By Staff
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 12:18 AM
PINELLAS PARK, Fla.—Nine out of 10 people experience light sensitivity according to “Sensitivity to Light,” a white paper recently published by Transitions Optical. The white paper joins a suite of resources available from Transitions Optical which can be found on www.TransitionsPRO.com/LightManagement. “Understanding how light uniquely impacts each individual’s eye and daily life is imperative to providing the best vision care,” said Cecile Doussinault, category and insight director, Transitions Optical. “To see well, lenses need to manage light. With this knowledge, professionals can prescribe Transitions lenses, optimum light intelligent solution for each patient to enhance their satisfaction and protect their eyes.”
By Staff
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 12:27 AM
NEW YORK—Beginning its next chapter, armed with the investment and health care perspectives from its new financial partner at
Goldman Sachs,
MyEyeDr. (MED) is viewing the future as one which will amplify its efforts to put the patient experience front and center. Its leadership team is poised to employ technology in a range of ways, from those that streamline and make patient service more actionable, to an approach that further develops professional paths for its optometrists and raises vision care’s profile and awareness among patients and other provider groups in the health care field.
By Staff
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 12:24 AM
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The
Department of Justice (DOJ) announced January 15 that it will not challenge a proposal by the
American Optometric Association to expand its group purchasing organization’s (GPO) activities to include the purchase of optometric products for resale to consumers, specifically eyeglass lenses, frames, and contact lenses. According to a
statement issued by the DOJ, the proposed expansion of the AOA’s purchasing activities, conducted through a program known as
AOAExcel, is “unlikely to produce anticompetitive effects.” Moreover, the expansion could produce discounts for the Association’s members and ultimately lead to lower prices for optometric products for consumers, the DOJ said.
By Staff
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 12:15 AM
NEW YORK—
Vision Source has announced a mobile vision clinic tour of 13 major U.S. cities in 2020 to raise awareness for the importance of an annual comprehensive eye exam. Along the tour, Vision Source doctors and staff will provide free exams and corrective eyewear to families across the country who do not have access to vision care. The tour began in Charlotte, North Carolina last week and will also travel to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington D.C. Locally licensed doctors within the Vision Source network will staff the events, which will be equipped to support all aspects of a comprehensive eye exam.
By Staff
Friday, January 17, 2020 12:18 AM
DUBLIN—
Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), a global pharmaceutical company with more than 70 years of heritage in eyecare, announced a partnership with Von Miller, a former Super Bowl MVP, Denver Broncos linebacker and advocate for healthy vision, to shine a light on the millions of people living with glaucoma. As an ambassador for the
“My Glaucoma” campaign, Miller will address the misunderstandings and impact of glaucoma and encourage those with the disease, and their caregivers, to take early action, according to the announcement this week. This includes going to the doctor regularly and taking medications as prescribed.
By Staff
Thursday, January 16, 2020 12:21 AM
SAN RAMON, Calif.—
CooperVision, which is preparing for the March 2020 U.S. launch of
MiSight 1 day contact lenses, has kicked off the new year by announcing this week the details of its comprehensive myopia management approach. An initial group of eyecare professionals (ECPs) gathered in Miami on Jan. 7-8 to learn about the “Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program” and to prepare to prescribe the MiSight 1 day lens to patients. CooperVision’s MiSight 1 day lens is the first and only product approved by the Food and Drug Administration for slowing the progression of myopia when initially prescribed for children 8-12 years old, as
VMAIL reported.
By Staff
Thursday, January 16, 2020 12:18 AM
LAKE FOREST, Calif.—
Staar Surgical has gained CE Mark approval for use of its
ICL as a supplemental or “piggyback” lens in post-cataract IOL surgery patients (pseudophakics).
