GLG News by Refractive Surgeons (US)

Presbyopia correcting IOLs currently represent 5% of all IOLs implanted in the United States (about 3.5 million per year).  The products available in this category include the ReSTOR multifocal IOL (Alcon), the ReZoom multifocal IOL (AMO) and the cyrstalens accommodative IOL (eyeonics).  Although...

Genentech, Inc.  is suspending sales of Avastin (bevacizumab) to compounding pharmacies in the United STates, in an effort to curb its non approved use for wet macular degenration. Recently, ophthalmologists have begun using the antiangiogenic cancer drug off-label to treat retinal neovascularization...

Alacrity Biosciences has completed a Phase 2 clinical trial of ALTY-1501, an eye drop for the treatment of dry eye. Dry eye (or keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) affects more than 10% of the US population and its incidence is increasing as baby boomers become senior citizens. Although the small...

       Genentech has had first year revenues of $800 million from its drug Lucentis, which is used intravitreaaly to treat macular degeneration on label and some other conditions off label.   Although this amount of sales places Lucentis well within the blockbuster...

Omega-3 supplementation could be a useful strategy for protecting against retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), say Swedish investigators. In the study, mice with retinopathy were fed food enriched with either omega-3 or omega-6. Mice that ate omega-3 initially lost fewer retinal blood vessels than mice...

Patients with high arterial pulse pressure may be at increased risk for high-tension open angle glaucoma, a Dutch study concludes. Researchers analyzed data from 5,317 individuals, 215 of who had definite or probable open-angle glaucoma and 5,102 of whom were disease free.The analysis found that high-tension...

Alcon holds more than 70% of Wavelights shares and its takeover of Wavelight has been approved by the German authorities. WHile wavelight produces some interesting intraocular lenses, it is clear that Alcons interest in Wavelight lies in its realiable and fast excimer laser system that can be used for...

New research indicating the presence of amyloid-beta protein in dying retinal cells  suggests a new direction in glaucoma research. Amyloid-beta is a protein found in Alzheimer's plaques. Using a rat model of glaucoma, the researchers found that the dying retinal cells showed accumulation of amyloid-beta....

It seems most likely that the reason that the major ophthalmic houses did not want the Crystalens-Eyeonics company is that the technology has substantial problems.  Unlike the multifocal lenses, in order to give the best possible distance vision, near vision is not...

Rather than getting gobbled up by one of the big three players in Ophthalmology (B & L, Alcon and AMO), eyeonics is looking to go it alone into the public arena.  The crystalens remains the only approved accommodative intraocular lens, but faces strong competition from the multifocals. ...