What happened in optometry this week: January 13 - January 17
Catch up on what happened in optometry during the week of January 13-January 17.
Catch up with what Optometry Times shared this week:
FDA approves Zeiss MEL 90 excimer laser
By Emily Kaiser Maharjan, Assistant Managing Editor
The FDA has granted its approval to the excimer laser MEL 90 from Zeiss Meditech for all 3 major indications: myopia, hyperopia, and mixed astigmatism. The laser fully integrates into the Corneal Refractive Workflow from Zeiss as a complement to Visumax 800 and SMILE pro software to streamline surgical correction with positive outcomes. The MEL 90 is currently available in the US.
New The Vision Council report assesses eye care providers' frame buying habits
By Jordana Joy, Associate Editor
A new research report from The Vision Council took a deep dive into how eye care providers source and select eyeglasses frames for their practices.1 Focused inSights 2024: Frame Buyers assessed who makes frame purchases at practices, how often purchases are made, and where products are sourced, in addition to the choices that eye care providers make about styles and the materials of frames that they purchase most often, according to a news release.
FDA accepts revised supplemental New Drug Application for Izervay
By Sydney M Crago, Editor, Modern Retina
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the revised supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Izervay (avacincaptad pegol intravitreal solution) for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) on January 6, 2025. This revision was in response to the Agency's November 2024 Complete Response Letter.1
According to the company’s press release1, the application was refiled following a December 20, 2024, meeting between the FDA and Astellas and has been designated as a Class 1 resubmission, with a 60-day review period. This sets the target action date for February 26, 2025.
Positive association found between the Dietary Inflammatory Index and non-refractive visual impairment in US patients
By Lynda Charters
A Chinese study1 identified a positive association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and non-refractive visual impairment among US populations, that is, the loss of vision resulting from ocular diseases and not the shape of the eye, according to the coauthors.
Yudie Hu, MD, is from the Department of Breast, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China; Jiang Zheng, MD, is from the Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; and Lun He, MD, is from the Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou.
AOA evidence-based clinical practice guideline aims to improve treatment for patients with POAG
By Jordana Joy, Associate Editor
At the tail end of 2024, the American Optometric Association (AOA) published Care of the Patient with Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma, an evidence based clinical practice guideline.1 The guideline’s first edition is “designed to elevate health care quality by providing doctor of optometry a platform to build quality clinical care to ensure patients are diagnosed and treated based on scientific research,” according to a news release.
