CONTACT LENSES TODAY

January 30, 2005

Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This week CLToday® reaches more than 10,000 readers in 74 countries.


Cooper Announces Future Plans
Since its acquisition of Ocular Sciences, Inc., CooperVision has recently made several announcements:
- The company intends to launch its UltraVue 2000Toric Multifocal contact lens this summer. The lens, which will address end-of-day comfort in presbyopic patients, will move into Proclear omafilcon A material.
- Also, a controlled rollout of the company's OcuClear aspheric lens, the new replacement brand for Hydrogenics 60, began in December 2004. OcuClear features an improved manufacturing process for better quality and customized carton labeling for each practitioner.
- Product line enhancements, including a daily disposable contact lens.
- Gregory A. Fryling, formerly chief operating officer of CooperVision, has been named president and chief operating officer of the company.

Pfizer to Acquire Angiosyn, Develop Ophthalmic Agent
Pfizer, Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire Angiosyn, Inc. The arrangement would allow Pfizer to further develop Angiosyn's novel angiostatic agent, the primary therapeutic indication of which is for ophthalmic diseases such as macular degeneration. Under the terms of the agreement, Angiosyn would be merged into a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer and Angiosyn's stockholders would receive an up-front payment and other compensation, which together would total up to $527 million, plus royalties on future sales. Both companies expect the merger to close in the first quarter of 2005.

Eye Care Professionals Embracing ACUVUE ADVANCE with HYDRACLEAR Report Rapid Practice Growth
Eyecare professionals that have quickly begun using ACUVUE ADVANCE Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR as their lens of choice report the new lens has fueled practice growth, improved referral and retention rates, and strengthened relationships with patients. In a survey of 150 ECPs who participated in a market test on ACUVUE ADVANCE with HYDRACLEAR, 86% agreed that the lens contributed to the growth of their contact lens business, with as many reporting that it increased new patient referrals (85%) and played a role in the growth of their overall practice (87%). The ECPs who proactively recommended ACUVUE ADVANCE to their patients saw their practices grow an average of 10 percent, compared to an average of only five percent among those who did not proactively recommend it.
Offering your patients the opportunity to experience all-day comfort with ACUVUE ADVANCE will help you strengthen these relationships while helping build your practice.
ACUVUE Brand Contact Lenses are indicated for vision correction. Eye problems including corneal ulcers, can develop. Some wearers may experience mild irritation, itching or discomfort. Lenses should not be prescribed if patients have an eye infection, or experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems. Consult the package insert for complete information. Complete information is also available from VISTAKON by calling 1-800-843-2020 or by visiting http://www.ecp.acuvue.com.
ACUVUE, ACUVUE ADVANCE, HYDRACLEAR and VISTAKON are trademarks of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. © JJVCI, 2005.

--ADVERTISING

Court Dismisses Allergan's Reclassification Lawsuit
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has ruled that the FDA's classification of Allergan's Restasis (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion 0.05%) as an antibiotic is supported by the FDA's Modernization Act of 1997 (FDAMA) and thus has dismissed Allergan's lawsuit seeking to reclassify Restasis as a non-antibiotic. In October 2003, Allergan filed the lawsuit to have the FDA reclassify Restasis and to obtain the certainty of three years of marketing exclusivity. The court's ruling should have a limited effect on Restasis or Restasis competition.

ChromaGen Available in United States
ChromaGen ophthalmic lenses and contact lenses, approved by the FDA in 2002 for the management of Academic Skills Disorder (ASD), an umbrella term that includes dyslexia, color deficiency, dyspraxia and other learning-related difficulties, became available to the U.S. market in September 2004. Both modalities use ChromaGen technology and eight color haploscopic filters. The contact lenses are available in plano or prescription in Benz 55% water material with a standard base curve of 8.60mm in 14.5 diameter. Single vision and toric lenses are available. Practitioners interested in the ChromaGen haploscopic filter system are required to attend a training seminar. To learn more, visit http://www.dyslexia-help.co.uk/.

CIBA Supports MDP, Begins O2Optix Ad Campaign
CIBA Vision has made a donation to the non-profit organization The Macular Degeneration Partnership (MDP), which is comprised of various individuals who work to provide up-to-the-minute information about age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to the public to support research and to coordinate advocacy efforts.
In other news, the company began a TV ad campaign on January 18, 2005 for its O2Optix silicone hydrogel lens. The stretch of 30-second commercials will appear on TV through the end of March 2005. CIBA plans to introduce a toric version of O2Optix later this year.

Abstract: GPs on Post-Refractive Surgery Eyes
A private practitioner in Texas conducted a retrospective review of the records of 67 eyes (37 patients) fit with contact lenses after having undergone different refractive surgeries. He evaluated the most successful lens design for each patient. Using the Tomey TMS-2 topographer, the researcher measured Klyce corneal statistics of surface regularity index and surface asymmetry index, mean keratometric values and optical zone diameter before and after lens wear. The cohort had a mean uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40, a mean best spectacle-corrected visual acuity of 20/26 and a mean visual acuity with contact lenses of 20/20. The mean visual acuity on lens removal was 20/24 and this lens molding effect lasted from several hours to several days. The researcher concluded that GP contact lenses can dramatically improve visual acuity and higher-order aberrations in the eyes of patients who have unsatisfactory refractive surgery outcomes. Contact lenses can also have a measurable therapeutic effect on vision when the lenses aren't being work or can't be worn full time.
Gemoules G. Therapeutic Effects of Contact Lenses After Refractive Surgery. Eye & Contact Lens 2005 Jan;31(1):12-22.


Editor's Commentary: Educate Patients About Lens Care Systems
With the latest contact lens technology that has been introduced in the past five or so years, matched with the proper contact lens care systems (which, by the way, you really need to keep up to date on), and you communicating with patients regarding care and compliance, it's hard to fail with today's contact lens systems. I really believe this even applies to specialty lenses.

Fitting Tip: Releasing CL Prescriptions
Having been accustomed to the New Jersey law in the past that requires contact lens prescription release after follow up, I give a spectacle prescription with the word "pending" across the blank spot on our form for contact lens prescriptions. I release the prescription after the follow-up visit. If someone wants a conventional lens, then I use a disposable trial for fitting that has a conventional equivalent. My only exception is with GP lenses. I don't have loaners to use for fit and loan until follow up. I try to convince patients then to order from us to avoid the cost of changing the prescription later, if any problems occur. I explain that I can order under a warranty from the lab that you can't get at discount places and that I have never seen mail-order outfits offer GPs. Most GP wearers know that and order from us. We also try to keep the cost of GP lenses down to avoid people walking with that script.
--Diane Fries, O.D.
Southeastern, Pa.


This month at http://www.siliconehydrogels.org, read about worldwide differences in silicone hydrogel fitting and wearing patterns, the effectiveness of eye drops when it comes to comfort with these lenses, and possible reasons for the shift in refractive error reported to occur with contact lens wear.

Report adverse contact lens reactions here: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/ or call (800) FDA-1088.

Access a reporting form for complications you've seen that were a result of contact lenses dispensed without a valid prescription at the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry's (ARBO's) Web site: http://www.arbo.org/arbo.asp?dt=R&doc=Complications. Complete and send the form online or print it out and fax it to (866) 886-6164.

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