Eye News and Research

Latest Eye News and Research

High court decision allows some employers to bypass contraceptive mandate

The 5-4 ruling says some closely held corporations cannot be forced to provide services that are at odds with the owners' religious beliefs.

1 Jul 2014

In 5-4 decision, high court sides with Hobby Lobby

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday in a 5-4 split said "closely held" companies can on religious grounds opt out of a federal health-care law requirement that companies provide contraception coverage for employees, carving another piece from President Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement.

1 Jul 2014

First Edition: Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including numerous reports about the Supreme Court's decision on the health law's contraception mandate and its effect for coverage and on national politics.

1 Jul 2014

Researchers make giant leap towards goal of 'bio-printing' transplantable tissues, organs

Researchers have made a giant leap towards the goal of 'bio-printing' transplantable tissues and organs for people affected by major diseases and trauma injuries, a new study reports.

1 Jul 2014

Doctor offers tips on fireworks safety to prevent injuries

Fireworks can result in severe burns, scars and disfigurement that can last a lifetime. Fireworks that are often thought to be safe, such as sparklers, can reach temperatures above 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, and can burn users and bystanders.

1 Jul 2014

Researchers find unique cell type that can protect against uveitis

Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have found a unique cell type that, in tests on mice, can protect against uveitis—a group of inflammatory diseases that affect the eye and can cause vision loss.

1 Jul 2014

BioLight enrolls first patient in FDA Phase 1/2a clinical trial with Eye-D for treatment of glaucoma

BioLight Israeli Life Sciences Investments Ltd., a firm that invests in, manages and commercializes biomedical innovations grouped into clusters around defined medical conditions, announces that the first patient has been enrolled in the U.S. into a FDA Phase 1/2a clinical trial with Eye-D, the company's controlled-release latanoprost insert for the treatment of glaucoma.

1 Jul 2014

Light-sensitive molecule enables noninvasive silencing of neurons

Optogenetics, a technology that allows scientists to control brain activity by shining light on neurons, relies on light-sensitive proteins that can suppress or stimulate electrical signals within cells. This technique requires a light source to be implanted in the brain, where it can reach the cells to be controlled.

30 Jun 2014

American Academy of Ophthalmology does not recommend marijuana for glaucoma treatment

The American Academy of Ophthalmology – the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons – is reminding the public that it does not recommend marijuana or other cannabis products for the treatment of glaucoma.

28 Jun 2014

Autism Speaks awards more than $600,000 to scientists pursuing training in translational research

Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today announced it has awarded more than $600,000 in funding for six promising scientists pursuing academic training in translational research.

28 Jun 2014

Study validates telemedicine approach to ROP screening

Trained non-physician evaluators who studied retinal images transmitted to computer screens at a remote central reading center successfully identified newborn infants likely to require a specialized medical evaluation for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a leading cause of treatable blindness.

28 Jun 2014

FDA clears ReWalk wearable robotic exoskeleton for home usage

Exoskeleton leader ReWalk Robotics announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the company's ReWalk Personal System for use at home and in the community. ReWalk is a wearable robotic exoskeleton that provides powered hip and knee motion to enable individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) to stand upright and walk.

27 Jun 2014

University of Utah researcher to receive Nelson Trust Award for Retinitis Pigmentosa

Research to Prevent Blindness, a New York-based foundation, has announced that University of Utah researcher Wolfgang Baehr, Ph.D., will receive the Nelson Trust Award for Retinitis Pigmentosa-and an accompanying $100,000 to pursue new scientific leads to understand contributors to blindness.

27 Jun 2014

State roundup: Troubles in Kentucky; MD. hospital under review

The team at The Upshot, a Times news and data-analysis venture, compiled six basic metrics to give a picture of the quality and longevity of life in each county of the nation: educational attainment, household income, jobless rate, disability rate, life expectancy and obesity rate.

27 Jun 2014

Telemedicine is effective strategy to screen for potentially blinding disease in infants

Telemedicine is an effective strategy to screen for the potentially blinding disease known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), according to a study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI).

27 Jun 2014

Neuroscientists can control muscle movement by applying optogenetics

For the first time, MIT neuroscientists have shown they can control muscle movement by applying optogenetics - a technique that allows scientists to control neurons' electrical impulses with light - to the spinal cords of animals that are awake and alert.

27 Jun 2014

Aerie Pharmaceuticals' Roclatan meets all clinical endpoints in Phase 2b trial

Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class glaucoma therapies, today reported the successful results of its Phase 2b trial for once-daily, quadruple-action RoclatanTM, a combination of Aerie's triple-action RhopressaTM with latanoprost, a prostaglandin analogue (PGA).

25 Jun 2014

Study explores how visual skills of cricket players change with age

Scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London, will investigate how cricket players' ability to play shots changes over the course of a lifetime in a new study into eye movements and skill learning.

25 Jun 2014

Italian Medicines Agency grants marketing authorization to ILUVIEN for chronic DME treatment

pSivida Corp., a leader in the development of sustained release, drug delivery products for treating eye diseases, today announced that the Italian Medicines Agency (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco) has granted marketing authorization to ILUVIEN for the treatment of vision impairment associated with chronic diabetic macular edema (DME) considered insufficiently responsive to available therapies.

23 Jun 2014

Chinese FDA accepts Lee's IND for Phase 2 dry eye study

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. and Lee's Pharmaceutical Holdings Ltd. today jointly announced that the Chinese FDA has accepted a Phase II IND for RGN-259 (thymosin beta 4-based, preservative-free eye drops) to be tested in patients with moderate to severe dry eye syndrome in China.

23 Jun 2014