Bausch + Lomb acquires AcuFocus

Bausch + Lomb announced its acquisition of AcuFocus. This acquisition, according to the company’s press release, enhances Bausch + Lomb’s existing surgical portfolio with the addition of the AcuFocus IC-8 Apthera IOL. This is the first and only FDA-approved IOL with small aperture optics for non-toric extended depth of focus for patients with up to 1.5 D of cornea astigmatism.

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Study: novel drug delivery system sees less inflammation with preserved drops

Eyenovia, which is developing the Optejet drug delivery system that delivers a spray with “high-precision piezo-print technology,” conducted a study with Pedram Hamrah, MD, at Tufts Medical Center to evaluate inflammation with this drug delivery device compared to traditional drop delivery of latanoprost preserved with BAK. BAK has been associated with inflammation and ocular toxicity issues. The study, according to the company’s press release, showed that pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines were lower with the treatment administered with Optejet compared to standard drops. This, company leadership stated, “underscores that precision dosing of drug and preservatives by Optejet decreases inflammation.”

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Meibomian gland atrophy common among cataract patients, study finds

Research published in the journal Cornea found that meibomian gland atrophy of at least grade 1 was present in the majority of cataract patients. The retrospective study, which included case records of 391 patients whose preoperative cataract surgery workup included meibography, found that 372 patients had grade 1 or greater meibomian gland atrophy; 50.4% had grade 1, 25.8% grade 2, and 18.9% grade 3. The authors reported that there was a statistically significant correlation between atrophy and gland expressibility but not meibum grade or telangiectasia. The severity of gland atrophy was higher in those with previous dry eye disease diagnoses, the authors reported. Of those without prior dry eye disease history, 18% had moderate gland atrophy and 13% had severe atrophy. With these findings, the authors concluded that there is potential for underdiagnosis of meibomian gland atrophy among cataract surgery patients, and routine meibography screening could be helpful for diagnosis and treatment.

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mRNA technology investigated for gene therapy to treat blindness

Similar mRNA technology that was used in some of the COVID-19 vaccines is being investigated as a method to deliver gene therapy to treat forms of blindness, according to an article published by the Oregon Health & Sciences University about research being conducted in collaboration with Oregon State University. According to the article, lipid nanoparticles were used to deliver mRNA that would create proteins to correct “vision-harming gene mutations.” The research for this method of gene delivery was tested in a mouse model and is published in the journal Science Advances.

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Studies find new bionic vision system offers improved outcomes

Pixium Vision announced positive results with its next-generation PRIMA implant, a bionic vision system for patients with atrophic AMD. According to the company’s press release, the latest implant system could restore vision at a resolution 5 times greater than that of the current PRIMA implants. Papers about the second-generation PRIMA implant have been published in Nature Communications and the Journal of Neural Engineering. In addition to an increase in spatial resolution, the company’s press release stated that the research has found the new implant’s potential to restore vision to the point where faces could be recognized and for reading smaller fonts.

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ASCRS news and events

• ASCRS Annual Meeting: Tier 1 registration pricing for the ASCRS Annual Meeting, May 5–8, 2023, in San Diego, California, ends January 31. Register now for the best value to attend the meeting.
• Annual Meeting submission opportunity: Three symposia at the ASCRS Annual Meeting are seeking video case submissions until February 1. Find more information here.
• New EyeWorld Online Exclusive: EyeWorld has a new Online Exclusive featuring research on finger-prick autologous blood. Read the article and other EyeWorld Online Exclusives here.

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Research highlights

• More than a quarter (27.8%) of U.S. adults age 71 and older have some form of vision impairment, according to a paper published in JAMA Ophthalmology. This amount, according to the authors, is higher than previous estimates. The authors based their analysis on the 2021 National Health and Aging Trends Study; 3,026 respondents were included in the analysis after certain exclusion criteria were applied. Impairment in distance visual acuity, near visual acuity, and contrast sensitivity was prevalent in 10.3%, 22.3%, and 10.0% of respondents, respectively, according to the paper. The authors noted a higher prevalence of impairment in near visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in respondents who were non-White and of Hispanic ethnicity; older age, less education, and lower income were also associated with visual impairments.
• Visual acuity with LASIK or PRK as an enhancement after cataract surgery was investigated in a paper published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. The paper was a retrospective chart review that included 822 post-cataract enhanced eyes—491 of whom had LASIK and 331 had PRK. For those with at least 6 months of follow-up, the mean UDVA was 0.05±0.13 logMAR in eyes that had LASIK and 0.15±0.20 in eyes that had PRK. The mean absolute value MRSE at 6 months or longer follow-up was 0.22±0.36 for LASIK-enhanced patients and 0.48±0.62 for PRK-enhanced patients. According to the paper, 67% of patients who received LASIK enhancement achieved 20/20 or better UDVA compared to 43% of patients who had PRK enhancement. The authors found that LASIK produced better and more predictable outcomes even when pre-enhancement visual acuity and other prior ocular producers were controlled for.

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