This week in optometry: June 12-June 16
Catch up on what happened in optometry during the week of June 12-June 16.
Catch up with what Optometry Times®' shared this week:
Adobe Stock/Fernando
Optometry news
Keeping an eye on geographic atrophy
Amanda Legge, OD
Geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a progressive eye disease characterized by sharp, demarcated, growing atrophic lesions in the retina.1 With disease progression, irreversible vision loss may occur, which is associated with increased difficulty performing daily tasks, reading, driving, and recognizing faces.1-5 As a result, GA can lead to loss of independence and reduced quality of life.2-5 Therefore, careful diagnosis and monitoring of GA is essential to better understand disease progression and the impact of the disease on patients.
Oxurion finalizes enrollment in KALAHARI phase 2, part B trial
Martin David Harp, Associate Editor, Ophthalmology Times
Oxurion announced the company has randomized the final patient in its KALAHARI phase 2, part B clinical trial for diabetic macular edema (DME).
In a press release,1 the company stated investigators have successfully enrolled the trial with 112 patients, beating out the originally planned total of 108 patients.
With the completion of enrollment, Oxurion has confirmed its previous guidance that the company expects to report top-line data from the KALAHARI trial in Q4 of 2023.
Reading the greens: Golf, vision, and nutrition
Graham B. Erickson, OD, FAAO, FCOVD; Pinakin G. Davey, OD, PhD, FAAO, FARVO
Recreational and competitive athletes continuously search for ways to elevate their performance. In golf, a defining element of top golfers is the ability to read the contours of the green and determine the best trajectory for a successful putt. This element of golf performance is essentially a visual task, but few golfers or optometrists consider vision skills as an important factor for success in the sport.
The logical focus for performance improvements is typically in methods to enhance physical factors, such as strength and conditioning training regimens, biomechanical factors, rest and recovery programs, and psychological preparation. Although these methods are certainly important considerations, the option to improve visual performance can be a neglected element in the preparation for competition.
FDA grants 501(k) clearance to CorNeat Vision’s EverPatch
Martin David Harp, Associate Editor, Ophthalmology Times
CorNeat Vision announced the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 501(k) clearance to the company’s EverPatch.
In a press release from CorNeat Vision,1 the CorNeat EverPatch is described as “the first synthetic, non-degradable tissue-integrating matrix for use in ophthalmic surgeries,” and is composed “a non-woven, polymer matrix which integrates with surrounding tissue and is intended to reinforce the sclera and aid the physical reconstruction of the ocular surface.”
According to the company, the CorNeat EverPatch is “poised to displace the use of donor and processed tissue, commonly utilized in ocular surgeries but posing the risk of disease transmission.”
Meet the LEO founding board: Dr Karen Carrasquillo
Glenda Aleman Moheeputh, OD; Emily Kaiser, Assistant Managing Editor
Karen Carrasquillo, OD, PhD, sat down with Optometry Times®' assistant managing editor Emily Kaiser to talk about her role on the founding board of Latinos en Optometry (LEO).
Founded by Diana Canto-Sims, OD, LEO has 5 goals:
- Increase the number of Latino students in optometry schools
- Provide resources and communication for Latinos in optometry
- Provide resources and communication for the eye care community who serve the Latino community
- Be a conduit between the Latino community and the eye care industry
- Provide CE to all optometry
The founding board of Latinos En Optometry includes Diana Canto-Sims, OD, CEO, Founder and Stylist of La Vida Eyewear and Co-Owner of Buena Vista Optical in Chicago, IL; Lawrence Chavez, Founder & CEO of EveryDay Contacts; Howard Purcell, OD, President and CEO of the New England College of Optometry; Hector Santiago, OD, PhD, Professor and Director of Research Activities at Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry; Glenda Aleman Moheeputh, OD, Founder and CEO of OK Love Myopia Control Experts; Karen Carrasquillo, OD, PhD, Senior Vice President Clinical and Professional Affairs at BostonSight; Diana Shechtman, OD, Fellow at the American Academy of Optometry and Optometric Retinal Society; and Lina Arango, OD, who currently works as an Independent Doctor with LTA Vision corporation.
Novaliq and Senju Pharmaceutical close on license agreement for NOV03 in Japan
Martin David Harp, Associate Editor, Ophthalmology Times
Senju Pharmaceutical and Novaliq GmbH announced the closing of a licensing agreement allowing the Japan-based Senju Pharmaceutical rights to Novaliq’s NOV03 (perfluorohexyloctane ophthalmic solution) in Japan.
According to a joint press release from the companies,1 the agreement includes Japan rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize NOV03. Novaliq is eligible to receive upfront and milestone payments contingent upon the achievement of regulatory and sales milestones as well as royalties on net sales of NOV03 in Japan according to the agreement.
NOV03 is a water-free, preservative-free treatment for dry eye disease (DED). According to Novaliq, NOV03 has a “unique mode of action [that] directly targets tear evaporation by forming a monolayer at the air-liquid interface of the tear film.”
Implementing a glaucoma screening program using the Laroche Glaucoma Risk Calculator
Daniel Laroche, MD; Kara Rickford Grimes, MS
Optometrists and allied health care professionals play a pivotal role in the early detection of glaucoma. Glaucoma development and progression increases with age and is a leading cause of preventable blindness globally.1 Nearly half of patients who have glaucoma in the United States are unaware, increasing the likelihood of long-term poor visual outcomes.2,3 With advancing age, the prevalence of glaucoma increases, affecting Black Americans nearly 3 times more than white Americans.4,5 Additionally, given the shifting demographics in the country, the largest demographic group with primary open-angle glaucoma is expected to change to Hispanic men in the coming decades.6
Prevent Blindness promotes eye safety for upcoming solar eclipses visible in the United States
Martin David Harp, Associate Editor, Ophthalmology Times
Prevent Blindness is launching the Prevent Blindness Eclipse + Your Eyes program to get ready for the upcoming solar eclipses viewable in the United States.
The goal of the program is “to educate the public on solar eclipses and raise awareness about the dangers of looking directly at the sun during an eclipse,” according to a press release from the organization.1
