Vistakon has named Arthur Shedden, MD, MBA, Medical Safety Officer, Professional Development, responsible for pre- and post-marketing product assessment from a medical safety perspective. He will continue overseeing Medical Affairs for Pharmaceutical Products reporting to Colleen Riley, OD, MS, FAAO, Dipl CL, Vice President of Professional Development.
     Dr. Shedden brings two decades of progressive experience in clinical research and pharmaceutical product development to the position. He joined Johnson and Johnson Vision Care in 2008 as Director, Medical Affairs, Vistakon Pharmaceuticals, overseeing Phase 4 clinical development for many of the company's pharmaceutical products. Before joining Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Dr. Shedden led teams in clinical development at Merck & Co., Inc. and in medical affairs at Pharmacia/Pfizer and Schering Plough. 
     Dr. Shedden received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh and fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami. He completed his MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pittsburgh. 
     "Art's breadth of clinical research experience will strengthen our safety surveillance through a strategy of enhanced active surveillance methods, more sophisticated safety data analytics and increased medical input on product safety," says Dr. Riley.

Bausch + Lomb (B+L) announced that Joseph Barr, OD, MS, FAAO, Vice President, Global Clinical & Medical Affairs and Professional Services, Vision Care, has received the distinguished 2010 Heart of America Contact Lens Society OD of the Year award. This award is presented to leaders in the profession for their numerous accomplishments, particularly in research and clinical studies. Dr. Barr is being honored for his years of valuable research and service to the industry.
      "The optometry community has greatly benefited from Dr. Barr's numerous contributions, and we remain grateful for his ongoing commitment to research in the field of contact lenses," said Larry Davis, OD, Director of Education and President Elect at Heart of America Contact Lens Society.
     Last year, Dr. Barr was also the recipient of The University of Houston College of Optometry Award for Distinguished Research on the Cornea and Contact Lenses. UHCO honors leaders who have made a career-long impact in the industry. Dr. Barr was chosen for his leadership role, his influence with colleagues and his more than 20-year editorship of Contact Lens Spectrum and Contact Lens Today.  
     Dr. Barr joined B+L in 2007. In 2008 he was named Vice President, Global Clinical & Medical Affairs and Professional Services, Vision Care. Prior to joining B + L, Dr. Barr served as Associate Dean for Professional Program and Clinical Services and EF Wildermuth Professor of Optometry at The Ohio State University College of Optometry.
     Dr. Barr received his doctor of optometry degree from The Ohio State University College of Optometry and completed a combined Advanced Practice Fellowship in cornea and contact lenses and a Master of Science in Physiological Optics. Dr. Barr was chairman of the American Academy of Optometry Cornea and Contact Lens Section and from 1987-2007. He is also a member of the International Society for Contact Lens Research, the International Association of Contact Lens Educators, the American Optometric Association, and the Association of Optometric Contact Lens Educators. 

Jan Wagner was recently named Vice President of Marketing for CIBA Vision's Americas Region. Prior to this, she held various Brand Marketing Director positions within the Novartis OTC division.
     Jan holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania and a MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of Rochester's Simon School of Business. Her experience prior to CIBA Vision, includes over 15 years in consumer goods marketing, account management, distribution and customer service within consumer products and transportation industries.
     CIBA Vision also announced that Eric Miller has been made Vice President of Communications and PR for the company's North America Region. Eric has more than 17 years of experience in corporate communications, public relations, media relations, crisis communication, brand building and reputation management.
     Eric joined CIBA Vision from UCB Pharma, where he was head of US and Canada Communications. Prior to that, he held various communication positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb, the American Cancer Society, GCI Group and CNN. Eric holds a BA in Broadcast Journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

Your practice thrives when your patients are healthy and happy-and ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR® Plus can help you fulfill this goal, by providing exceptional comfort, vision, and health. It's a fact: more than 9 out of 10 patients stay in ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand.¹ So when you fit your patients with ACUVUE® OASYS™, you're laying a solid foundation of patient commitment and satisfaction leading to practice growth.

$75 rebate for new wearers!
Good when patients get an eye exam and purchase 8 boxes of ACUVUE® OASYS™ (spherical product only). Visit www.jnjvisioncare.com/rebates.jsp for more details.

