CooperVision Announces SightGlass Vision Two-Year Data for Slowing Myopia Progression
Experts Address Dangers of Inappropriate Contact Lens Substitution in New Contact Lens and Anterior Eye Paper
CMS Awards Medicare Pricing and Coding Services Contract to Bellese Technologies
Reid Health Selects SullivanCotter’s Provider Performance Management Technology
The World Health Organization grants the name ecubectedin to PharmaMar's anti-tumor compound PM14
World Council of Optometry Launches Myopia Management Online Resource
Latest Contact Lens Update Focuses on Axial Length Measures in Myopia Management
SullivanCotter Announces the Release of 2021 Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation and Productivity Benchmarks
CooperVision MiSight 1 Day Contact Lens Approved in China
New Data on Post-Pandemic Attitudes Reveals Opportunities for Eye Care Community
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Eyenuk Announces $6.2 Million Financing to Accelerate Adoption of FDA-cleared AI Technology for Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy
Eyenuk, Inc., a global artificial intelligence (AI) medical technology and services company and the leader in real-world applications for AI Eye Screening, today announced that it has completed a financing round of US$6.2 million led by AXA IM, through AXA IM Alts, a global leader in alternative investments with c. €162 billion of assets under management1. Eyenuk’s existing investors also participated in the round. Eyenuk will use the proceeds to immediately accelerate commercialization of the EyeArt® AI System, which received FDA clearance in 2020 and is being reimbursed by Medicare and other payors. AXA IM Alts’ investment in Eyenuk is advised by Dr. Zina Affas Besse, Managing Partner at Global Health Investment Advisors (GHIA), a pioneer in impact investing in life science companies. “We are very impressed with all that the Eyenuk team has accomplished to date,” said Dr. Affas Besse. “We look forward to supporting the company as it accelerates global commercialization and pipeline development programs.” “We are excited about Eyenuk’s business potential as evidenced by Eyenuk’s impressive business and clinical accomplishments to-date,” said Jonathan Dean, Head of Impact Investing at AXA IM Alts. “We are proud to invest in some of the most innovative technologies that address major public health issues worldwide, while searching to generate attractive social and financial returns. Eyenuk’s innovative healthcare AI technologies aim to deliver tangible impact around the world alongside attractive financial returns.” “We are thrilled to welcome new institutional investors to the Eyenuk team,” said Kaushal Solanki, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Eyenuk. “We look forward to working with AXA IM Alts and other investors, who share Eyenuk’s vision of creating globally-accessible AI platform technology that can enable drastic reduction of preventable blindness across the world.” Eyenuk plans to close a larger round of financing in late 2021 to support its long-term growth and innovation strategies.
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NHS organisation wins ‘Inspiring Workplaces’ award
Last night, the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) won Gold for the Inspiring Communications Award at a virtual ceremony held by Inspiring Workplaces. NHSBSA was up against big business including IKEA (which won Bronze), and Vodafone and Visa who won joint Silver. The Inspiring Workplaces Award recognises organisations that put their people at the heart of their business, and it covers Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) with a separate award for North America. Judges said they were impressed and inspired by the consistency of NHSBSA’s approach. They said: “It’s clear the ability to pivot and adapt to evolve to meet everyone’s needs was highly successful. This is the best-in-class example of communications in action.” Mark Dibble, Executive Director of People and Corporate Services at NHSBSA said: “It’s such a great testament to all my colleagues who work really, really hard to keep everyone involved. We’re across all of England and it’s been a huge task. We did it pretty quickly and there was a lot of technology involved which is always a challenge. But like a lot of people, we rose to the challenge and did our very best. It’s brilliant news, we’re delighted.” On presenting the award, CEO & Founder of Inspiring Workplaces Group, Matt Manners, said: “Personally I think comms was almost the most important piece of how we all reacted to the pandemic… giving people a voice, feeling empowered and the autonomy to do things…Comms people were forced to try new things and fast.”
