EyeWorld - Eyeworld Weekly Update Archive - EW Weekly, April 2, 2021

EW Weekly, April 2, 2021

April 2, 2021 • Volume 27 , Number 13
FDA approves enhanced monovision IOL
Rayner announced FDA approval of its RayOne EMV (enhanced monovision) IOL. According to the company, the preloaded, non-diffractive IOL was developed in collaboration with Graham Barrett, MD, to enhance monovision outcomes in patients. The company stated that the IOL’s approach achieves presbyopia correction with reduced dysphotopsias, compared to diffractive presbyopia-correcting IOLs. Clinical results of 22 eyes from 11 patients with RayOne EMV 6 months postop showed 100% spectacle independence at distance and intermediate, and one in three patients had functional near vision, according to the company’s press release.
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Report: Demand for refractive surgery up amid pandemic
Refractive surgeons have anecdotally noted the uptick of interest in laser vision correction amid the pandemic, but the Refractive Surgery Council has put a number on it. The council reported in a press release a 16.3% increase in refractive surgery year over year in the last quarter of 2020.
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Study: Antifibrotic activity of rho-kinase inhibitors
Aerie Pharmaceuticals announced publication of a study that described how netarsudil (Rhopressa) works in a mouse model of ocular hypertension and steroid-induced glaucoma in humans. According to the company’s press release, the researchers were able to demonstrate via atomic force microscopy in vivo in mice how netarsudil reversed tissue stiffness and fibrosis. The company stated this is the first time a glaucoma drug has been able to show the ability to potentially reverse pathology at the trabecular meshwork, restoring it to a more normal physiologic state. Clinical data from retrospective chart reviews of patients with steroid-induced glaucoma with uncontrolled IOP on other medications found that when Rhopressa was added, there was a mean IOP drop of 7–8 mm Hg, the press release stated. The paper is published in the peer-reviewed journal eLife.
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Companies partner to explore nanoparticle applications for ophthalmic therapies
Nanoform Finland and Nacuity Pharmaceuticals announced a technology proof of concept agreement that will apply the former company’s nanoparticle technology to Nacuity’s ophthalmic drug candidates, NPI-001 and NPI-002. According to a press release from the company, Nacuity’s drug candidates focus on antioxidant molecules to address ocular diseases that involve oxidative stress.
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ASCRS Journal Club on April 8
Plan to join ASCRS’ interactive Journal Club on Thursday, April 8, from 9:00–10:00 p.m. ET for another session in this monthly series in which a panel of experts discusses two pre-selected manuscripts from the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. Nick Mamalis, MD, and Leela Raju, MD, co-moderate these free CME sessions, open to all ASCRS members. The April session will feature Kerry Solomon, MD, and Sabrina Mukhtar, MD, as discussants, and Warren Hill, MD, Naveen Rao, MD, and Mitch Weikert, MD, as panelists.
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Research highlights
  • A study published in the journal Ophthalmology evaluated whether systemic conditions that are higher risk for dry eye disease are associated with severity of dry eye signs and symptoms. The study was based on secondary analysis from the Dry Eye Assessment and Management (DREAM) Study, which included 535 patients with moderate to severe dry eye disease. The researchers found that more severe dry eye signs were significantly associated with Sjogren’s syndrome, rosacea, rheumatoid arthritis, peripheral artery disease, and daily smoking history. Other systemic conditions such as thyroid dysfunction, osteoarthritis, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridemia were not associated with dry eye signs. None of the conditions, according to the research, were significantly associated with the OSDI. With this info, the researchers concluded that significant dry eye disease signs vary by systemic condition, and understanding these conditions and their underlying etiologies that can increase a patient’s risk of dry eye disease could improve management.
  • A pilot prospective study evaluated anterior segment OCT-angiography (AS-OCTA) in patients with chemical injuries in order to evaluate the technology’s utility in assessing limbal vasculature. According to the research, 10 subjects who suffered alkali injuries were included in the study and compared to uninjured controls. AS-OCTA revealed lower mean limbal vessel density in the affected quadrants of eyes that experienced chemical injury. Spectral domain and swept-source AS-OCTA were in agreement when assessing vessel density. The study authors concluded that AS-OCTA can provide “objective, non-contact, rapid assessment of limbal vasculature involvement in eyes with acute chemical injury.” The authors suggested future studies evaluate the role of AS-OCTA in the prognosis of eyes that have experienced chemical injury. This paper is published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
  • Researchers sought to identify risk factors for progression in untreated keratoconus cases, looking at 3,994 untreated eyes from 2,283 keratoconus patients from 34 centers in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Italy. Clinical parameters evaluated were visual acuity, steepest keratometry (max-K), and thinnest corneal thickness (TCT) with patients categorized as progressors or stable for each parameter. Primary outcomes were the proportion of eyes that continued progressing in each of the parameters within 3 years. The researchers saw progression in visual acuity, max-K, and TCT at 1 year in 3.2%, 6.6%, and 3.1% of eyes, respectively. Higher baseline visual acuity and max-K were associated with visual acuity loss. Thicker baseline TCT, steeper baseline max-K, and younger baseline age were associated with TCT thinning over time. The researchers concluded that steeper max-K and a younger age were the most clinically useful baseline predictors of progression. The research is published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
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Product news
  • neurolens launched the neurolens Measurement Device, Gen2 (nMD2), which provides objective, repeatable measurements of binocular vision and eye alignment.
  • Nova Eye Medical introduced a new instrument to use with its iTrack canaloplasty microcatheter, the Reiss Patel Technique (RPT) All-in-One forceps, designed to streamline use of the microcatheter in the procedure.
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This issue of EyeWorld Weekly was edited by Stacy Jablonski and Vanessa Caceres.

EyeWorld Weekly (ISSN 1089-0319), a digital publication of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), is published every Friday, distributed by email, and posted live on Friday.

Medical Editors: Eric Donnenfeld, MD, Chief Medical Editor; Rosa Braga-Mele, MD, Cataract Editor; Clara Chan, MD, Cornea Editor; Nathan Radcliffe, MD, Glaucoma Editor; and Vance Thompson, MD, Refractive Editor

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