By Staff
Thursday, January 16, 2020 12:15 AM
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—
Eversight has announced that two new members and a new chair have been named to its board of directors, effective Jan. 1, 2020. Eversight is a nonprofit organization with a mission to restore sight and prevent blindness through the healing power of donation, transplantation and research. Joining the Eversight board of directors are Carolyn Welsh, vice president & chief clinical officer, NJ Sharing Network, and Mahmoud N. Ghazzi, MD, Ph.D, MPH, an experienced researcher and biopharmaceutical consultant.
By Staff
Wednesday, January 15, 2020 12:18 AM
MASON, Ohio—
Pearle Vision has been ranked as the nation’s top eyecare franchise company on
Entrepreneur magazine’s highly competitive
Franchise 500 list, according to a Pearle Vision announcement.
By Staff
Wednesday, January 15, 2020 12:15 AM
ST. LOUIS—Optometry Cares–The
AOA Foundation is now accepting nominations for the Dr. W. David Sullins Jr.
InfantSEE Award, which recognizes an individual doctor of optometry who has made significant contributions to optometry or his/her community for outstanding public service involving the InfantSEE program, according to an announcement. The award honors the memory of Dr. W. David Sullins Jr., and the late optometrist's inspiring and passionate leadership as a driving force in the profession of optometry. A memorial fund was established after his passing in 2005 and led to the creation of the award.
By Staff
Tuesday, January 14, 2020 12:18 AM
SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The
California Optometric Association(COA) has noted that as part of the state’s “strong commitment to strengthening the Medi-Cal program” eyeglass benefits for Medi-Cal recipients have been restored, and the association also noted that it will continue in 2020 to advocate for a Medi-Cal reimbursement rate increase for optometrists practicing in the state. “California’s rate is among the lowest in the nation,” a COA official told
VMAIL. “We will be advocating for the rate increase again this year.”
By Staff
Tuesday, January 14, 2020 12:15 AM
CAMBRIDGE, England—
Exonate, an early stage biotechnology company based here, said Monday that it has entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with
Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., a unit of Johnson & Johnson, that will work toward developing an eye drop treatment for retinal vascular diseases, such as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Macular Oedema (DMO). The effort will focus on using mRNA targeted therapies. The agreement was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation. Exonate has developed small molecules that inhibit the production of pro-angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) through the selective inhibition of serine/threonine-protein kinase (SRPK1)-mediated VEGF splicing, according to the announcement.
By Staff
Monday, January 13, 2020 12:21 AM
PARIS & FORT WORTH, Texas—
Eyevensys, a privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company developing non-viral gene therapies for retinal and other ophthalmic diseases, announced that it has completed a $30 million Series B financing. The round was led by Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and included participation from existing investors Pontifax, Bpifrance, CapDecisif, and Inserm Transfert, as well as new investors, the Global Health Sciences (GHS) Fund (Quark Venture LP and GF Securities) and Pureos Bioventures. The company said it will use the funds to continue the development of its clinical lead candidate EYS606 for the treatment of chronic non-infectious uveitis (NIU), including the launch of its Electro Study.
By Staff
Friday, January 10, 2020 3:18 PM
Lena Walker, OD, of Family Vision of Oregon in St. Helens, Oregon, first became interested in Marie Kondo’s KonMari method of keeping one’s life tidy when her book
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up came out. Dr. Walker applied the method of finding the items that spark joy in her own home and purging the excess items accumulated over time. The KonMari website defines the method to help people “keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service—then let them go.” Dr. Walker was so engaged with the method, she became certified in the method.
By Staff
Friday, January 10, 2020 12:27 AM
CHICAGO and FLINT, Mich.—
Midwest Vision Partners, which is backed by
Alpine Investors, has announced a partnership with
Michigan Eye Institute (MEI), which represents MVP’s first partnership in the state of Michigan. Michigan Eye Institute is led by Dr. Gary Keoleian, Dr. Jeffrey Diskin and Dr. David Diskin and has a network of 12 providers. The practice employs approximately 110 support staff across six clinical locations, according to an announcement earlier this week. The terms of the partnership were not disclosed.