CONTACT LENSES TODAY

December 29, 2002

Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This week CLToday® reaches 9,191 readers in 74 countries.

U.S. PureVision Study Resumes
Now Bausch & Lomb can again provide its PureVision contact lenses to U.S. investigators for its multicenter PureVision Post-Approval Study. A previous lower-court ruling that stopped PureVision lens production and sales in the United States has been amended to allow the company to provide the lenses to participants in its study, which began in March. Investigators are following more than 5,000 participants wearing PureVision lenses for up to 30 consecutive days and nights for one year. The FDA requires all cls approved for up to 30 days of continuous wear to undergo similar study.

Alcon Files NDA for Fluoroquinolone
Alcon, Inc. is awaiting approval for its recently filed new drug application (NDA) with the FDA for the ophthalmic use of its fourth-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic, moxifloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solution. Alcon's NDA requests approval for the use of the drug to treat bacterial conjunctivitis and ophthalmia neonatorum. The company has studied moxifloxacin in three major clinical trials, three human pharmacokinetic studies and several toxicology studies. Moxifloxacin shows enhanced coverage against difficult-to-treat Gram-positive bacteria and is highly effective against Pseudomonas and bacteria resistant to currently used quinolones.

The Beauty and Technology in Biomedics Colors -- The clinically proven Biomedics 55 design is now available in four popular colors -- blue, green, gray and hazel. Biomedics Colors offer your patients the most natural eye color without sacrificing comfort, vision or fit. Biomedics Colors are only sold to eyecare professionals. Call your Ocular Sciences account manager to get started today (877) 926-2800. For more information, visit http://www.ocularsciences.com/Sight/static/main.jsp
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OSI To Forge Ahead with Upgrade
Ocular Sciences, Inc. will accelerate its planned upgrade to its manufacturing operations, which will cost approximately $40 milllion and take about two years to implement. OSI decided to forge ahead with the upgrade to counter falling sales in its weekly and two-week disposable contact lens product lines. The upgrade will result in the elimination of 600 jobs.

Editor's Commentary: Taking on the New Year
It's the time of year to say "thank you" to all of you who have supported CLToday this past year. You know who you are. In the new year, we will be taking on the issues of contact lens prescription laws, mail- and Internet-order lenses, keeping you up to date on new products and hopefully giving you the best tips to make you and your patients' contact lens lives better. Best wishes for a prosperous 2003.

Fitting Tip: Advice About New CL Wearers
During the initial instructions for our new cl patients, most of them, especially teenagers, are apprehensive about how they will fare. I've found that by telling them that thousands of cl wearers before them have made any mistake they might make during the process. For new wearers, knowing this relieves a good deal of their nervousness and relaxes them in knowing that I understand what they're feeling.
-- Paul Tagliaferri, Optician
Meadville, Pa.

For new cl wearers especially, it's always a shock to insert a cold lens. I find it helpful to soak the lenses in warm water (and in a tightly sealed case or new package, of course) before insertion. I even do this with my own lenses.
-- Robert Greenberg, O.D.
Tallahassee, Fla.

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