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Click here to view a pdf version of EyeWorld Week B+L, ISTA end waiting period Bausch + Lomb (Rochester, N.Y.) has received early termination of the required waiting period to purchase Irvine, Calif.-based ISTA Pharmaceuticals, the company said. The early termination under the HartScott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 allows the acquisition to close during the second quarter, B+L said. The deal remains subject to approval by ISTA’s stockholders, among other conditions. back to top Iluvien receives Austrian marketing authorization Iluvien (fluocinolone acetonide, Alimera Sciences, Alpharetta, Ga.) has received marketing approval from the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety. The sustained release intravitreal injection has been approved for the treatment of diabetic macular edema. Iluvien is a 190 mg implant that “provides a therapeutic effect of up to 36 months,” Alimera said. The Austrian approval marks the first national authorization in the E.U., Alimera stated in a news release. back to top Hypotrichosis treatment completes Phase I study A novel physiologically active fatty acid derivative (RK-023) has completed a Phase I clinical study for the treatment of hypotrichosis of the eyelashes, developer R-Tech Ueno (Tokyo) said in a news release. The study was a double-masked, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of RK-023 in eight healthy adult males and females each (16 subjects in total) by applying the study drug to the eyelid margin (at the base of the eyelashes) of the subjects for 5 consecutive days, the company said. A second Phase I study evaluated the safety and pharmacokinetics after a single instillation in three healthy male eyes. No adverse drug reactions were observed in either study, and no ophthalmic findings were observed, the company said. The pharmacokinetics evaluation also showed there were “hardly any safety concerns” with the compound. RK-023 is also in development for androgenic alopecia. back to top CZM to start ReLEx smile study Carl Zeiss Meditec (CZM, Dublin, Calif.) will begin a U.S. study to evaluate the ReLEx smile procedure for the correction of myopia, the company said. The ReLEx smile technique for refractive surgery “combines femtosecond laser technology and precise lenticule extraction for minimally invasive laser vision correction,” CZM said. The ReLEx smile method generates a refractive lenticule in the intact cornea with the femtosecond laser. The surgeon then removes the lenticule through a small, <4 mm incision without needing to move the patient to an excimer laser. CZM will begin patient enrollment in the next few months. back to top BPEI researchers define role of cochlin Researchers at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (BPEI, Miami) have confirmed an earlier hypothesis that the response of aqueous humor to mechanical stimuli at the cellular level (mechanosensing) impacts the regulation of intraocular pressure (IOP) through cells, converting that stimuli into chemical activity (mechanotransduction), BPEI said in a news release. At the center of the discovery lies the protein cochlin, which the researchers initially found in the trabecular meshwork almost 7 years ago. Mechanosensing of fluid flow is transduced by TREK-1 mechanotransducers on the cell surface. TREK -1 is a protein in the trabecular meshwork, but how it affects IOP was previously unknown. Also missing was an understanding of how cochlin works in mechanosensing. However, the researchers found TREK 1 functions in conjunction with cochlin to regulate IOP. back to top Iris Pharma, RxGen announce strategic alliance Iris Pharma (La Gaude, France) and RxGen (Hamden, Conn.) have established a strategic alliance to offer fully integrated “bench-to-bedside” ophthalmology research services, the companies jointly announced. Iris Pharma may now offer immediate access to RxGen’s non-human primate ophthalmic research models and related preclinical in vivo services. back to top FDA issues second Warning to Physicians FDA received additional reports of fungal endophthalmitis in patients who were give Brilliant Blue G during eye surgery since its initial Warning to Physicians was posted last month. In that time, the agency has received reports of eye infections in patients who were given injections of drug products containing triamcinolone during eye surgery. The FDA said the drugs were supplied by Franck’s Pharmacy in Ocala, Fla., and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised healthcare personnel to stop use of all sterile triamcinolone products purchased from Franck’s until further notice. back to top RESEARCH BRIEFS An evaluation of the effects of different contact lens-based artificial pupil designs on visual performance found soft contact lens (CL) apertures provide good visual acuity at a distance, functional intermediate vision, and poor near visual acuity and stereoacuity. Santiago Garcia-Lazaro, Ph.D., and colleagues evaluated presbyopic patients using four artificial pupil designs in the non-dominant eye. Results showed the mean UDVA and CDVA ranged from 0.04±0.05 to −0.01±0.04 logMAR and from −0.02±0.05 to −0.05±0.03 logMAR, respectively. The UNVA and DCNVA ranged from 0.37±0.11 to 0.42±0.20 logMAR and from 0.35±0.17 to 0.38±0.12 logMAR, respectively. The difference in binocular distance contrast sensitivity was statistically significant between the pinhole systems and the control group for six cycles per degree (cpd), 12 cpd, and 18 cpd. Near vision differences were also significant for three cpd at the two luminance levels (P<.05). Stereoacuity values for near vision were not significantly different between the four pinhole systems (P>.05). This study is published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy may have a potential role in treating anterior segment neovascular disorders, according to Hamid Hosseini, M.D., and colleagues. They conducted a literature review to determine the role bevacizumab may play in anterior segment eye disorders. The study found that response to bevacizumab anti-VEGF therapy is variable, but VEGF agents are especially effective when administered early, before anatomical changes. Neovascularization can recur if the ischemic or inflammatory process is not reversed. Eyes with long-standing diseases, such as autoimmune disorders that involve ongoing inflammation and VEGF production, seem to be less responsive to bevacizumab. The researchers suggested controlled prospective trials are needed to establish the long-term safety, efficacy, and dosing guidelines for the use of anti-VEGF agents in anterior segment neovascularization. The study is published in Cornea. Patients with advanced bilateral 24-2 visual field (VF) loss because of glaucoma, significant 10-2 VF loss, or poor contrast sensitivity (CS) are more likely to experience problems with face recognition. Fiona C. Glen and colleagues compared glaucomatous patients with a range of visual field defects to age-matched visually healthy controls. Participants underwent cognitive and visual assessment and were classified as having “early,” “moderate,” or “advanced” VF defects. Patients with advanced VF defects identified fewer faces on average (66±15%) than those with early (75±11%) and moderate (75±13%) defects and controls [(75±11%); p<0.05]. Multiple regression analysis revealed CS was important for face recognition. This study is published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. NEW PRODUCT BRIEFS Bausch + Lomb (Rochester, N.Y.) unveiled additions to its Storz Ophthalmic Instruments silicone CapsuleGuard IA line at the 2012 ASCRS Annual Meeting. The line has expanded to 10 single-use instruments, including the MICS 1.8 incision option along with the standard 2.2 to 2.8 incision ranges. The line is compatible with the company’s Stellaris PC Vision Enhancement System along with other ophthalmic platforms, the company said. back to top EYEWORLD WEEK Online is edited by Stacy Majewicz and Michelle Dalton. EyeWorld Week Online (ISSN 1089-0319), a digital publication of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators, is published every Friday, distributed by email, and posted live on Friday. Medical Editors: David F. Chang, M.D., chief medical editor; Bonnie An Henderson, M.D., cataract editor; Edward J. Holland, M.D., cornea editor; Reay H. Brown, M.D., glaucoma editor; Kerry D. Solomon, M.D., refractive editor; and John A. Vukich, M.D., international editor For sponsorship opportunities or membership information, contact: ASCRS•ASOA • 4000 Legato Rd. • Suite 700 • Fairfax, VA 22033 • Phone: 703-591-2220 • Fax: 703591-0614 • Email: ASCRS Opinions expressed in EyeWorld Week do not necessarily reflect those of ASCRS•ASOA. Mention of products or services does not constitute an endorsement by ASCRS•ASOA.