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Digital Twin tech partnership delivers major solution to ‘COVID Delta’ variant
As the world reels from the threat of COVID-19’s new and highly contagious Delta variant, two US companies say their new alliance offers real hope of safe co-existence with the virus and potential future infectious diseases. SafelyThrive offers an all-in-one health and safety infrastructure solution for businesses and schools during the ‘COVID era’. As the pandemic evolves, SafelyThrive identifies capabilities that reduce the ‘time to action’, getting information to leaders in a format that makes it easier to react with appropriate risk mitigation strategies. Cityzenith, the global leader in Digital Twin visualization technology, digitally replicates a building or community and enables real-time visualization of risks as well as recovery paths. The companies have partnered to introduce Cityzenith’s SmartWorldOS™ into the existing SafelyThrive health and safety response service platform. Together, they offer public and private sector entities increased confidence in the identification and mitigation of not just COVID risks, but a broader set of risks to businesses, communities, and governance presented as a single integrated solution. “Our company name says everything about our customer objectives in education, government, entertainment, and travel,” said SafelyThrive CEO Kevin Murdock. “Enterprise customers thrive when they restore service and revenue faster. Their employees thrive as they return to their offices and restore income in a lower risk environment. “Community members, students, and clients thrive with increased interaction, recreation, and education. The Cityzenith technology speeds decisions that help communities thrive sooner. “The emergence, and now global acceleration of the Delta variant confirms the ongoing COVID threat and continuously changing face of the disease. Further, reports indicate reduced vaccine efficacy over time and evolution in COVID may drive the need for boosters and frequent vaccine formulation changes to dampen its ongoing effects. “The Digital Twin partnership between SafelyThrive and Cityzenith enhances our offering for the near-term COVID threat and provides a proactive health-safety critical infrastructure response that can support a broader set of threats by expanding all-in-one screening, testing, and tracking with faster and more informed response.” Jeff Hrush, Vice President of Sales at SafelyThrive, also commented: “The SmartWorldOS™ Digital Twin platform enhances SafelyThrive offerings beyond pandemic response. Cityzenith’s rich user interface preserves the value of the risk management investment. Visualization of viral positivity, strain identification, on-site proximity monitoring, and protective best practices expands into disaster recover, mass casualty, and workplace violence risk reduction.” Cityzenith CEO Michael Jansen responded: “We are proud to be part of such an important public health initiative as SafelyThrive. SmartWorldOS™ enhances SafelyThrive’s managed service platform using detailed community and event data to optimize health, safety, security, and environment. The trust we established with global real estate, energy, and infrastructure leaders will accelerate our combined efforts to improve health and safety.”
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Bibliometric Analyses of Refractive Error, Dry Eye and Contact Lenses Now Available
Three new papers appearing in Clinical and Experimental Optometry (Volume 104, 2021 - Issue 5) shed new light on refractive error, dry eye and contact lens-related publishing. Written by Nathan Efron, Philip Morgan, Lyndon Jones, and Jason Nichols, the works explore top-ranking citations, authors, institutions, countries, journals and other factors through the present day. They represent the latest in a series of analyses from the group, including the companion optomrankings.com website, on which a listing of the top 200 publishing optometrists globally, ranked by h-index, is continually tracked and updated. In an accompanying editorial, Efron notes that, “Ophthalmic subject-specific bibliometric analyses can assist the optometric and vision science community, ophthalmic industry or indeed the broader public, who have an interest in the subject, to identify leading researchers and institutions with whom they might wish to engage or interact, and journals which academics may choose to publish their work or search for relevant literature. As well, impactful researchers identified by such analyses can be celebrated for their leading roles in furthering the scientific basis underpinning the given field of interest.” The Centre for Ocular Research & Education’s Dr. Lyndon Jones is included as the top author of contact lens articles published in the 21st century, ranked by h-index of contact lens publications. The University of Waterloo, of which CORE is part, is ranked as the second most influential institution for contact lens publishing in the 21st century (climbing four spots from 2011) and 12th for dry eye publishing (climbing eight spots from 2012). The refractive error analysis affirms surging global attention being given to myopia, including prevalence and aetiology, and the anatomical and physiological determinants of patterns of eye growth in ametropia.
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Powermat Technologies to Develop Advanced Wireless Charging Technology for Cardiac Medical Devices
Powermat Technologies, a leading global provider of wireless power solutions for medical devices & IoT (IoMT), today announced that NewPace Ltd., the developer of advanced cardiac rhythm management technology, will leverage the company’s patented wireless charging technology which will be embedded in their newest devices. NewPace will license Powermat’s technology platform for medical devices to wirelessly power the company’s life-saving cardiac rhythm product, providing seamless, sterile, and safe access to power. Powermat’s wireless chargers for medical devices are now available to support a wide variety of devices, including neurostimulators, insulin pumps, sensors, and remote healthcare monitoring devices, providing safe, efficient, and easy-to-use power solutions. The company’s sophisticated yet straightforward approach to providing wireless power for patients’ healthcare devices was designed to simplify patient care and reduce the need for hospital and clinic visits. “Medical devices and IoMT are a great fit for Powermat’s technology. Patients need a non-invasive charging solution for their critical care medical devices and emergency equipment that keeps their good health at bay,” said Elad Dubzinski, CEO of Powermat. “Powermat’s technology will now enable the users of NewPace’s medical devices a safe, fast, and convenient wireless charging solution. We can’t wait to continue working with our partners to make wireless power a standard feature for medical devices and implantables.” By integrating wireless charging technology, battery size in existing devices may be reduced, decreasing weight and offering a more comfortable charging experience for patients.
