CONTACT LENSES TODAY
July 8, 2007
Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This week CLToday® reaches more than 12,000 readers in 74 countries.
AMO Confirms Proposal to Acquire B&L
Advanced Medical Optics has confirmed it has submitted a proposal to acquire Bausch & Lomb (B&L) for $75 per share in cash and AMO stock. AMO has been designated as a party with which
B&L can continue to negotiate, despite the end of the "go shop" period. Under the terms of the proposal, each B&L share would be exchanged for $45 in cash and a fixed number of shares of AMO common stock, with a
value of $30 at the time of signing a definitive agreement. B&L says the Proposal is subject to termination of its previously announced merger agreement with Warburg Pincus affiliates and the execution of a definitive
merger agreement with AMO.
AMO says it has conducted a thorough review of the potential antitrust issues in connection with the proposed transaction, and it is confident it will be able to
address these issues in a timely manner. The company expects to continue its due diligence and notes that there can be no assurance that the proposal will result in any transaction. AMO does not anticipate providing
additional information about the proposed transaction unless and until it deems further public comment to be required.
"We look forward to working with [B&L] to reach a definitive agreement as
soon as possible and believe our bid represents a strategically and financially superior proposal to B&L's existing merger agreement," said AMO Chairman, President and CEO Jim Mazzo. “B&L has played an historic role
in our industry and we have enormous respect for its proud heritage and skilled employees. Together, I believe we have a unique opportunity to create a company that is capable of changing the face of our industry and
will bring benefits to our patients, customers, employees and shareholders."
B&L Names New President
B&L has named Robert J. Moore corporate vice president and president - U.S. vision care. Mr. Moore has had management responsibility for the United States contact lens, lens care and OTC
eye care businesses since 2004 and was named to B&L’s Corporate Strategy Board in January 2007. He has an M.B.A. in Marketing from Harvard University and a B.S. degree in Finance from Pennsylvania State
University.
Vision Disorders Cost Employers $8 Billion Annually
According to a new report from the Vision Council of America (VCA), vision disorders cost businesses an estimated $8 billion annually. The “Vision in Business” examines the prevalence and
cost of vision problems, as well as the role of preventive vision care in improving the productivity and efficiency of the American workplace. VCA conducted a state-by-state analysis of the economic burden associated
with vision disorders. It found the annual financial burden of vision disorders exceeds $1 billion in 17 and $500 million in another 15 states It also found that California ($5.5 billion), Florida ($3.9 billion), New
York ($3.6 billion), Texas ($3.1 billion), Pennsylvania ($2.7 billion), Illinois ($2.2 billion), Ohio ($2.1 billion), Michigan ($1.8 billion), New Jersey ($1.6 billion) and North Carolina ($1.4 billion) represent the
largest cost burden.
VCA encourages both employers and employees to take steps to ensure healthy vision and provides helpful hints for each. For a copy of the full report, please click
http://www.visionsite.org.
Increased Comfort Delivers Lasting Patient Satisfaction
Nothing drives referrals like satisfied patients. And nothing satisfies patients like the comfort and minimal corneal staining that can be provided by ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand
Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™ Plus. In a recent clinical study, new wearers exhibited no significant difference in corneal staining and reported no significant difference in overall comfort between
ACUVUE® OASYS™ and no lens. And in an in-market trial, 89% of patients fit with ACUVUE® OASYS™ would recommend their doctors based on their experience. How will you satisfy your patients and
build your practice with ACUVUE® OASYS™?
More About ACUVUE® OASYS®
Important Safety
Information
--ADVERTISING
Global al Keratoconus Congress 2008
Contact Lens Spectrum and the LWW Health Care Conference Group will host the second Global Keratoconus Congress (GKC), January 25-27, 2008, at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Las
Vegas, NV. As with the 2007 meeting, the 2008 congress will include information for vision care professionals in all disciplines, with both surgical and non-surgical treatment options. GKC 2008 will also feature
15 new speakers providing hands-on workshops, strategies for irregular astigmatism and expert insights into fitting after surgery and corneal trauma. More than 500 participants attended the 2007 meeting, which was
accredited for continuing education under COPE, NCLE and JCAHPO and offered 17.5 credit hours. Those interested in attending the 2008 Global Keratoconus Congress can visit
http://www.GKCongress.com for more information or to register for this unique meeting. Companies interested in exhibiting should contact Heather Seasholtz at
215-643-8073.
