CONTACT LENSES TODAY

May 29, 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.


AOA Backs Vision Legislation
The American Optometric Association (AOA) is supporting H.R. 2238, the bipartisan legislation that would provide grants to states, giving states the necessary funds to administer comprehensive eye examinations to identify and treat vision impairments affecting U.S. school age children. “A commitment to vision exams for children would more than pay for itself by reducing long-term medical expenditures for undiagnosed problems,” said Wes Pittman, O.D., AOA president. “You also avoid increased social costs by improving children’s ability to learn and achieve a greater degree of educational and economic success.”

FDA Clears Sport-Tinted Contact Lens
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared for market distribution the Nike MAXSIGHT (polymacon) Sport-Tinted Contact Lens by Bausch & Lomb. According to the company, the lens uses patented Light Architecture optics to selectively filter specific wavelengths of light within the visible spectrum to enhance key visual elements such as a ball or background while reducing distracting sun glare during various outdoor sporting activities. Bausch & Lomb claims the technology enables the wearer to see a ball or selected objects with greater clarity than with the naked eye. Bausch & Lomb will manufacture the lens and market it to eye care professionals, and Nike, Inc. will be responsible for consumer marketing activities. Bausch & Lomb plans to introduce the Nike MAXSIGHT sport-tinted contact lens to eye care professionals at the American Optometric Association annual meeting in Dallas in June. The lens is scheduled for launch in the U.S. and Europe in late summer in two tints: gray-green, designed for sports played in bright sunlight such as golf, football, running and rugby; and amber, designed for fast-moving ball sports played in variable light such as soccer, tennis, baseball and softball.

Equity Firm Invests in Con-Cise
Riordan, Lewis & Haden, a Southern California private equity firm, has announced an equity investment in Con-Cise Contact Lens Co., a soft contact lens distributor and manufacturer of rigid gas permeable contact lenses based in San Leandro, CA. “We are looking forward to working with Carl Moore and the management team at Con-Cise,” said Rob Zielinski, principal at Riordan, Lewis & Haden. “Carl, Lynda Baker and the other partners have built a world-class organization; we hope to assist them in furthering the growth of the business.” Carl Moore, president & CEO of Con-Cise, commented, “I’m very excited to partner with RLH. The additional resources, experience and expertise RLH provides will support the company’s plans to expand our presence in the marketplace.”

Approvable Letter for Wet AMD Drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an approvable letter for Alcon, Inc.’s New Drug Application (NDA) for Retaane 15 mg (anecortave acetate suspension). Retaane suspension is an investigational treatment for preserving the vision of patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Alcon said it will meet with the FDA to discuss the approvable letter, the clinical studies submitted with the NDA and other ongoing clinical studies for Retaane suspension to determine the steps necessary to gain final approval for the wet AMD indication.

Dk/t – How Much Oxygen is Really Enough? Today, there is much being said about Dk/t and much debate about whether or not more oxygen really is better. You may be surprised to learn that all available silicone hydrogel contact lenses provide essentially the same levels of oxygen to the cornea. ACUVUE ADVANCE Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR, for example, have a Dk/t level of 86 and provide 97% of all the oxygen that would be available if you weren’t wearing lenses at all. By doubling this Dk/t number, the cornea only receives an additional 2% of oxygen.
http://www.ecp.acuvue.com

--ADVERTISING

VCA Partners with RIF
Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF) and the Vision Council of America (VCA) are partnering to educate parents and teachers about the important link between healthy vision and learning. “By working with RIF, we can reach millions of Americans about the importance of eye exams for school age children,” said Bill Thomas, VCA CEO and executive vice president. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only one in three children receive a vision screening or an eye exam before entering kindergarten.

Ads Focus on Low Vision
The Check Yearly. See Clearly. campaign launched a low vision print public service announcement (PSA), developed to increase consumer awareness of low vision services and devices. Aimed at caregivers and family members of those with low vision, the PSA encourages them to seek the advice of an eyecare professional on options for living with low vision. The PSA directs consumers to a toll-free low vision hotline (1-800-455-8006) and to the low vision section of the Check Yearly Web site http://www.checkyearly.com/lowvision

Vision Care Institute to Open In Brazil
The Vision Care Institute of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc. will launch an international facility in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Like the North America facility, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, The Vision Care Institute in Brazil will be an educational resource to assist practicing eyecare practitioners in the growth and development of their practice and contact lens fitting skills. Until the facility opens in 2006, The Vision Care Institute/Brazil is offering courses at four locations throughout Sao Paulo. Since its launch in March 2004, The Vision Care Institute in the USA has hosted over 1,000 students from all 19 of the schools and colleges of optometry throughout North America. According to Institute Senior Director Howard B. Purcell, O.D., F.A.A.O., this year more than 1,000 of the approximate 1,200 optometric graduates are expected to attend the program.

Abstract: An Effective Option for Ocular Surface Disease Management
Researchers studied 875 eyes of 538 patients who were fitted with the fluid-ventilated, gas-permeable scleral lens during the past 18 years to examine the diagnostic indications and merits of the lens for improving vision impaired by irregular astigmatism and for providing a therapeutic environment for managing severe ocular surface disease. Most patients were fit in the past four years with the Boston Scleral Lens. Indications included managing severe ocular surface disease and rehabilitating vision impaired by irregular astigmatism associated with corneal disorders. Rigid gas-permeable contact lenses either were not tolerated or were contraindicated in all eyes. Outcomes included improved vision and reduced ocular pain and photophobia associated with severe ocular surface disease. Researchers concluded that the lens is an effective option for severe ocular surface disease management and corneal disorders that would otherwise require penetrating keratoplasty.
Rosenthal P, Croteau A. Fluid-ventilated, gas-permeable scleral contact lens is an effective option for managing severe ocular surface disease and many corneal disorders that would otherwise require penetrating keratoplasty. Eye Contact Lens 2005 May;31(3):130-134.


Editor's Commentary: Striking a Balance
We had a workshop last night for our students to learn bifocal contact lens fitting and talked about the balance between distance and near vision. (Don't say compromise even though life is full of them.) Earlier in the day I’d spoken with an industry leader who discussed the balance that manufacturers try to obtain and maintain in material properties (oxygen permeability, surface biocompatibility, modulus and thickness, lens design, the list goes on). Often my colleagues compliment me on my balance in my life, yet those closest to me talk to me about how I work too much. Balancing patients' vision and lifestyle needs, which are manifold in our world today, is a challenge with specialty contact lenses. But we are performing this balancing act better than ever. 
Fitting Tip: Wearing Schedule Education
Many contact lens wearers were never properly trained or given appropriate instruction on wearing schedules, “do’s and don’ts” and cleaning procedures – I make sure all these areas are covered when fitting a new patient. I also observe how my patients handle/insert their contact lenses, even if they are a long-timer wearer, and give them handling tips if necessary.
--Wendy Russo
Coquilam, B.C.

The Global Orthokeratology Symposium (GOS) is Approaching Fast
(July 28 to 31, 2005 in Chicago, Ill. -- for the first time in the U.S.A.)
Learn how to manage and market your overnight orthokeratology practice. Register by June 30, 2005 to save $65 off the full symposium price. For more information, go to http:// www.gos2005.com


 

This month at http://www.siliconehydrogels.org, review techniques for measuring the cornea’s oxygen needs and re-examine the Holden-Mertz criterion for ensuring that a contact lens is able to meet those needs, read about the use of impression cytology to assess ocular surface health after continuous wear, and explore the use of silicone hydrogels as part of a high-Dk piggyback lens system paired with intrastromal ring inserts for the management of keratoconus.
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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