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CMS Renews Bellese Technologies Contract for Medicare Cost Estimator
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded Bellese Technologies the Medicare Cost Estimator (MCE) 2.0 contract . Bellese is the incumbent prime contractor for this project and has been awarded the MCE contract for the second time. This contract period consists of one base-period with two additional option-years. In collaboration with the CMS Office of Communications (OC), Bellese delivered CMS’s first price transparency tool, Procedure Price Lookup (PPL), in support of the 21st Century CURES ACT. “The dedication and drive of the Office of Communication to give the best user experience to Medicare beneficiaries and their caretakers is second to none. We look forward to working by their side for another 3 years.“ said Pam Offutt, Bellese Chief Executive Officer. The products developed under the MCE contract are part of the CMS eMedicare suite of tools. The tools are designed to deliver a personalized user experience with information that empowers people to better understand cost information as it relates to care and coverage, and to use the information to get the best value when choosing healthcare providers and coverage. Bellese’s strategic focus on human-centered design practices and exploratory data analysis pinpointed multiple opportunities for price awareness by beneficiaries and caregivers. Bellese uses a hypothesis-driven rapid prototyping process and an API-first approach to develop products. In addition to the PPL tool, the MCE products include the PPL American Medical Association (AMA) API, Office Visit Pricing API, Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Supplier Directory, and an Imaging Pricing API. “It’s exciting to see our user and data-driven design and development process at work on MCE. Extending our clinical ontology with machine learning to provide an Ontology-as-a-Service solution will improve the information we put in the hands of beneficiaries and caretakers when they need it most.” said John duClos, Bellese Chief Technology Officer.
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CooperVision Specialty EyeCare Announces Uniform Markings Across Blanchard Onefit Family of Scleral Lenses
CooperVision Specialty EyeCare today announced that lens markings are now uniform across the entire Blanchard Onefit™ family of scleral lenses, including Onefit™ MED and Onefit™ MED+. The uniform markings for front torics and toric haptics across the Onefit™ family aid in distinguishing whether quadrant specific landing zones and/or limbal zones have been indicated, thereby streamlining the fitting process for eye care professionals (ECPs). If quadrant specific landing zones have been indicated, the values for all four quadrants will be etched into each lens. “We are committed to producing the highest-quality scleral lenses for the benefit of both the patient and the eye care professional,” said Marie-Christine Blanchard, Global Lead, Scleral and Irregular Cornea category for CooperVision Specialty EyeCare, Americas. “With the innovative lens design features of our Onefit™ MED and Onefit™ MED+, we are making ECPs’ lives easier. This is one of several ways we are strengthening clinical relationships and enhancing our support for the specialty eye care community.” Further simplifying the fitting process with Onefit™ MED and Onefit™ MED+ lenses, CooperVision Specialty EyeCare has also expanded the Quadrant Specific fitting tool within its online custom tools to provide a visual depiction of the lens markings that will be seen on the final lens. Through the tool, ECPs design custom lenses by entering the patients’ sag value, diameter, sphere, cylinder, and axis, as well as indicate the lens orientation and values for the landing zone and limbal zone within each quadrant. Blanchard Onefit™ MED and Onefit™ MED+ are advanced, fully customizable scleral lens designs that give the ECP complete control of the lens design and fit for patients with highly irregular/medically indicated corneas, as well as normal corneas, when a larger diameter is needed. CooperVision Specialty EyeCare develops, manufactures, and provides access to a portfolio of industry leading soft custom and rigid gas permeable lens designs, including orthokeratology and scleral lenses to address segments such as myopia management, irregular cornea management and presbyopia management. Its steady voice, ongoing research and innovative products and services play a leading role in expanding care worldwide. The group’s brands include Blanchard, GP Specialists, No. 7, Paragon, Procornea and Soflex. For more information, visit www.blanchardlab.com
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CORE Summarizes BCLA CLEAR Guidance for Contact Lens Practitioners
The latest issue of Contact Lens Update, now available for free from the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE), consolidates conclusions from the new British Contact Lens Association’s (BCLA) Contact Lens Evidence-based Academic Reports (CLEAR) initiative into an easy-to-read summary for contact lens practitioners. “CLEAR brought together 10 committees and more than 100 authors from sixteen countries to produce 300 pages of scientific review. This covered all aspects of contact lens practice, from routine fitting through to specialty lenses, management of complications, and future technology,” said Karen Walsh, CORE’s education team leader and editor of Contact Lens Update. “Our BCLA-commissioned summary of all ten sub-reports extracts and explains the insights most relevant for clinical practice in one simple guide. This will become a frequent reference for eye care professionals wanting to implement the latest standards in contact lenses while remaining abreast of forthcoming trends and opportunities.” The CLEAR sub-report