Keep up with ASCRS Annual Meeting coverage with EyeWorld Onsite

Live coverage of key sessions and events at the 2026 ASCRS Annual Meeting is already being featured on www.eyeworldonsite.org. Keep up with timely and expanded coverage from in and around the ASCRS Annual Meeting with EyeWorld Onsite.

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Positive topline results from Phase 3 trial for TED drug with new delivery method

Amgen announced positive topline results from its Phase 3 trial that evaluated TEPEZZA (teprotumumab-trbw) administered subcutaneously via an on-body injector for patients with thyroid eye disease (TED). The current FDA-approved version of TEPEZZA is administered via IV infusion. Subcutaneous injection, according to the company’s press release, would be a convenient delivery method for patients. The company stated that 77% of patients achieved a highly statistically significant proptosis response and a clinically meaningful reduction in proptosis in the Phase 3 study. The safety profile with subcutaneous injection was similar to that of IV infusion.

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FDA expands dosing interval for wet AMD, DME treatment

EYLEA HD (aflibercept, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals) has been approved for an extended dosing interval up to 20 weeks for patients with wet AMD and diabetic macular edema. With this approval, the FDA updated the label for EYLEA HD to include 96-week data from the company’s two pivotal trials. The company stated that this approval allows treatment to be individualized for patients who may need more frequent or less frequent dosing regimens.

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IDE granted to noninvasive bioelectric stimulation therapy for dry AMD

i-Lumen Scientific received FDA IDE approval for its non-invasive bioelectric stimulation therapy for treatment of intermediate and advanced dry AMD. This allows the company to begin enrollment in the U.S. for its pivotal study that’s evaluating the therapy’s effect on visual acuity for patients with vision loss due to dry AMD.

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First patients dosed in Phase 3 corneal cell therapy

Aurion Biotech announced the first patients have been dosed in its Phase 3 pivotal trial for AURN001, a regenerative cell therapy for treatment of corneal edema secondary to corneal endothelial dysfunction, including Fuchs. AURN001 is considered a first-in-class investigational combination therapy, consisting of “human corneal endothelial cells (neltependocel) and a rho-kinase inhibitor (Y-27632).” The company also noted that AURN001 is designed to “regenerate corneal clarity and vision through an intracameral injection.”

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TED investigational treatment fails to meet primary endpoint

Immunovant announced topline results from its two Phase 3 studies for batoclimab. Batoclimab failed to meet its primary endpoint of a 2 mm or greater proptosis responder rate at week 24 after 12 weeks of treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe thyroid eye disease (TED). The company reported that patients in the high-dose group had greater levels of proptosis improvement from baseline compared to the low-dose group, which the company stated “[supports] the benefit of deeper IgG suppression.”

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OTC eye drop recall after FDA enforcement report cites sterility concerns

KC Pharmaceuticals Inc., the manufacturer of different brands of over-the-counter eye drops sold at many common locations nationwide, is voluntarily recalling more than 3 million bottles after the FDA issued an enforcement report that cited sterility concerns. This is not the first time in recent years that over-the-counter drops have been recalled in the U.S., with several major recalls issued. A news report from UC Davis Health about the recent recall explained that FDA approval is not required for over-the-counter drops, though they need to maintain compliance with other standards.

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ASCRS news and events

• 2026 ASCRS Annual Meeting: Registration is still available onsite for the ASCRS Annual Meeting, taking place now through April 13 in Washington, D.C.
• Party for a Purpose: The ASCRS Foundation’s annual fundraising event and the 2026 Annual Meeting kickoff party takes place tonight, April 10, in Washington, D.C., for registered attendees. You don’t need to be onsite to support the sight-restoring work of Operation Sight. Donations are already being collected.
• ASCRS Live!: This educational dinner series is heading to several cities across the U.S. in 2026. Registration is open for the next event in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 11.
• ASCRS Online Education: The ASCRS CME Education Catalog offers a wealth of both CME and non-CME content for ASCRS members. Check out what your colleagues have been watching lately.

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Research highlights

• According to the authors of a monocentric, observational, retrospective study published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, “there is no consensus on how to subdivide eyes when evaluating IOL power formulas performance.” These authors sought to create such a classification based on ocular biometry. They used data from both eyes of 21,797 patients, acquired between 2016–2024, classifying them into 27 subgroups based on axial length, anterior chamber depth, and mean keratometry, naming the subgroups with 3 letters that corresponded to 3 levels (high, normal, or low). The researchers classified 43,954 eyes, finding that the most common subgroup was “NNN” (normal axial length between 22.13–24.84 mm, normal ACD between 2.64–3.43 mm, and normal mean keratometry between 42.50–45.60 D). The least common subgroups were HLH (high AL, low ACD, and high mean keratometry), and LHL (low AL, high ACD, and low mean keratometry). The authors noted that “subgroups’ characteristics (age, lens thickness [LT], LT/ACD, etc.) reflect patterns seen frequently in clinical practice, for example, older patients with delayed surgeries, high LT and narrow ACD.” They called this classification the LAKE classification, which they concluded “[provides] a systematic method for categorizing cataractous eyes based on their biometry.”
• Laughter exercise as an adjunctive therapy for dry eye disease after cataract surgery was investigated in a parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. The study included 72 participants and evaluated the efficacy and safety of the laughter exercise in patients who had dry eye disease after cataract surgery. The participants in the test group performed a guided laughter exercise four times a day for 4 weeks, with outcomes measured in the test and control group preoperatively and at week 1, 4, and 12 postop. The authors reported that the change in dry eye symptom scores was better in the laughter group than the control group. They also noted that health status scores improved in the laughter group compared to the control group. There were not significant differences between the two groups in clinical measurements like tear meniscus height or tear break-up time. The authors concluded that laughter exercises can relieve dry eye symptoms and improve physical and mental health, but they do not improve objective clinical symptoms. The research is published in the journal Clinical Ophthalmology.

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Product news

• Alcon expanded its Clareon portfolio with the launch of the Clareon TruPlus IOL, which it described as an enhanced design monofocal and toric IOL that features Opti-Balance Technology at the lens center to “slightly extend depth of focus.”
• Bausch + Lomb launched its preloaded enVista Envy IOLs in the European market.

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