In a presentation at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), researchers described the use of vitamin E to develop contact lenses that may deliver more medication for glaucoma and perhaps other ocular diseases.
     Anuj Chauhan, PhD, with the University of Florida in Gainesville, headed the research team. The team developed a new extended-release delivery approach incorporating vitamin E into contact lenses. The invisible clusters, or aggregates, of vitamin E molecules form what Chauhan describes as "transport barriers" that slow down the elusion of the glaucoma medication from the lens into the eye. The drug released from the lens into the eye stays in the tears far longer than the 2-5 minutes with eye drops, leading to more effective therapy, according to the researchers.
     "These vitamin structures are like 'nano-bricks'," Chauhan said. "The drug molecules can't go through the vitamin E. They must go around it. Because the nano-bricks are so much bigger than the drug molecules, we believe about a few hundred times bigger, the molecules get diverted and must travel a longer path. This increases the duration of the drug release from the lenses."
      In research with laboratory animals, the lenses containing vitamin E nano-bricks administered drugs up to 100 times longer than most commercial lenses. The lenses could be designed for continuous wear for up to a month, per Chauhan. In addition to treating glaucoma, the contacts could help other eye conditions, such as cataract and dry eye.
     Chauhan said that clinical trials of the new lenses could begin within a year to 2 years.

Alcon announced that it received regulatory approval and finalized the acquisition of the rights in the United States for Durezol emulsion and the global rights, excluding Latin America, for Zyclorin from Sirion Therapeutics, Inc. Alcon will immediately assume all marketing, promotion and sales of Durezol. Company management said that it is continuing to evaluate options to acquire Zirgan, an antiviral recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of acute herpetic keratitis (corneal ulcers).
     Durezol emulsion, a topical ophthalmic corticosteroid used to treat postoperative inflammation and pain associated with ocular surgery, received approval from the FDA in 2008. Currently under clinical investigation to treat dry eye and other ocular surface diseases, Zyclorin is a topical ophthalmic immunomodulator and immunosuppressive agent.

1·DAY ACUVUE® MOIST® Brand Contact Lenses provide your patients comfort with every blink. They are the only daily disposable contact lenses that feature patented LACREON™ Technology, which permanently embeds a hydrophilic wetting agent into the lens material. This allows your patients to comfortably wear contact lenses longer throughout the day compared with DAILIES® AquaComfort PLUS™¹ - which in turn leads to exceptional patient satisfaction.
Additional Information  

1. Data on file. Johnson & Johnson, 2008.
     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.
     ACUVUE®, 1·DAY ACUVUE® MOIST®, LACREON™, and VISTAKON® are trademarks of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
     Other brand names/product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
© Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. 2010.
--ADVERTISING

Rhonda Robinson, OD will be appearing on the Martha Stewart Show on Tuesday, April 13 (airs on NBC) to discuss the emergence of presbyopia as a condition affecting an increasing number of patients. Dr. Robinson will also provide insights into the new generation of presbyopes, and discuss how Bausch + Lomb's Multi-Focal contact lenses offer a solution for today's presbyopic patients, particularly those who wish to remain in contact lenses or seek an alternative to reading glasses.
     Dr. Robinson, who currently works in a private group practice, is the founding president of Women of Vision, a mentoring/networking organization she began in 2004 with nine other women optometrists.

A new report released by the American Optometric Association (AOA) identifies new insights into the vision and eye health of infants across the U.S. The findings from last year's InfantSEE Weeks pilot program, a year-long, federally-funded public health initiative, revealed a higher-than-expected number of infants with undiagnosed and untreated vision and eye health problems.
     During the 2009 InfantSEE Weeks, more than 1,000 comprehensive eye and vision assessments were conducted in eight states. Data from the assessments showed that one-in-six infants exhibited an overall cause for concern requiring follow-up care from an eye care professional.
     The data also revealed one-in-four premature or minority infants displayed higher rates of cause for concern than other infants assessed during the pilot project. Additionally, one-in-four infants had a cause for concern in households with annual incomes below $25,000, and one-in-three infants had a cause for concern in households with incomes less than $15,000.
     Many eye and vision conditions diagnosed during the 2009 InfantSEE Weeks were those for which early treatment is both very effective and critical for normal development, including hyperopia, myopia, amblyopia and strabismus. In addition, two infants assessed were diagnosed with retinoblastoma - the seventh most common pediatric cancer.

The study was conducted to assess the central corneal thickness (CCT) of the healthy cornea with a recently developed non-contact specular microscope (EM-3000; Tomey) and compare the results with those measured with a contact specular microscope and an ultrasound pachymeter. Agreement between measurements taken by two investigators was also studied.
     The right eyes of 41 healthy individuals who had negative history of contact lens wear, ophthalmic disease, or ocular surgery were examined. The CCT was determined sequentially with a non-contact specular microscope, a contact specular microscope (EM-1000; Tomey), and an ultrasound pachymeter (AL-2000; Tomey). Each evaluation with the specular microscopes was performed by two independent operators.
     A significant difference was detected in pachymetry measurements among the three instruments (p=0.01; analysis of variance). The mean CCT values were lower measured with the ultrasound pachymeter (537+/-30 microm) than the contact endothelial microscope (543+/-37 microm, p=0.17, Student t-test) and the non-contact microscope (549+/-33 microm, p<0.0001) (operator 1). There was no statistically significant difference in CCT measurements between the two endothelial microscopes (p=0.19). We found significant correlations (p<0.0001) in thickness measurements between each pair of instruments (r=0.91, non-contact microscopy and ultrasound pachymetry; r=0.74, non-contact and contact microscopy; r=0.72, contact microscopy and ultrasound pachymetry; Spearman rank correlation).
     The researchers concluded that the strong correlations among the three pachymetry devices suggest that the tested instruments provide reliable measurements; however, they cannot be used interchangeably.
Modis Jr L, Szalai E, Nemeth G, Berta A. Evaluation of a recently developed noncontact specular microscope in comparison with conventional pachymetry devices. Eur J Ophthalmol 2010.

Last week, we printed a Contact Lenses Today Tip of the Month from a practitioner who relayed a story about a patient who had a hydrogen peroxide-based care solution confiscated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Since printing that Tip, we have had numerous other practitioners write to us sharing similar stories their patients have experienced, particularly with hydrogen peroxide-based solutions. It appears as though there still may be significant confusion regarding the rules about contact lens care solutions and air travel (particularly within the local ranks of the TSA).
     Thus, we verified the rules regarding care solutions with the TSA. Here are the rules you need to know:
1. Contact lens care solutions are allowable by the TSA as they are used for medical or cosmetic reasons (e.g., eye drops, saline, etc).
2. If the care solution is larger than 3.4 ounces in size (or is not in a contained, zip-top plastic bag), it must be declared to a TSA agent by your patient. However, it can still be brought on board as a carry on, even if it is larger than 3.4 ounces in size, as long as it is declared.
3. These rules apply to all contact lens care solutions, regardless of composition (including hydrogen peroxide-based care solutions).
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.