The American Optometric Associations (AOA) most recent addition to its list of preferred providers is EyeCarePro.net. EyeCarePro.net is a great resource for optometric practices faced with the challenge of creating an aesthetically pleasing and functional website within a reasonable budget, offering a special discount for all AOA members.  
     "EyeCarePro.net's web services are in line with the AOA's vision for helping optometric practices embrace the Web," said Ron Hopping, OD, MPH, AOA Secretary-Treasurer. Most optometrists do not have the time or technical skills to build a strong practice site and the cost for a custom-built solution can be high. EyeCarePro.net developed the ECPro website Builder product to address these issues. The tools can be used by any practice staff regardless of technical skill and does not need to consume the optometrists time. 
     "The results are professional and attractive, but more importantly are highly functional, allowing patients to pre-fill forms, book appointments online, etc., therefore allowing the practice to run in a more streamlined fashion," said Daniel Rostenne, EyeCarePro.net Managing Director.
     According to the company, the ECPro Website Builder allows optometrists to create a practice website in about 30 minutes. Practitioners can choose their design, include more than 100 pages of prewritten content, take advantage of a wide selection of patient communication tools, and link to EyeCarePro.nets technology partners.
     For more information, and to sign up for a free trial, visit www.eyecarepro.net or call 866-886-4442.

Foresight Biotherapeutics announced that the first patient has been dosed in a viral conjunctivitis clinical trial. Foresight's proprietary lead compound, FST-100, will be tested in a placebo-controlled, masked, and randomized multicenter clinical study throughout the United States. The primary endpoint of the study is the resolution of clinical signs and symptoms of acute conjunctivitis. Secondary endpoints include a reduction in quantitative PCR (qPCR) viral titers, eradication of infectious virus determined by cell culture immunofluorescence assay (CC-IFA), and safety. The company anticipates enrolling up to 100 patients.
     This controlled clinical trial follows a successful pilot trial in which the safety and efficacy of FST-100 were demonstrated. In addition, the company recently completed and announced a successful preclinical study in a rabbit model of adenoviral conjunctivitis.
     Foresight Biotherapeutics is a drug development company focused on diseases of the eye and ear. The company's website is: www.foresightbiotherapeutics.com.

In an effort to keep attendees up to date on the latest show news, International Vision Expo has created a social media presence. International Vision Expo can now be found on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Already, International Vision Expo has over 600 fans on Facebook and 250 followers on Twitter. 
     "Social networking has become a part of everyday life," noted Tom Loughran, Event Director for Reed Exhibitions. "Connecting with attendees through these channels allows us to immediately get them information that can help enhance their show experience." Discounts and show specials will be posted on the social networking sites, as well as vodcasts and discussion topics. To access this information, users can search for "International Vision Expo" on each website. Two social networking classes will also be held at International Vision Expo West to help attendees untangle the new media network. The classes "Social Networking 101: What the Tweet is Facebook?" and "Cracking the Social Networking Code to Generate New Business" are for eye care professionals who are looking to get themselves and their practice up to speed with social networking.
     International Vision Expo West will be held October 1-3 this year at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. For more information about International Vision Expo West or to register, please visit www.visionexpowest.com.

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™¹which in turn leads to exceptional patient satisfaction.
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. 2009.
--ADVERTISING

The Contact Lens Spectrum calendar, which mailed with the November 2008 issue, highlights an interesting and challenging contact lens case each month. The August case report, Prosthetic Lenses Improve Cosmesis after Traumatic Injury, follows the case of a patient with a severe eye injury seeking to improve visual performance and the eyes appearance. To view the details of the case, visit www.clspectrum.com/photocalendar.asp?month=August.
     Visit the Contact Lens Spectrum case report page after the first of every month to review details and images from the latest case study. You can also view case studies from previous months in the archive at the bottom of the page.
--ADVERTISING

Allergan, Inc. announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Acuvail (ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solution) 0.45%, an advanced, preservative-free formulation of ketorolac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) indicated for the treatment of pain and inflammation following cataract surgery.
     Acuvail is formulated at pH 6.8, enabling deionized drug delivery on the corneal surface. Acuvail contains carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), a viscous molecule also found in Allergan's Refresh Brand Tears that enables the drug to adhere to the ocular surface and enhances patient comfort, according to the company. With Acuvail, patients benefit from the drugs comprehensive inhibition of the COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. Studies show that those enzymes should be blocked in order to inhibit the development of prostaglandins, which are considered to be the primary sources of pain and inflammation following cataract surgery. 
     "With its preservative-free formulation, optimized tolerability and twice-daily dosing convenience, we anticipate that Acuvail will be a valuable addition to the overall management of cataract surgery patients." said Scott Whitcup, MD, Allergan's Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer.
     Acuvail is expected to be available to physicians and patients in the United States in September 2009.