summary promotes best practice, evidence-based procedures and clinical decision making for contact lens patients. Found in the issue’s Feature Article section, each five-minute read provides an overview of key take aways by topic and a link to the comprehensive open access paper for further reading. Multiple CORE scientists authored the original reports; they joined other CORE staff and global collaborators in developing the new condensed guidance. CLEAR author and BCLA Certificate Programme Lead Dr. Manbir Nagra wrote the new issue’s editorial. She identifies common themes across the reports, highlights how to interpret scientific publications, examines the evidence base for several widely held beliefs, and looks to the future of contact lens practice. Insights from CORE Senior Research Scientist Dr. Sarah Guthrie are shared in the Conference Highlight. Presented this week at the 2021 BCLA Clinical Conference & Exhibition, her work with multifocal soft contact lenses explores the link between comfort and vision performance, reminding eye care professionals of the importance of optimising both elements to help enhance the wearing experience. “It’s a lovely coincidence that Issue #60 of Contact Lens Update is being published during the 60th anniversary of soft contact lens pioneer Otto Wichterle creating the very first hydrogel lenses in his kitchen. The CLEAR series paints a fascinating portrait of how far we have come in the past six decades, and the breathtaking developments on the horizon,” said Dr. Walsh. Published six times per year, Contact Lens Update provides a global platform for unbiased clinical insights based in current research. Since 2011, each issue has provided dependable and up-to-date ocular health information for more than 60,000 leading eye care professionals. In addition to a complete archive of back issues, ContactLensUpdate.com offers a resource library that provides no-cost professional tools, patient resources, images and video. It also houses complimentary technical training videos produced by International Association of Contact Lens Educators, plus an industry glossary. Industry professionals can access the latest issue directly from ContactLensUpdate.com or quickly sign up for email receipt of future issues. The publication receives support from the educational arms of Alcon, CooperVision, and Johnson & Johnson Vision.
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John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics shares future plans at BIO Digital 2021
Samsung Biologics' CEO, John Rim, delivered the opening remarks at BIO Digital 2021 in an exclusive keynote session with Richard N. Hass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations on Tuesday, June 15th. In his speech, Rim highlighted the industry’s continuing efforts and contribution in the battle against COVID-19 and also shared the company’s vision and long-term plans to better serve existing and potential clients. “As most recently announced, we are fully committed to leveraging our experience in manufacturing technologies to support the aseptic fill and finish of Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine with quality, speed, and efficiency to aid in the fight against this global crisis,” Rim said. “We will be also adding a dedicated production suite for mRNA bulk drug substance to our existing facility by the first half of 2022, which will enable us to rapidly manufacture and supply future vaccines and treatments against multiple targets.” Joon Chang, Senior Director of Global Sales and Operations Center will be presenting during a fireside chat on June 16th at 3PM (EDT) on the emerging trends of CDMO industry and its partnership highlighting the unique values that Samsung Biologics delivers to clients. Also this week, Sam MacHour, Senior Vice President & Chief Quality Officer, joined Dan Stanton of BioProcess International in an on demand interview, where he discussed how both Samsung Biologics and the CDMO sector have rapidly responded to biopharma's COVID-19 challenges, and talked about how Samsung Biologics has emerged as one of the largest CDMOs in just a decade, as well as its future plans for the CDMO space and beyond. In response to an increasing worldwide demand for biopharmaceuticals, Samsung Biologics has been taking preemptive approaches to actively accommodate the evolving needs of the industry through continuous innovation and investments including the addition of its fourth and largest plant, San Francisco R&D Center, and mRNA vaccine drug substance manufacturing and filling capabilities. Visit here to join us at BIO Digital 2021 and find the right solution with us for your success. https://www.bio.org/events/bio-digital
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CORE and CooperVision Programs Win 2021 Silver Anvil Awards
The Public Relations Society of America has named five McDougall Communications-led, optometry-centered campaigns among the world’s best over the past year, recognizing the agency’s work with five 2021 Silver Anvil honors. Included were programs for the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) and contact lens innovator CooperVision. When erroneous reports of contact lens wear risks emerged during the pandemic, a rapid-response campaign from CORE set the record straight with healthcare professionals and consumers, generating more than 5,000 news stories and reaching 55 countries in only 30 days. Those efforts earned two Silver Anvil Awards in the highly competitive COVID-19 Crisis Communications (Healthcare) and COVID-19 Crisis Communications (Non-Profit) categories, and a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for Global Communications. A related, highly-targeted program for CORE regarding the same issue also earned a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence in the Most Effective Campaign on a