CONTACT LENSES TODAY

June 1, 2003

Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This week CLToday® reaches 9,819 readers in 74 countries.

New Legislation May Amend 'Cosmetic Device' Label for Cosmetic CLs
Several weeks ago, the FDA began to regulate plano decorative contact lenses as cosmetics, claiming that the current FDA law doesn't allow for continued regulation as a medical device. In response to this decision, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif) and Rep. John Boozman, O.D., (R-Ark) introduced a bill (HR 2218) last week that amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act so that it recognizes and regulates both corrective and noncorrective contact lenses as medical devices, regardless of their intended use. In response to this news, The American Optometric Association and the American Academy of Ophthalmology released statements applauding the introduction of HR 2218.

Arkansas and New Mexico Legislate New CL Rx Release
New Mexico and Arkansas recently passed new legislation requiring retailers to obtain positive proof that patients have valid prescriptions before selling them contact lenses.
Kentucky signed similar legislation into law on March 6.

Panel OK's First Accommodative IOL
The FDA Ophthalmic Devices Panel recently voted unanimously to give the first "approvable" recommendation to an accommodative IOL -- C&C Vision's CrystaLens. The lens (made of a third-generation silicone), implanted in adults following cataract removal, improves near, intermediate and far vision for patients who want to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses. Because the exact amount of accommodation the CrystaLens creates through the contraction of the ciliary muscle is impossible to measure accurately, the Panel recommends labeling the lens as providing 1.00D of accommodation. Pending final FDA approval, the lens should enter the U.S. marketplace by the end of this year.

Opti-Free Express Lasting Comfort No Rub Multi-purpose Disinfecting Solution achieved the highest loyalty rate among multi-purpose solutions buyers with 73% of their total ounce purchases awarded to Opti-Free Express Lasting Comfort No Rub Formula. The brand loyalty rate for Opti-Free Express was 10% higher than for ReNu and 12% than for Complete.* http://www.norub.com.
*Data Source: ACNielsen Household panel data 52 weeks ending November 23, 2002.
--ADVERTISING

Scotlens Offers New CL Design Software
European contact lens manufacturer Scotlens, based in Linlithgow, Scotland, has launched software that allows practitioners to design both rigid and soft contact lenses. Supplied by Scotlens at no cost, the software includes three sections:
1. An electronic order pad
2. A quick design and order section. You only need the K and prescription to generate either a spherical, toric or bitoric lens design and then you can assess the fit electronically.
3. A full design version that allows you to go deeper into the lens design and fitting.
For more information, e-mail lab@scotlens.demon.co.uk.

B&L Introduces New Solution for GP Lenses
Bausch & Lomb recently received clearance from the FDA for its Boston SIMPLUS Multi-Action Solution for GP contact lenses. According to the company, its new solution is the first and only one-bottle daily lens care system that cleans, disinfects, removes protein (with hydroxyalkyphosphonate) and conditions GP contact lenses daily. B&L predicts that the Boston SIMPLUS lens solution will be available to doctors and their patients by July 2003.

Survey Reveals an Increase in Dispensing Annual CL Supply
A recent CIBA Vision e-mail survey of approximately 183 eyecare practitioners reports that 48% of respondents increased their dispensing of annual supplies of contact lenses in the past year. Forty-four percent of those who experienced an increase attribute it to increased patient compliance, 27% to increased patient convenience and 15% to increased practice revenue. Nine percent of the total respondents reported a decrease and most respondents (55%) reported that greater than 25% of their patients purchase an annual supply of lenses.

Abstract: OCT Measures Thickness of Tear Films
Investigators in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, found that optical coherence tomography (OCT) can noninvasively measure the thickness of the precorneal and prelens tear film as well as the postlens tear film. In a study of 40 subjects, the investigators measured central corneal thickness using OCT. They fit both eyes of each subject with Focus Night & Day and Acuvue lenses to measure pre- and postlens tear film thickness, used OCT in situ and in saline in a wet cell to measure central soft lens thickness, and measured the thickness of the central cornea plus the post lens tear film during lens wearing. They concluded that the thickness of the normal precorneal tear film is approximately three microns and becomes thicker after lens fitting. The postlens tear film is thicker than the precorneal and prelens tear films with soft contact lenses. The thickness of both pre- and postlens tear films appears to be independent of the investigated lens types.
Wang, J; Fonn, D; Simpson, TL; Jones, L. Precorneal and Pre- and Postlens Tear Film Thickness Measured Indirectly with Optical Coherence Tomography. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2003 Jun;44(6):2524-2528.

Editor's Commentary: Survey Predicts Increased Use of Specialty Lenses
In a recent Contact Lens Spectrum survey, we learned that 43% of practitioners expect to increase their use of daily disposable contact lenses in the next year, while only five percent expect a decrease. For continuous wear, the percentages were 46 and 13, and for bifocal/multifocal lenses 51 and 4 percent, and for toric lenses 53 and one percent for increased and decreased use, respectively. Seems these modalities will grow as we have been expecting. The survey of 400 readers is accurate within +/- 4.5 percent.

Fitting Tip: Lend Your Astigmats a Fingertip
While fitting toric soft lenses, I discovered a short cut to help patients see clearly without having them wait too long for the prism ballasted lenses to settle. In the slit lamp, look at the lens on the patient's eye and use your finger to move the patient's lower lid to rotate the lens, thus positioning the marking to sit correctly (usually at 6 o'clock).
--Vivian Yeung, O.D., Seattle, Wash.

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