The Educational Program Committee of the Global Specialty Lens Symposium invites the submission of abstracts for the Free Paper Section to be held January 28-31, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Papers related to presbyopia, keratoconus, corneal topography, post penetrating keratoplasty or related irregular corneal surface, myopia control, ortho-k and lens care topics are welcome.
     Those interested in submitting free papers or posters to the Global Specialty Lens Symposium can visit www.GSLSymposium.com for more information. Web submissions only. Deadline for submissions is Monday, August 31, 2009.
--ADVERTISING

The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) launched their annual campaign, August is National Children's Vision & Learning month, to educate the public on the steps they can take to ensure their children aren't struggling with reading and learning because of undiagnosed vision problems.
    Arizona Cardinals' 2008 NFC West Champions' wide-receiver, Larry Fitzgerald is joining COVD this year to help spread the word that 20/20 is NOT perfect vision and that if children are struggling with reading parents should to take them to see a developmental optometrist. COVD's website features a listing of developmental optometrists. 
     "Parents don't realize that you need over 15 visual skills to succeed in reading, learning, sports, and in life. Seeing '20/20' is just one of those visual skills," says Fitzgerald. During the many pre- and post-Super Bowl press interviews, Fitzgerald explained that one of the keys to his success was having vision therapy as a child. "Vision problems can have a serious impact on a child's education. Don't wait to see if this next school year will be better, take action today!" Fitzgerald encourages parents.

The aim of this work is to develop a more complete qualitative and quantitative understanding of the in vivo histology of the human bulbar conjunctiva. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) was used to observe and measure morphological characteristics of the bulbar conjunctiva of 11 healthy human volunteer subjects.
     The superficial epithelial layer of the bulbar conjunctiva is seen as a mass of small cell nuclei. Cell borders are sometimes visible. The light grey borders of basal epithelial cells are clearly visible, but nuclei can not be seen. The conjunctival stroma is comprised of a dense meshwork of white fibers, through which traverse blood vessels containing cellular elements. Orifices at the epithelial surface may represent goblet cells that have opened and expelled their contents. Goblet cells are also observed in the deeper epithelial layers, as well as conjunctival microcysts and mature forms of Langerhans cells. The bulbar conjunctiva has a mean thickness of 32.9 +/- 1.1 microm, and a superficial and basal epithelial cell density of 2212 +/- 782 and 2368 +/- 741 cells/mm(2), respectively. Overall goblet and mature Langerhans cell densities are 111 +/- 58 and 23 +/- 25 cells/mm(2), respectively.
     The researchers concluded that LSCM is a powerful technique for studying the human bulbar conjunctiva in vivo and quantifying key aspects of cell morphology. The observations presented here may serve as a useful marker against which changes in conjunctival morphology due to disease, surgery, drug therapy or contact lens wear can be assessed.
Efron N, Al-Dossari M, Pritchard N. In vivo confocal microscopy of the bulbar conjunctiva. Clin Experiment Ophthalmol 2009;37:335-44. 

I often give continuing education lectures on contact lens-related topics. When I lecture, I try to provide insights into clinical care that can be gleaned from recent clinical research, in addition to discussing industry trends, innovations, and product launches in our field. When discussing new contact lenses (designs and materials), I am often asked by skeptical doctors about the need for a daily disposable made with a silicone hydrogel material. I try to emphasize that it is important that we consider all attributes of new contact lens materials and designs in fitting our patients, rather than focusing on one attribute such as oxygen transmissibility. It is great that we have an expanding arsenal of lens options as it will improve our ability to successfully keep our patients wearing contact lenses.
Jason J. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO 

This month at www.siliconehydrogels.org: worldwide trends in silicone hydrogel lens wear, fitting silicone hydrogels for a patient with high myopia and reduced vision secondary to posterior staphyloma, evaluating the performance of an upgrade silicone hydrogel lens, and part one of out AAO 2008 synopsis.