joe Sugg, OD; detailed what optometrists can expect to change when HB 1353's regulations are enacted later this year.

Arkansas' passage of HB 1353 received well by optometrists in the state

Arkansas Optometric Association legislative cochairs Matt Jones, OD; Matt Burns, OD; and Joe Sugg, OD, discuss their involvement in their bill and provide context for its relevance. 

Arkansas Optometric Association outlines its latest legislature success in HB 1353

Starting in August 2025, with additional provisions to roll out based on plan renewals, contract changes, or by January 1, 2026, the relationship between optometrists and vision benefits managers (VBMs) will be changing in the state of Arkansas. HB 1353 will work to rebalance providers’ interactions with VBMs by expanding regulations and implementing more extensive reimbursement requirements. Joe Sugg, OD and Matt Jones, OD, legislative cochairs with the Arkansas Optometric Association (ArOA), and Matt Burns, ArOA executive director, sat down with 

to discuss the new legislation. They emphasized how the association provides a unified platform for optometrists to address industry challenges collectively. 

The key motivations behind the bill stem from long-standing issues in vision care contracts. Optometrists have been facing increasingly restrictive "contracts of adhesion" with vision plans, where providers have minimal negotiation power. These contracts have consistently squeezed independent practitioners, particularly regarding reimbursement rates that have remained stagnant despite rising operational costs. Sugg and Jones, who have both been private practice owners since 2009, detailed how vision benefit managers have been vertically integrating the market by consolidating frames, labs, electronic health records, and e-commerce platforms. This consolidation creates significant pressure on small business owners and limits their competitive capabilities. 

The bill's development involved collaboration with the American Optometric Association (AOA) and leaders nationwide. Their goal was to create legislation that would protect eye care providers and improve patient access. The speakers noted similar legislative efforts in states like Texas and Oklahoma, expressing hope that the Arkansas bill might inspire nationwide reform. When presenting the bill to legislators, they found surprising receptivity. Lawmakers quickly understood the parallels with pharmacy benefit manager regulations and recognized the need to protect small businesses. The bill's core principles seemed inherently logical to legislators – advocating for provider rankings based on quality of care rather than product sales. Jones highlighted the bill's consumer-friendly nature, arguing it would steer patients toward practices based on medical care quality instead of product sales. He also pointed out the stark reality that service reimbursement rates haven't increased since vision plans' inception, despite exponential increases in operational costs. 

Nationally, Jones and Sugg expressed optimism about potential federal legislation like the DOC Access Act, which could address similar issues in vision and dental insurance markets. Jones, Sugg, and Burns ultimately portrayed the bill as a critical step in protecting optometric practices and ensuring fair, patient-centered health care delivery.

Arkansas Optometric Association legislative cochairs Matt Jones, OD; Matt Burns; and Joe Sugg, OD, discuss their involvement in their bill and provide context for its relevance. 

Denice Barsness, CRA, COMT, ROUB, CDOS, FOPS

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