Eyeworld.org EW Week Vol.15 No.7

Senate votes to further delay 21% Medicare payment cut until Oct. 1

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:07:06 -0500

The U.S. Senate has again voted to delay an anticipated 21.2% Medicare physician payment cut until Oct. 1, the American Medical Association (Chicago) said in a press release. The bill will now go to the U.S. House of Representatives for further consideration.
On March 2, the Senate passed separate legislation intended to forestall the payment reduction, originally slated to take effect on March 1, until April 1. The payment cut, which is a consequence of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, would result in a $28.39 conversion factor, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery said in a previous press release.

FDA approves Tecnis Multifocal

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:07:06 -0500

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted regulatory approval for the Tecnis Multifocal 1-Piece IOL for cataract patients with and without presbyopia, Abbott Medical Optics (Santa Ana, Calif.) said in a press release. The lens has also been granted presbyopia-correcting IOL status by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), AMO said. This will provide Medicare patients with the option to receive a Tecnis Multifocal 1-piece lens for an additional fee as part of cataract surgery.
The Tecnis Multifocal 1-Piece IOL is a pupil-independent, full diffractive presbyopia-correcting lens. AMO said full commercial shipments are slated to begin next month.

Proposed bill in Colorado would increase regulation of surgical techs

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:07:06 -0500

In light of the recent conviction of former surgical technician Kristen Diane Parker for exposing over 6,000 patients to hepatitis C, Colorado lawmakers have proposed a bill that would require surgical technicians to register with the state, and that the names of irresponsible workers be shared with the state health department. Under the bill proposed by Reps. Sara Gagliardi (D-Arvada) and Debbie Benefield (D-Arvada/Westminster), employers would be required to check the database of names before hiring a surgical tech and report the discipline and firing of a surgical tech for issues that might be a violation of the Surgical Tech Practice Act, the House Democrats said on the Web site.

Drug therapy for Stargardts receives orphan status

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:07:06 -0500

An early stage embryonic stem cell therapy for the treatment of Stargardt’s macular dystrophy (SMD) has been granted orphan drug status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, developer Advanced Cell Technology (ACT, Santa Monica, Calif.) said in a press release.
ACT will have seven years of marketing exclusivity if MA09-hRPE is successfully brought to market, the company said. In the U.S., orphan drug designation status is granted to companies with products intended for the treatment of a rare disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 Americans. The National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Md.) recently proposed broadening the definition of a human embryonic stem cell to include ACT’s “single blastomere technology platform,” which was used to derive ACT’s MA09-hRPE cells.
Although there is currently no cure for SMD, researchers have found that embryonic stem cells can be a source of RPE cells and can subsequently restore vision in SMD and age-related macular degeneration, ACT said in the release.
In a Royal College of Surgeons (London) rat model, implantation of RPE cells resulted in 100% improvement in visual performance over untreated controls, without any adverse effects. The cells survived for more than 220 days and sustained extensive photoreceptor rescue. Functional rescue was also achieved in a mouse with SMD, ACT said. In this model, near-normal functional measurements recorded at more than 70 days.

Carl Zeiss Vision, Gunnar Optiks form partnership

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:07:06 -0500

Gunnar Optiks (Carlsbad, Calif.) has partnered with Carl Zeiss Vision (San Diego) to co-develop and market the next generation of i-AMP prescription lens technology, the companies said in a press release. The i-AMP lens technology is the first total lens and frame solution to address the needs of digital device users, the companies said in the release.

Study: Antidepressants linked to increased risk of cataracts

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:07:06 -0500

Some antidepressant drugs are associated with an increased risk of developing cataracts, researchers now say. The University of British Columbia (Vancouver) study showed statistical relationships between a diagnosis of cataracts or cataract surgery and the use of selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The study was based on a database of more than 200,000 Quebec residents aged 65 and older and also showed relationships between cataracts and specific drugs within the SSRI class, the researchers said.
In this study, patients taking SSRIs were 15% more likely overall to be diagnosed with cataracts or to have cataract surgery. The degree of risk among specific and different types of SSRIs varied considerably, the researchers said. Taking fluvoxamine led to a 51% higher chance of having cataract surgery, and venlafaxine carried a 34% higher risk. No connection could be made between fluoxetine, citalopram, and sertraline and having cataract surgery.
The study will be published in Ophthalmology, a university press release noted.

First femtosecond laser cataract surgeries performed in U.S.

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:07:06 -0500

Stephen G. Slade, M.D., of Houston, has performed the first laser cataract surgery cases in the U.S. using a LensSx (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) femtosecond laser, LensSx announced in a press release. LensSx received the first femtosecond laser clearance for a cataract surgery in August 2009, followed by a clearance for corneal incisions in December 2009, the company said in the release. Additional coverage on the use of femtosecond lasers for cataract surgery will be featured in EyeWorld’s April issue.

Campaign profiles Day in the Life with Glaucoma

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:07:06 -0500

In recognition of World Glaucoma Week (March 7-13), the All Eyes on Glaucoma Campaign is raising awareness of the visual and lifestyle consequences of glaucoma in daily life, campaign leaders said in a press release.
John Patrick Shanley, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of “Moonstruck” and playwright of “Doubt,” is currently starring in an online public service announcement titled “A Day in the Life with Glaucoma.” Mr. Shanley, who was diagnosed with glaucoma in 1997, credits his timely diagnosis and treatment with preserving his vision. To view the online public service announcement, visit .

Santen, Bausch + Lomb announce management changes

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:07:06 -0500

Santen Inc. (Osaka, Japan) has made changes to its management structure designed to increase focus on the U.S. market, with Toshiaki Nishihata, Ph.D., assuming the position of CEO effective April 1, the company said in a press release. He will also continue to serve as a member of the board, senior corporate officer, and head of the research and development division.
Akihiro Tsujimura will assume the post of chief operating officer of Santen Inc., the company said in the release. Mr. Tsujimura was previously head of the business development department.
In a separate press release, Bausch + Lomb (Rochester, N.Y.) announced that it has appointed Robert Steffen, O.D., as its director of clinical affairs for the vision care unit. In this capacity, Dr. Steffen will provide clinical support for new product development.