Additionally, the Educational Program Committee of the Global Keratoconus Congress invites the submission of abstracts for the Free Papers and Scientific Posters
Competitionion to be held January 25-27, 2008 in Las Vegas. Papers and Posters related to keratoconus, corneal topography, post penetrating keratoplasty or related irregular corneal surface, gas permeable
lens and lens care topics are welcome. Please visit
http://www.GKCongress.com for information.
--ADVERTISINGING
Correction
In last week’s CLToday abstract (CL Solution and AK), part of the list of authors was omitted. The full reference is as follows: Joslin CE, Tu EY, Shoff ME, Boon GC, Fuerst PA,
McMahon TT, Anderson RJ, Dworkin MS, Sugar J, Davis FG, Stayner LT. The Association of Contact Lens Solution Use and Acanthamoeba Keratitis. Am J Ophthalmol. Jun 21 2007.
CLToday regrets the error.
Abstract:
Determination of Fasting Glucose with Mass Spectrometry
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Chemistry recently conducted a study to examine the concentration of glucose in tears and its relationship to blood
concentration. They used liquid chromatography (LC) with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to determine glucose in 1muL tear fluid samples obtained from 25 fasting study participants. They
collected tear fluid with microcapillaries and a slitlamp microscope.
They found median fasting tear glucose concentrations to be 28mumol/L or 0.50mg/dL. The SD of tear glucose
measurements for individuals varied linearly with the mean tear glucose concentration and was approximately half of the mean. They found no significant difference in tear glucose concentrations between
contact lens users and nonusers and observed significant correlations between fasting blood- and tear glucose concentrations.
They conclude that the tear fluid collection and analysis
method used enables reliable measurement of equilibrium, fasting tear glucose concentrations. They note that these concentrations are lower than those previously reported for nondiabetic persons and suggest
larger population studies are required to determine correlations between blood- and tear glucose concentrations and to determine the utility of contact lens-based sensors for monitoring diabetes. Finally, the
investigators note that their methods are applicable for study of other tear fluid analyses and may prove useful for monitoring other disease states.
Baca JT, Taormina CR, Feingold E, Finegold DN, Grabowski JJ, Asher SA. Mass spectral determination of fasting tear glucose concentrations in nondiabetic volunteers. Clin Chem. 2007 Jul;53(7):1370-2. Epub
2007 May 10.
Editor's Commentary:
Patient Follow-Up via Skybus
Yesterday between examining patients with interns, I was talking with Dr. Jeff Schafer, OSU’s contact lens chief. He was telling me about a patient who needed to be refitted into a
different GP multifocal lens design. When he mentioned that he'd need to see her for a follow-up visit, she told him that she was now living in Boston. But then she remembered that she could get $10 tickets on
Skybus, one-way from Boston to Columbus and back to Boston. So she did.
I wonder if current and future low cost travel will change how far our patients will be willing to travel for care
they perceive as high quality. Dr. Schafer has a number of patients from West Virginia who travel three plus hours to see him. One of my long-term patients lives in China most of the year. We're interested in
hearing from you about examples of how far patients have traveled for your care.
Fitting Tip:
Monovision and Trial Lenses or Flippers
Maybe it's just me, but I like to know how much monovision (imbalance) or
modified monovision a patient is wearing. So if an adapted monovision patient
comes back for a follow-up or annual examination, I don't just want a
distance eye "flipper" or trial lens distance over-refraction. I need to know
how much minus over the near lens it takes to clear-up the distance in that
eye. It's also good to see whether the patient wants to accept more plus at
near in the near eye (probably) and still get good distance VA, and to
determine acceptance with +0.25D over both eyes at distance and near.
The Editor.
This month at http://www.siliconehydrogels.org learn about the reduction in adverse events with silicone hydrogel lenses, review the recent research into silicone
hydrogels (SiH) presented at the American Academy of Optometry relating to tear-film and corneal staining changes, and read the latest case study and poster presentations into the use of silicone hydrogel
lenses.
Report adverse contact lens reactions here: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/ or call (800) FDA-1088.
Send
your favorite tips to tips@cltoday.com -- if your tip is selected as 'Best of the Month,' you'll receive a free
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