By Staff
Friday, February 21, 2020 12:21 AM
NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio—The
International Sports Vision Association (ISVA) has appointed Jennifer Stewart, OD and Todd Daniels, MS, ATC, LMT, CSCS to its advisory board. “Jen and Todd bring a wealth of successful experiences in working with and educating athletes, eyecare professionals, athletic trainers, and others about the positive impact that vision training and enhancement of vision skills can have on athletic performance,” said ISVA president Alex Andrich, OD, FCOVD. “We are excited to add their expertise to the ISVA Board.”
By Staff
Friday, February 21, 2020 12:15 AM
SAN FRANCISCO—
Be My Eyes, the mobile app that allows anyone to assist visually impaired people through live video calls, has raised $2.8 million in Series A funding. The investment allows the company to further develop its unique “purpose and profit” business model while keeping the visual support service free and unlimited for all visually impaired users. The round, led by
Cultivation Capital, also welcomed new board members Paul Weber of Cultivation Capital, and Michael Buckley, an angel investor and former vice president of global communications at Facebook.
By Staff
Thursday, February 20, 2020 12:27 AM
CHICAGO—
Prevent Blindness will hold its 15th annual “Eyes on Capitol Hill '' advocacy day on Feb. 26 in Washington D.C. The program gives people from across the U.S. the opportunity to meet with Congressional and Senate members to discuss vision issues, including access to care, prevention and research. “Prevent Blindness began back in 1908 as a public advocacy organization, dedicated to preventing unnecessary vision loss,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “The year 2020 is particularly fitting as a time to focus on advocating for vision health issues.”s.”
By Staff
Wednesday, February 19, 2020 12:21 AM
GENEVA—
Alcon (SIX/NYSE: ALC) announced this week that Pataday Once Daily Relief (olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.2%) and Pataday Twice Daily Relief (olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.1%) have been approved by the FDA for sale over the counter (OTC) in the U.S. According to Alcon’s announcement, U.S. commercial availability of Pataday Once Daily Relief and Pataday Twice Daily Relief will begin March 2. The eye drop will be available in all major drug, food and mass-market retailers—more than 40,000 stores—as well as through online retailers.
By Staff
Wednesday, February 19, 2020 12:18 AM
SAN RAMON, Calif.—
CooperVision has become a Global Patron of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). The company joins a select group of leaders including Allergan, Bayer, Novartis and Standard Chartered Bank that supports IAPB at the highest level to help achieve universal access to eye health. As part of the relationship, CooperVision and IAPB will collaborate to bring “greater awareness and action to the growing prevalence and severity of myopia in children worldwide,” according to a CooperVision announcement.
By Staff
Tuesday, February 11, 2020 12:18 AM
CHARENTON-LE-PONT, France—
Essilor, announced it has pledged a first of its kind donation of 1 million glasses and sunglasses to the
United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNSRF), as they partner to promote global action on good vision for road users. The announcement comes ahead of the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference, set for Feb. 19-20 in Stockholm, to set the agenda for achieving the UN 2030 goals for road safety. Every day 3,700 people die on the world’s roads, making road accidents the leading cause of death among children and young adults aged 5–29; a trend which has grown in the past years as mobility develops worldwide.
By Staff
Tuesday, February 11, 2020 12:15 AM
NEW YORK—Calvin Roberts MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer, eyecare at Bausch Health Companies and clinical professor of ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College, has been elected president and CEO of
Lighthouse Guild. The selection of Dr. Roberts follows a national search begun early last year after Alan R. Morse, JD, PhD announced his plans to retire after a 52-year career at Lighthouse Guild. Dr. Roberts' appointment is effective April 1. As a practicing ophthalmologist from 1982 to 2008, Dr. Roberts performed more than 10,000 cataract surgeries as well as 5,000 refractive and other corneal surgeries.
By Mark Tosh
Monday, February 10, 2020 12:30 AM
Myopia is not a new vision condition, but the growing awareness of the eye health risks associated with this common ophthalmic disorder, especially among eye-care professionals, is a somewhat contemporary phenomenon. Indeed, myopia is the most common ophthalmic condition in the world, with an estimated 34 percent of the world’s population, or roughly 2.62 billion people, affected by this condition, according to recent research.
By Mark Tosh
Monday, February 10, 2020 12:29 AM
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, N.J.—Dr. Nicholas Despotidis, a partner with Eyecare Professionals, has invested considerable time and resources over the past two decades to become one of the leading practitioners of myopia management. During this time, Despotidis has written two books and developed a TED talk on the myopia topic, while also conducting annual workshops on practice management techniques
By Mark Tosh
Monday, February 10, 2020 12:28 AM
SAN FRANCISCO—The philosophy at Pacific Rims Optometry in San Francisco is straightforward and easy for patients to comprehend. The practice—with two locations in the city—notes that its optometrists will take the time to explain the results of an eye exam, describe the options and listen to each patient’s eyecare needs.
By Mark Tosh
Monday, February 10, 2020 12:27 AM
PARK RIDGE, Ill.—Myopia management is just one part of the special services that Dr. Daniel Press emphasizes at the Park Ridge Vision practice here, but it is a growing area and a significant component of the overall practice. Press noted that he sees the importance of taking an individualized approach to treating each myopic patient.
By Mark Tosh
Monday, February 10, 2020 12:26 AM
Ocoee, Fla.—Dr. Roxanne Achong-Coan of the Coan Eye Care & Optical Boutique located here has been deeply interested in working with myopic patients and staying abreast of treatment options for most of her career. She is certified in the fitting of Paragon CRT lenses and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (FIAOMC). She’s also one of the first to be involved with the recently launched Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program by CooperVision.
By Staff
Monday, February 10, 2020 12:21 AM
OSAKA, Japan and SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.—
Santen Pharmaceutical, the market leader for prescription ophthalmic pharmaceuticals in Japan and
Verily, an Alphabet company, have established a joint venture focused on applying microelectronics and scalable digital technologies to ophthalmology. The new joint venture will combine Santen's industry knowledge and technology in ophthalmology and Verily's expertise in development of connected, integrated medical devices and machine learning, the companies said in a joint statement. The new company plans to “create and commercialize unique ophthalmic devices and comprehensive tech-enabled solutions,” they said.
By Staff
Monday, February 10, 2020 12:15 AM
NEW YORK—Myopia is not a new vision condition, but the growing awareness of the eye health risks associated with this common ophthalmic disorder, especially among eye-care professionals, is a somewhat contemporary phenomenon. Indeed, myopia is the most common ophthalmic condition in the world, with an estimated 34 percent of the world’s population, or roughly 2.62 billion people, affected by this condition, according to recent research.
By Staff
Wednesday, February 5, 2020 12:18 AM
BRIDGEWATER, N.J., and CHICAGO—
Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health business, and
Prevent Blindness, the nation’s oldest volunteer eye health non-profit organization, are collaborating throughout the month of February for the fifth consecutive year to raise awareness of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of vision loss in adults 50 years of age and older. It is estimated that as many as 16 million people in the U.S. are living with AMD, an eye disease that affects the macula, the part of the eye that supports sharp, central vision needed for seeing objects clearly.