Shoestring Budget category. Other nominees across CORE’s categories include Carnival Corporation, the Alaska SeaLife Center, Meals on Wheels, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies. The United States launch of CooperVision MiSight® 1 day, the first FDA-approved* soft contact lens designed for myopia control in children aged 8-12 at the initiation of treatment,1,2 was instrumental in building the category and helping eye care professionals embrace the breakthrough technology. The industry-focused campaign earned a Silver Anvil Award in the Marketing Business-to-Business Products category. A quantum computing program from Honeywell was the category’s Award of Excellence honoree. CooperVision’s companion MiSight 1 day consumer launch with partner agency EvolveMKD also earned a Silver Anvil Award in the Marketing Consumer Products (Packaged Goods) category. In addition, the American Academy of Optometry’s Academy 2020 at Home program earned a Silver Anvil in the Events and Observances (More Than Seven Days – Associations) category. Johnson & Johnson Vision’s Prioritize Your Eyes campaign received an Award of Excellence in the Public Service-Business category. “We’re not only privileged to work with organizations such as CooperVision and CORE who place a high value on strategic communications, but in a field that has incredible momentum and creativity. Our optometry and ophthalmology consulting now spans more than two decades. Never before have we experienced this degree of evolution and excitement among eye care professionals and consumers, plus new entrants to the sector. Clear, accurate and distinctive communications are more critical than ever to break through the noise,” said Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, the firm’s founder and president. Of all Silver Anvils and Awards of Excellence presented this year, spanning corporate, academic, government and non-profit sectors, eye care programs represented a remarkable five percent of the total. Since 1944, the Silver Anvils have been presented to organizations that successfully address challenging issues with exemplary professional skill, creativity, and resourcefulness. They are widely considered the Oscars of the profession, owing to their stringent judging process and candidates from around the world. McDougall Communications won PRSA Silver Anvil Awards in 2015 and 2018, with members of the firm having earned another 10 Anvils and Awards of Excellence while in prior roles. McDougall Communications (mcdougallpr.com), founded in 2011, is focused on helping clients across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific meet their business objectives through a range of communications services, including strategic planning, media and influencer relations, reputation and crisis counsel, and social media management. It is regularly looked to as an influencer shaping global communications advancements, and works with a range of ophthalmic clients such as CooperVision, CORE, the World Council of Optometry, the Contact Lens Institute, the International Association of Contact Lens Educators, Heliostatix and others.
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CooperVision Specialty EyeCare Submits Educational Videos for ECPs to Vision by Design Virtual Bootcamp
Furthering its commitment to provide ongoing educational opportunities for eye care professionals (ECPs), CooperVision Specialty EyeCare has submitted several videos to Vision by Design’s year-long Virtual Bootcamp, which begins on Monday, June 14, 2021. The videos—which showcase the company’s broad portfolio of specialty lens designs from Blanchard, GP Specialists, and Paragon—focus on helping ECPs better differentiate their practices through expanded clinical knowledge of myopia management and scleral and advanced contact lens management. “CooperVision is deeply committed to advancing the profession through its ongoing collaboration with ECPs. We believe these videos will greatly enhance ECPs’ abilities to better understand the challenges of fitting specialty lenses and address the needs of hard-to-fit patients,” said Leah Johnson, OD, FAAO, Director of Professional Affairs, CooperVision Specialty EyeCare, Americas. “Ultimately, our hope is that these videos will empower the eye care community to drive growth and profitability to their practices, and enhance the industry as a whole.” Through the online product and training sessions, ECPs will have the opportunity to hear from other likeminded professionals and industry leaders on how they’ve leveraged CooperVision Specialty EyeCare’s portfolio of contact lenses to drive success in their practice. The full list of videos are as follows: Power Your Practice with Paragon CRT® Paragon CRT® Basic Training: Clinical Tips and Techniques for Success GP Specialists’ Portfolio for Ortho-K: iSee®, Paragon CRT®, GOV® and OrthoTool™ iSee® Ortho-K with the MM1 Retinal Defocus System Decoding Ortho-K Fitting Challenges: Moderate to Advanced Cases Ultimate Design Control for Ultimate Results, featuring Onefit™ MED and Onefit™ MED+ How to Design the Ideal Scleral Lens for Each patient with Onefit™ MED and Onefit™ MED+ To register for Vision by Design’s Virtual Bootcamp, visit https://aaomc.site-ym.com/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1498264 CooperVision Specialty EyeCare develops, manufactures, and provides access to an unmatched portfolio of industry leading soft custom and rigid gas permeable lens designs, including orthokeratology and scleral lenses to address segments such as myopia management, scleral and irregular cornea and presbyopia management. Its ongoing research and innovative products and services play a leading role in expanding care worldwide. CooperVision Specialty EyeCare is comprised of industry leading companies including Blanchard, GP Specialists, Paragon, Procornea, Soflex and No 7.