1. Data on file.
ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses are indicated for vision correction. As with any contact lens, eye problems, including corneal ulcers, can develop. Some wearers may experience mild irritation, itching or discomfort. Lenses should not be prescribed if patients have any 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®, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., by calling 1-800-843-2020 or by visiting jnjvisioncare.com.
HYDRACLEAR® Plus is our brand name for the next generation of our proprietary technology that allows us to use a higher volume of a moisture rich wetting agent in a state of the art formulation. This creates a more wettable, ultra smooth contact lens, especially for challenging environments that make eyes feel dry.
ACUVUE®, ACUVUE® OASYS™, HYDRACLEAR®, and VISTAKON® are trademarks of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
© Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. 2010.
--ADVERTISING

The Alcon Independent Director Committee (the Committee) of Alcon, Inc. announced that RiskMetrics Group, Inc., a global leader in risk management, corporate governance and financial research and analysis, has raised concerns about the adequacy of the merger proposal by Novartis AG to Alcon's minority shareholders and the legality of any attempt by Novartis to unilaterally impose a full takeover of Alcon.
     Thomas G. Plaskett, Chairman of the Committee, said, "RiskMetrics is the leading independent advisor to investors on proxy and governance matters and its findings support our conviction that the Novartis proposal is grossly inadequate and unfair to Alcon's minority shareholders. RiskMetrics is rightly concerned by Novartis' attempt to trample on the rights of Alcon's minority shareholders."
     The Committee also renewed its pledge to defend the rights of Alcon's minority shareholders through all appropriate and available actions.

Primary Eyecare Network (PEN) will present the fifth in its series of programs focused on Preserving Independent Optometry. PIO 2010 will focus on current opportunities in the industry that offer optometrists new options for practice expansion and growth. This year's program will take place at the Portola Hotel & Spa in Monterey, CA on March 26-28, 2010.
     PIO 2010 will present proven strategies and tactics that will improve the financial success of the optometric practice and at the same time enhance patient satisfaction. Presentation topics include: Growth Opportunities in the Expanded Scope of Optometry, High Powered Marketing and Merchandising, Best Practices in Contact and Spectacle Lens Management, Understanding Practice Profitability, and Hiring Associates in Order to Adopt the Medical Model.
     The seminar also includes breakout sessions which allow attendees to ask questions and discuss pertinent topics in an intimate, small-group setting.
     To register or request program information, please call PEN at 800-444-9230 or visit PEN's website at www.PrimaryEye.net.

SynergEyes, Inc., the high Dk hybrid contact lens manufacturer, has launched a new staff training program on www.FitSynergEyes.com, a website dedicated to practitioner and staff education and training. The new staff training section includes five modules: Overview of SynergEyes lenses; Talking to patients about hybrid lenses; Integrating hybrid technology into your practice; Training your patients to handle and care for hybrid lenses; and Working with patients with irregular corneas (keratoconus).
     FitSynergEyes.com is the first step to prescribing SynergEyes hybrid contact lenses and provides the practice with all of the information necessary to be successful with SynergEyes hybrid technology.
     "We realized that for a practice to be truly successful with SynergEyes lenses, it is important for the entire staff to have an understanding of the benefits of hybrid technology," says Kellie Kaseburg, Vice President Global Marketing. "Practice staff members are the first point of contact for patients and they need to be able to communicate those benefits to patients before they even reach the exam lane."

The article summarizes a variety of issues associated with contact lens case contamination and discusses appropriate methods that can limit this.
     A literature review was undertaken investigating the major factors associated with case contamination, with specific reference to the major pathogens associated with contamination, the role of bacterial biofilms, and methods that can limit contamination.
     The use of antimicrobial cases, regular case cleaning and case replacement, avoidance of topping up solutions, and not using tap water to rinse cases all appear to be important in avoidance of significant case contamination.
     The authors conclude that contact lens case contamination is a significant public health concern and may contribute significantly to the development of microbial keratitis in contact lens wearers. Patients should be reminded that they must clean and disinfect their lens cases daily, should avoid the use of tap water for rinsing them, must not top up their solutions, must take into careful consideration where and how the cases are stored during the time that lenses are being worn and that they must be replaced regularly. The adoption of these methods will substantially reduce the levels of contamination of cases with pathogenic microbes.
Hall BJ, Jones L. Contact Lens Cases: The Missing Link in Contact Lens Safety? Eye Contact Lens. 2010 Jan.  

With new contact lens materials and designs continually entering the market, I think it is important that we take a step back and consider what we believe to be the most important attributes of the optimal contact lens (both now and in the future). Undoubtedly, we all want contact lenses to be safe and efficacious, but have you considered other important attributes or desirable qualities? For example, what about lenses that might help monitor health conditions such as hypertension and diabetes? Lenses that display things like the weather or traffic patterns? Lenses that allow parents to keep track of their children? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this as often the most innovative ideas come directly from the field. Please send your thoughts to me at jnichols@optometry.osu.edu.
Jason J. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO 

This month at www.siliconehydrogels.org: a review of the potential uses, efficacy, safety and clinical performance of antimicrobial contact lens technology.