Online registration is now open for the 13th International Cornea & Contact Lens Congress (ICCLC) which will be held from October 9-11, 2010 in Sydney, Australia.
     The packed three-day program will include internationally acclaimed speakers from around the world. Cutting edge research into materials, corneal physiology, comfort and contact lens technology will be presented (some for the first time worldwide). The "From the Gurus" sessions will help interested practitioners refine their advanced contact lens fitting skills, and there will be a dedicated section on Myopia Control. Tips for fitting kids with contacts and successful presbyopic fitting will also be covered in depth, along with business skills for building a successful contact lens practice.
     A limited number of rooms are available at a heavily discounted rate for those who book early, and some Congress sessions have limited availability. The discounted Early Bird Registration closes July 31.     
     For more information or to register, visit www.cclsa.org.au. 

EyeGate Pharma, a company focused on non-invasive ocular drug delivery, recently announced that they have established a research collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to evaluate the delivery of several GSK therapies to the anterior and posterior tissues of the eye using the EyeGate II delivery system. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
     To address the need for improved ocular drug delivery, EyeGate Pharma has developed a novel, non-invasive device that uses low-level electrical current to deliver drug substances to targeted areas of the eye. EyeGate is the first company to conduct multiple controlled clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of iontophoresis technology to deliver therapeutics into the eye, according to the company. EyeGate has successfully completed two Phase II studies of EGP-437, a corticosteroid solution administered by the EyeGate II delivery system: one in dry eye syndrome patients and one in anterior uveitis patients.
     The EyeGate II Delivery System works through iontophoresis, which occurs when an applied electric field enhances the mobility of molecules through cells and tissues primarily through electrochemical repulsion. These principles can be applied to anionic and cationic molecules. To deliver a therapeutic to both the anterior and posterior tissues of the eye, the drug must be specially adapted and formulated for iontophoretic delivery. EyeGate has concentrated its efforts on optimizing its delivery system to administer a wide range of therapeutics while developing a highly specialized laboratory dedicated to formulating drugs for iontophoretic delivery.
     For more information, visit www.eyegatepharma.com.

Presbyopia often signals the end of contact lens wear, even for committed wearers. But now with ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand Contact Lenses for PRESBYOPIA, you can satisfy the comfort and vision needs of your presbyopic patients. The unique optics of STEREO PRECISION TECHNOLOGY™ leverage the eye's natural depth of clear focus for balanced vision at all distances, with less dependence on illumination. And the STEREO PRECISION SELECT™ Tool removes the guesswork of fitting, allowing for a 74% fit success rate in two visits or less.¹ With ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand for PRESBYOPIA, you're expanding the solid foundation of patient commitment and satisfaction provided by all ACUVUE® OASYS™ contact lenses - supporting continued practice retention and growth.
Click here for more 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®, ACUVUE® OASYS™, STEREO PRECISION TECHNOLOGY™, STEREO PRECISION SELECT™, and VISTAKON® are trademarks of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
© Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. 2010.
--ADVERTISING

VSP Vision Care announced the launch of VSP Eye on Diabetes, a campaign in five states focused on increasing awareness and understanding of the connection between eye care and a person's general health. The campaign will also highlight the important role eye doctors play in the detection and treatment of diabetes. The campaign launches May 21 in Little Rock, AR continuing to Topeka, KS; Austin, TX; Denver, CO and Indianapolis, IN.
     The campaign includes an online video with Emmy award winner Bill Nye, the Science Guy, and certified diabetes educator, Roger Phelps, OD, exploring the link between comprehensive eye exams and serious diseases including diabetes to be released this summer at www.facebook.com/VSPVisionCare. Additionally, VSP has partnered with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to create a wealth of diabetes information which is available on the VSP Diabetes Discovery Center, www.vsp.com/discovery, and the "Ask the Eye Doctor" section on the ADA web site, where consumers can post questions to Dr. Phelps related to eye health and diabetes.
     A free COPE approved CE course will be offered in each city. Leading the courses are nationally-recognized speakers in the areas of diabetes, ocular disease and systemic disease, Jeffry Gerson, OD, and A. Paul Chous, OD.
     In addition, the VSP Mobile Eyes program, in partnership with the ADA, the respective state optometric associations and local VSP network doctors, will provide free comprehensive eye exams, eyewear and diabetes screenings to low income, uninsured and underinsured families during a scheduled day of outreach in each of the cities.