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CORE Announces 2021 BCLA Virtual Clinical Conference Presentations for June 13-14
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) today announced its participation in the 2021 BCLA Virtual Clinical Conference, which will run from June 13-14 as a globally-available digital live stream. Even in the midst of the pandemic, CORE has continued to widely publish and present topics critical to the future of optometry and ophthalmology. Among the conference highlights will be Dr. Lyndon Jones’ COPE-accredited session on future applications for contact lenses, culled from the BCLA’s new Contact Lens Evidence-based Academic Reports (CLEAR) series. Contact Lens Technologies of the Future (Jones L, et al.) represents one of the most comprehensive reviews of advancements that will shape the category’s future, including novel biomaterials, nanotechnology progress, unique optical designs, biosensing discoveries, antibacterial agents, plus battery miniaturization and power transfer. “Since its initial publication only two months ago, the future technologies paper has captured the attention of our peers and from emerging entrants to the category. It has also drawn interest from mainstream news media in multiple countries, sparking dozens of stories and stimulating consumer interest in contact lenses. The opportunities for manufacturers, eye care professionals and of course the millions who will benefit from these innovations cannot be overstated,” said Jones. Dr. Chau-Minh Phan, a research assistant professor with CORE, was among the paper’s 14 co-authors. Six other CORE scientists contributed to the broader BCLA CLEAR Reports series, serving as co-authors on a variety of papers that cover anatomy and physiology, complications, evidence-based practice, and the effect of lens materials and design. Professor Eric Papas will chair an Alcon-sponsored session on contact lens comfort, with contributions from Professors Lyndon Jones, Jennifer Craig (New Zealand) and Greg Sawyer (USA) on the BCLA main stage, as part of the conference’s application track. They will review the complex interactions that occur between contact lens materials, ocular surface cells and the tear film, and how these interactions impact comfort and ultimately wearer retention. Professor Jones will also be one of four BCLA-designated North American hosts acting as chairs for the second half of day one. In addition, CORE researchers Jill Woods, Doerte Luensmann, Marc Schulze, and Sarah Guthrie are each presenting narrated posters regarding a multifocal contact lens clinical study, available as part of the conference’s extensive scientific program. BCLA anticipates that more than 1,000 United Kingdom and international contact lens professionals will attend the June 2021 conference over the course of its 30-hour live stream.
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Early COVID-19 Whistleblowers Must Be Heard, says AHF
As the Geneva-based 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) meets virtually this week, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest provider of HIV/AIDS care globally, calls for the initial whistleblowers of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China to be made available for interviews immediately—preferably outside of China. China has been criticized since late 2019, at the onset of COVID-19, for attempting to cover up the origins of the outbreak by jailing and silencing whistleblowers for trying to warn colleagues and the world about a mysterious virus. Two doctors, Dr. Ai Fen and Dr. Li Wenliang, were among those censored by authorities. Dr. Li lost his battle with COVID-19 on Feb. 7, 2020, after contracting the virus from a patient the previous month. “We don't know if this outbreak was a lab accident, but we do know that its origin is being hidden and has been shrouded in secrecy since the beginning,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein. “With nearly 3.5 million COVID-19 deaths globally, China owes the world the truth about the outbreak’s origins. Doctors Li and Ai were only two of several individuals who first tried to sound the alarm on the novel coronavirus—they must all be free to tell their stories. The world deserves to know how this happened to help stop the current pandemic and prevent others in the future.” Dr. Li was one of eight people detained in Wuhan for “spreading rumors,” according to an article in The Lancet. Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan was also jailed for her early COVID-19 reporting in Wuhan—another example of efforts by authorities to impede and obscure global investigations into COVID-19’s origins and its spread at the start of the outbreak. Since Zhang’s imprisonment, there have been reports of her continued protests in confinement. “Complete transparency is a must. The individuals who were detained, along with any others, including Ms. Zhang, who have firsthand knowledge of the origins of COVID-19, must be immediately allowed to speak—where they are free from the intimidation and censorship of Chinese officials,” added Weinstein. “Health care workers on the frontlines are the world’s first line of defense against infectious disease outbreaks. By not gathering and utilizing data from all their knowledge and experiences, the world is put at much greater risk—as we’ve seen all too clearly with this pandemic.” The more than 190 health ministers, who are members of the WHA, must raise their voices and demand that China be