CPT code granted to investigational drug-eluting IOL system

SpyGlass Pharma announced that it received an add-on Category III CPT code (X659T) from the AMA for its Bimatoprost Drug Pad-IOL System (BIM-IOL System), establishing a reimbursement pathway should this system receive FDA approval in the future. This code is to be used along with Category I cataract surgery procedure codes, according to the company. The BIM-IOL System is currently in two Phase 3 clinical trials, which are expected to complete enrollment within 2027.

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Study: new eye disease associated with virus

Covert mortality nodavirus (CMNV), which typically infects aquatic animals, has made a jump to humans and is causing persistent ocular hypertensive viral anterior uveitis (POH-VAU) and elevated IOP, according to a report in the journal Nature Microbiology. The authors reported confirmed CMNV infection in the ocular tissue of 70 patients with POH-VAU. They noted that exposure events included processing of wild or farmed aquatic animals and/or eating of raw aquatic animals in 71.4% of cases. In mice, CMNV caused an increase in IOP and pathological damage to ocular tissues; it was found capable of infecting mammalian cells in vitro, according to the paper, which described this as an “emerging human disease.” An article in Forbes about this emerging disease noted that in 2024, the World Organization for Animal Health listed its concern of capacity to infect humans as “none.” The Forbes article also reported that in the Nature study, a third of patients required glaucoma surgery. As a single-stranded RNA virus, the Forbes article reported that it can be killed with heat (cooking), but this doesn’t reduce the risk for those exposed to infected animals in processing before cooking has taken place.

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Enrollment complete in real-world myopia control studies

CooperVision announced that it completed enrollment in its MiSight 1 day post-approval clinical studies in the U.S. and China. These studies, according to the company’s press release, will provide real-world evidence of using these soft contact lenses for myopia control. The studies will take place at more than 100 clinical sites and include more than 3,000 pediatric participants. Final data is expected on a rolling basis between 2027–2030.

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Company news

Biogen completed its acquisition of Apellis Pharmaceuticals, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Biogen.

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ASCRS news and events

• 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.
• ASCRS Annual Meeting: Hotel rooms are now available for the 2027 ASCRS Annual Meeting. Book your 2027 hotel in San Diego early to get your preferred room and location.
• BRiCS Summit: Coming soon! The third annual Business of Refractive Cataract Surgery Summit (BRiCS Summit)heads to Dallas, Texas, this fall. Stay tuned for more information.

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EyeWorld article of the week

The Spring issue of EyeWorld includes an article that looks at using the Light Adjustable Lens (LAL, RxSight) in patients with glaucoma. Read what Christine Larsen, MD, and Deborah Ristvedt, DO, think about this option for patients with a more complex ocular system in “Using the Light Adjustable Lens in glaucoma patients.”

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Research highlights

• The safety and efficacy of clobetasol propionate ophthalmic suspension (CPN) 0.05% for ocular inflammation and pain after cataract surgery was evaluated in two Phase 3 trials, the data from which was published in the journal Ophthalmology. The studies were identical except that one included a corneal endothelial cell safety sub-study. Patients involved (pooled n=748) were randomized to receive CPN 0.05% or placebo, taking one drop twice daily for 14 days in the operated eye. Analysis of pooled data from the two studies showed that CPN 0.05% met primary endpoints in having a rapid and sustained ability to clear inflammation and prevent ocular pain. Its ability to do this was statistically significant compared to placebo, according to the authors. At 15 days postop, 58.2% in the CPN group and 17.3% in the placebo group had an anterior chamber cell count of 0, and 88.5% in the CPN group and 45.8% in the placebo group had an ocular pain score of 0. The authors also reported that visual acuity improved more rapidly in the test group compared to placebo. No rebound effect was observed when the drops were stopped, and the authors reported that more patients in the placebo group required rescue medications. There were no meaningful IOP increases or endothelial cell changes in the CPN group.
• Change in vault after ICL exchange and other outcome predictors was evaluated in a single, high-volume refractive surgery center in South Korea as part of a retrospective cohort study. The study was based on a record review of ICL implantations from 2013–2024. Within this data, the eyes that required exchange were classified as upsizing, same-size, or downsizing. The primary outcome was vault change at 6 months. The
• EyePromise launched Heyedrate Clinical, which it described as a “next-generation artificial tear” for dry eye symptoms, using povidone and high molecular weight hyaluronic acid. It is preservative-free and is available commercially.
• Bausch + Lomb launched PreserVision AREDS3 eye vitamins, which it stated combines vitamins recommended to help reduce the risk of AMD progression and a B-vitamin complex. This product is available nationwide, according to the company.
• secondary outcome was endothelial cell density, and indications for the exchange and age-vault relationships were assessed. The study included 22,739 eyes, 110 of which had an exchange (70 upsizing, 27 same-size, and 13 downsizing). The indications for exchange differed by group, with downsizing for high vault in 100% of cases, upsizing for low vault in 34.3% or toric rotation in 62.9% of cases, and maintaining the same-size for residual refraction in 63% or toric status in 37% of cases. The authors found that downsizing “reliably reduced excessive vault, same-size exchange produced minimal change, and upsizing yielded smaller gains that diminished with increasing age.” This study was published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.

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Product news

• EyePromise launched Heyedrate Clinical, which it described as a “next-generation artificial tear” for dry eye symptoms, using povidone and high molecular weight hyaluronic acid. It is preservative-free and is available commercially.
• Bausch + Lomb launched PreserVision AREDS3 eye vitamins, which it stated combines vitamins recommended to help reduce the risk of AMD progression and a B-vitamin complex. This product is available nationwide, according to the company.

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