Vista Optics Ltd., a polymer company based in Cheshire, England, has been acquired by mark'ennovy Personalised Care SL, a large European specialty contact lens manufacturer. The relationship started when mark'ennovy decided to source polymers especially developed for its Saphir line of high water content silicone hydrogel contact lenses some three years ago. Vista Optics is a major supplier of polymers to the medical device industry, particularly for intraocular lenses and contact lenses.
     George Nabil Sarrouf, Chairman and CEO of mark'ennovy, commented that his company's respect for the research and development strengths of Vista Optics had attracted his Board to the idea of acquisition. Sarrouf observed, "We saw a real opportunity to bring a reputable and financially robust material sciences company into our group when Vista's owner and founder, David Walker, expressed his wish to seek an exit." David Walker (who founded Vista in 1979) has now joined the board of Dealtforce Ltd, the holding company of mark'ennovy and Andy Chryssolor and Don Grocott, long-standing directors of Vista Optics, will continue to work with the company.

This research study compared the visual outcomes and adverse events of contact lens with primary intraocular lens (IOL) correction of monocular aphakia during infancy.
     In a randomized, multicenter (12 sites) clinical trial, 114 infants with a unilateral congenital cataract were assigned to undergo cataract surgery between 1 to 6 months of age either with or without primary IOL implantation. Contact lenses were used to correct aphakia in patients who did not receive IOLs. Grating visual acuity was tested at 1 year of age by a masked traveling examiner.
     The median logMAR visual acuity was not significantly different between the treated eyes in the two groups (contact lens group, 0.80; IOL group, 0.97; P = .19). More patients in the IOL group underwent one or more additional intraocular operations than patients in the contact lens group (63% vs. 12%; P < .001). Most of these additional operations were performed to clear lens reproliferation and pupillary membranes from the visual axis.
     The researchers concluded that there was no statistically significant difference in grating visual acuity at age 1 year between the IOL and contact lens groups; however, additional intraocular operations were performed more frequently in the IOL group. Until longer-term follow-up data are available, caution should be exercised when performing IOL implantation in children aged 6 months or younger given the higher incidence of adverse events and the absence of an improved short-term visual outcome compared with contact lens use.
The Infant Aphakia Treatment Study Group. A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Contact Lens With Intraocular Lens Correction of Monocular Aphakia During Infancy: Grating Acuity and Adverse Events at Age 1 Year. Arch Ophthalmol 2010.

I routinely use nutritional support for dry eye patients who want to wear contacts (and pre-surgical as well). And it's not just Omega-3 but a combination of nutritional co-factors that address all layers of the tear film as well as the corneal surface. My patients prefer the "natural" approach and are much more open to using supplements rather than drugs. (It may be my Southern CA demographic.) We are starting to realize that chronic eye disease has links to many other chronic general diseases, and the tear film is no exception.
Jeffrey Anshel, OD, FAAO
Carlsbad, CA
President, Ocular Nutrition Society

Yes, issues concerning all-day comfortable lens wear still exist. However, my experience has been that patients wear contacts because they do not want to wear glasses. They do not want to be seen as "different." Asking such a patient to draw attention to him or herself by the applying pharmaceutical eye drops to enhance contact lens wearing time and comfort, in my mind, is a non-starter scenario. In my opinion, the industry should continue efforts to create advancements in lens chemistry, so the comfort factor is more built into the device.
Cosmo Salibello, OD, FAAO
Wood Village, OR

Any patient considering contact lenses or using them already should have a "dry eye workup." It must be determined, in the patient not yet wearing lenses, if they have an evaporative or tear volume etiology. In the existing contact lens wearer, are the lenses moving well? Does the patient have a clear white eye, or are the lenses shearing the pre-corneal tear film? We know very well that the lens bisects the tear layer and that it must be adequate to have a successful contact lens/eye relationship.
     Once the type of dry eye is determined there are, in addition to numerous OTC products which should only be preservative free, two prescription medications available. The proper use of these products along with prescribing the appropriate lens and PF lubricants during lens wear should significantly reduce the number of contact lens dropouts due to symptoms of dry eye. And most importantly, the doctor should determine whether symptoms are related to a really dry eye, a lens that dries, or both.
Charles D. Allen, OD, FAAO
Princeton, NJ

This week's abstract summarizes one of the initial findings of the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study - a NIH/NEI funded clinical trial aimed at comparing contact lenses and intraocular lenses for infant aphakia. This issue has been brewing for many years, and these initial findings provide solid evidence for clinical decision making. I encourage you to read the full report when it becomes available.
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.