completely transparent, including providing all relevant information without interference. These actions would allow an independent panel to discover the truth about the origins of COVID-19, which has disrupted the lives of citizens across WHA member states and caused devastation to the health and economic systems in their respective countries. AHF echoes Dr. Li’s words just days before his death. “If the officials had disclosed information about the epidemic earlier, I think it would have been a lot better. There should be more openness and transparency,” said Li in an interview with The New York Times. In February 2020, AHF memorialized Dr. Li’s courage and sacrifice by naming its Asia Bureau office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in his honor. ### AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.5 million clients in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare
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CooperVision DreamLite Ortho-K Lenses Gain European Approval for Slowing Progression of Myopia
CooperVision Specialty EyeCare’s Procornea DreamLite® night lenses have received European approval for slowing the progression of myopia in children and young adults. The popular orthokeratology contact lens is the latest CooperVision myopia control product to gain the CE Mark, joining EyeDream and Paragon CRT® ortho-k designs, MiSight® 1 day soft contact lenses, and SightGlass Vision Diffusion Optics Technology spectacle lenses. CooperVision has built the world’s largest portfolio of evidence-based myopia control interventions. This provides eye care professionals (ECPs) with multiple approved options for addressing the global myopia epidemic, helping them tailor the approach to each child and family. “Myopia’s increasing frequency and prevalence is one of the most discussed issues in eye health. But conversation without action will not change the lives of the hundreds of millions of children affected by the issue. That sentiment is echoed by the World Council of Optometry, which recently passed a resolution advising optometrists to incorporate a standard of care for myopia management within their practices,” said Dr. Juan Carlos Aragón, President, CooperVision Specialty EyeCare. “Our commitments to innovations such as DreamLite® night lenses, providing broader access to optical interventions with scientifically-demonstrated outcomes, and investing in widespread education for eye care professionals and parents are examples why CooperVision continues to lead the myopia management category. The latest CE Mark will help ECPs communicate with even more confidence about DreamLite® lenses’ ability to slow the progression of myopia.” DreamLite® night lenses can be used for myopia control with children who have a refraction of -0.75 D to -5.00 D and a cylindrical refraction with a maximum of -2.50 D. A two-year study showed that DreamLite® night lenses reduced axial length growth by 63% percent among high myopes compared to the single vision spectacle lens control group—a total reduction of 0.32 mm.1 The lenses are currently available across Europe, the Middle East, and China. CooperVision products are used by thousands of ECPs across the region for myopia correction and control. DreamLite® ortho-k lenses represent the leading design in the United Kingdom (under the EyeDream brand), and MiSight® 1 day soft contact lenses are available in multiple countries for daily wear. Commercialization plans are in progress for SightGlass Vision Diffusion Optics Technology™ spectacle lenses, which CooperVision acquired earlier this year. In November 2019, MiSight® 1 day became the first and only U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved* soft contact lenses proven to slow myopia progression in children, aged 8-12 at the initiation of treatment.2** This pivotal development and subsequent adoption by thousands of influential ECPs has accelerated myopia management in the U.S. and other countries. Myopia is projected to affect the vision of approximately five billion people globally by 2050, more than doubling today’s numbers.3 High myopia raises the risk of vision-threatening eye conditions such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, early cataracts and myopic maculopathy, a leading cause of blindness world-wide.4 ### * U.S. indications for use: MiSight® 1 day (omafilcon A) soft (hydrophilic) contact lenses for daily wear are indicated for the correction of myopic ametropia and for slowing the progression of myopia in children with non-diseased eyes, who at the initiation of treatment are 8-12 years of age and have a refraction of -0.75 to -4.00 diopters (spherical equivalent) with ≤ 0.75 diopters of astigmatism. The lens is to be discarded after each removal. ** Compared to a single vision 1 day lens over a 3-year period. [1] Charm J, Cho P. High myopia-partial reduction ortho-k: a 2-year randomized study. Optom Vis Sci. 2013 Jun;90(6):530-9. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0b013e318293657d. PMID: 23645372. [2] Chamberlain P, et al. A 3-year randomized clinical trial of MiSight® lenses for myopia control. Optom Vis Sci. 2019; 96(8):556-67. [3] Holden et al, - Global Prevalence of myopia and high myopia and temporal trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology 2016. 123(5):1036-1042 [4] Tideman JW et al. Association of axial length with risk of uncorrectable visual impairment for Europeans with myopia. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2016;134:1355-1363.
