Ophthalmology News and Research

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Ophthalmology is the specialized field of medicine that focuses on the health of the eye. It includes the anatomy, physiology and diseases that may affect the eye. Historically, the science of ophthalmology encompassed all aspects of visual function, both in health and in illness. Additionally, ophthalmology also includes animal eyes as ocular function and optic diseases are similar among humans and animals.

U.K. NICE issues final draft guidance on Alimera Sciences’ ILUVIEN

Alimera Sciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in the research, development and commercialization of prescription ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, today announced that the United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued final draft guidance indicating that ILUVIEN is not recommended for the treatment of chronic diabetic macular edema (DME) considered insufficiently responsive to available therapies.

30 Nov 2012

Watch out for Sjögren's syndrome in dry eye

Clinicians with patients who have clinically significant dry eye should be on the alert for underlying Sjögren's syndrome, report researchers in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

28 Nov 2012

Carnosic acid promotes eye health

Herbs widely used throughout history in Asian and early European cultures have received renewed attention by Western medicine in recent years. Scientists are now isolating the active compounds in many medicinal herbs and documenting their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In a study published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Stuart A. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D. and colleagues at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) report that carnosic acid, a component of the herb rosemary, promotes eye health.

28 Nov 2012

Topically applied simvastatin enhances wound recovery in diabetic mice

Delayed wound healing is a major complication of diabetes because the physiological changes in tissues and cells impair the wound healing process. This can result in additional disease outcomes such as diabetic foot ulcer, a significant cause of morbidity in the growing population of diabetic patients. A new study has found that topically applied simvastatin accelerates wound healing in diabetic mice, suggesting important implications for humans with diabetes.

28 Nov 2012

EC approves Regeneron’s EYLEA for treatment of wet AMD

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that EYLEA (aflibercept) Injection has been approved by the European Commission for the treatment of patients with neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).

27 Nov 2012

Eight days is magic number for macular reattachment

Individuals who have a macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment for up to 8 days before being treated can expect continued improvement in their visual acuity for up to a year after reattachment surgery, show study results.

23 Nov 2012

Methylome modifications offer new measure of a person's biological age

Women live longer than men. Individuals can appear or feel years younger - or older - than their chronological age. Diseases can affect our aging process. When it comes to biology, our clocks clearly tick differently.

22 Nov 2012

Cataract specifics are not relevant to postsurgery improvement

Patient-reported improvements in vision after cataract surgery are high and are unrelated to the level of ocular comorbidity or whether the surgery is in the first or second eye, report researchers.

21 Nov 2012

Prader-Willi children may receive relief from sleep disorders after adenotonsillectomy

Children with Prader-Willi syndrome may receive relief from sleep disorders after undergoing an adenotonsillectomy, suggests a new study from Nationwide Children's Hospital published in the November print issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

21 Nov 2012

Simple, accurate testing protocol to determine driving fitness in individuals with MS

A simple, accurate testing protocol to determine driving fitness in individuals with multiple sclerosis is the aim of a three-year study at Georgia Health Sciences University.

21 Nov 2012

Researchers discover new cause of hydrocephalus

Researchers at the University of Iowa have discovered a new cause of hydrocephalus, a devastating neurological disorder that affects between one and three of every 1,000 babies born. Working in mice, the researchers identified a cell signaling defect, which disrupts immature brain cells involved in normal brain development.

20 Nov 2012

Carl Zeiss Meditec introduces new family of OCT products at 2012 AAO-APAO Joint Meeting

Medical technology manufacturer Carl Zeiss Meditec introduced a new family of OCT products spanning the full spectrum of multi-modality imaging for retinal disease and glaucoma at the 2012 Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology in Chicago.

17 Nov 2012

FDA approves Cook's Zilver PTX drug-eluting peripheral stent

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that its partner Cook Medical, Inc. received approval on November 15, 2012 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market and sell the proprietary Zilver PTX drug-eluting peripheral stent, adding the United States to the list of over 50 markets, including the European Union and Japan, where Zilver PTX is approved for sale.

16 Nov 2012

Latest in optometry: headache link debunked; iPads open up new vista

The latest research in optometry finds no link between headaches and refractive errors in children under the age of 18 years – and a clinical purpose for iPads.

16 Nov 2012

Mini-stent shows promising glaucoma control

The implantation of a microstent into the eyes of patients with open-angle glaucoma could remove their need to use eye drops to reduce intraocular pressure, show the 1-year results of a clinical trial.

14 Nov 2012

Hydrus stent may significantly reduce eye pressure in glaucoma patients

A tiny medical device no larger than an eyelash may significantly reduce eye pressure in glaucoma patients and allow some to stop using eye-drop medications, according to year-one clinical trial results for the device.

14 Nov 2012

Automated eye tests best for toddlers

Children under the age of 4 years benefit from instrument-based vision screening rather than visual acuity tests since the former is quick, requires minimal cooperation of the child, and is not dependent on their behavioral responses, says a policy statement released by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

9 Nov 2012

Omeros to present results from first pivotal Phase 3 trial of OMS302 at AAO annual meeting

Omeros Corporation today reported that it will present data from its first pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating OMS302 at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Annual Meeting, which will take place from November 10 through November 13 in Chicago, Illinois.

9 Nov 2012

FDA accepts Merck’s suvorexant NDA for standard review

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the New Drug Application (NDA) for suvorexant, the company's investigational insomnia medicine, has been accepted for standard review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

9 Nov 2012

Corneal limbal stromal cells could lead to new treatments for eye conditions

Eye experts and scientists at the University of Southampton have discovered specific cells in the eye which could lead to a new procedure to treat and cure blinding eye conditions.

8 Nov 2012