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PulPac granted support from Swedish strategic innovation program BioInnovation
The goal of the project is to develop radically new materials and evaluate application methods that enable the integration of more environmentally friendly hydro- or oleophobic barriers in dry molded processes (Dry Molded Fiber). The project is a collaboration between leading actors in chemical and material production in Sweden, where i.a. Nordic Barrier Coating will contribute with expertise in the development of non-woven materials, integrate pioneering chemistry and lamination of barriers on cellulose-based materials. A successful outcome of the project will enable the creation of several types of completely sustainable packaging products with high barrier properties with protection against, for example, grease and moisture. “The development of Dry Molded Fiber is progressing at a rapid pace and we see that there is an incredible amount of exciting happening in the market around sustainable chemicals, barriers and materials. We look forward to hypothesizing these leading innovative solutions in Dry Molded Fiber and are very positive regarding the possibilities of industrializing these.” comments Ove Larsson, Chief Technology Officer at PulPac AB Given proven hypotheses, the project will drive the uptake of Dry Molded Fiber in the most challenging packaging applications.
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Toray Develops Biochip for High-Performance Multi-Item Allergy Testing
Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it has developed an allergy testing biochip (see Glossary note 1) that can simultaneously measure multiple allergen-specific immunoglobin E (IgE) antibodies (see Glossary note 2) from trace amounts of blood. This breakthrough should help reduce stress on children and others whose blood is difficult to draw and enhance the accuracy of allergy diagnostics. Toray aims to undertake large-scale verifications of the specimens of allergy sufferers and swiftly apply for in-vitro diagnostic certification. Food, pollen, and other allergies afflict half of Japan’s population. Incidence rates are rising, particularly among infants and young adults. Infants often have multiple allergies. It is common in medicine to identify such ailments by using in vitro diagnostic products that measure allergen-specific IgE antibody levels in the blood. An issue with simultaneously measuring allergen-specific IgE antibodies from small blood samples to alleviate stress has been that proteins, cells, and other contaminants in the blood impede accurate measurements. Toray was able to attain high precision from measurements with small samples by combining the microarray technology of 3D-Gene®, a highly sensitive DNA chip that can simultaneously detect multiple genes, and a low-fouling polymer technology to prevent blood component adhesion that the company created in developing artificial kidneys for hemodialysis patients. In-house verification testing confirmed that Toray’s product, which simultaneously measures multiple allergy items from 20 microliters of blood, has a quantitative correlation exceeding 95% with existing in-vitro diagnostic products that measure single items. ### [Glossary] 1. Biochips are made of substrates on which DNA, proteins, sugar chains, and other bio-molecules are fixed to detect substances that interact specifically with these bio-molecules. Allergy testing biochips have allergens (proteins) on their substrate to detect allergen-specific IgE antibodies. 2. Allergen-specific IgE antibodies bind to allergens and cause allergic symptoms and are thus biomarkers for allergic ailments. Blood antibody measurements aim to identify causative allergens and select effective therapies.
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TheOne Medical Introduces OneVet Veterinary Endoscope, A Versatile and Portable Device to Keep Your Pet Healthy
TheOne Medical is an innovative medical solution provider that specializes in medical imaging. To optimize the convenience and performance of diagnosis and treatment for veterinary practitioners, TheOne Medical will be showcasing its new imaging device, OneVet Veterinarian Endoscope, at various upcoming medical industry events in 2021. OneVet Veterinarian Endoscope is an ideal and cost-efficient solution for doctors seeking portable, easy-to-use, and versatile scope for various procedures. Equipped with a 3.5" IPS high-resolution screen, the 750mm length endoscope is easy to operate and suitable for examination, diagnosis, treatment, and biopsy. With a 2.8mm/4.8mm outer diameter (OD), a 1.2mm/2.6mm (ID) working channel, and suctioning function, the product is an effective imaging aid for the nose, ears, throat, stomach, intestine, and urinary tract practice in small and large animals. The 120° field of view (FOV) and 2-way deflection also facilitate the passage of the endoscope's tip to some hard-to-reach areas, reducing the damage and irritation to animals during the practice. By systematically integrating the software and hardware of medical imaging equipment, TheOne Medical is committed to developing easy-to-operate devices for physicians to optimize their practical applications. Competitive Advantages: • 100% made in Taiwan with warranty • Built-in battery lasts approximately 240 minutes • Snapshot and recording functions • Can be connected to external monitors, facilitating teaching and image preservation • Ergonomic handle for an easy, comfortable grip • Backup machines provided during maintenance for uninterrupted service
