Alcon Laboratories, Inc. announced the launch of its new contact lens solution, Opti-Free PureMoist Multi-Purpose Disinfecting Solution (MPDS) in the United States. Opti-Free PureMoist MPDS contains the wetting agent HydraGlyde Moisture Matrix [EOBO-poly (oxyethylene)-poly (oxybutylene)], which demonstrates the ability to provide 16 hours of lens wettability, according to the company.  Per Alcon, HydraGlyde Moisture Matrix embeds itself on and within the lens surface. This environment and the solution's ability to remove protein deposits and reduce lipid deposition, facilitates moisture and comfort from insertion to removal. The company further states that the HydraGlyde Moisture Matrix, a scientifically advanced proprietary synthetic block copolymer, reduces surface and bulk hydrophobicity and improves the hydrophilic properties of silicone hydrogel lenses. This wetting agent also has an extremely high affinity for the hydrophobic areas of all soft contact lenses that are not wetted by the tear film. This affinity for hydrophic sites allows for the reduction of the deposition of lipid deposits, a problem associated with certain silicone hydrogel lenses.  Opti-Free PureMoist MPDS also continues to maintain the strong antimicrobial efficacy associated with its dual disinfectant system, Polyquad and Aldox, with EDTA (edetate disodium, a chelating agent that helps in the disinfection process), improving overall activity against microorganisms, according to Alcon.  For more information, visit www.optifreepuremoist.com.

 Alden Optical’s Phoenix Program offers eye care practitioners a simple solution to the problem of discontinued vial sphere lenses. Our unique blend of custom manufacturing, broad parameter ranges, and multiple lens material options means the company is able to provide practitioners with Alden HP or Alden Classic lenses that are an extremely close substitute for many popular, but discontinued, sphere lenses.  For a complete listing of the discontinued and "on hold" brands that Alden is ready to replicate, follow the link below and click on "Phoenix Conversion Chart" http://www.aldenoptical.com/products/custom-soft/sphere/phoenix/

The American Medical Association (AMA) offers e-mail alerts on practice management and payer news.   Signing up for the AMA Practice Management Alerts is easy. Just visit www.ama-assn.org/go/pmalerts and click the "Sign up" button.

Bausch & Lomb announced plans to help make daily disposable contact lenses more accessible to kids across the U.S., just in time for the start of the new school year. “The Daily Score” will give eye care professionals the opportunity to offer patients instant savings on Bausch + Lomb SofLens® daily disposable lenses enabling them to get the product at a cost of less than $1 per day.  There is evidence that suggests that school-age children don’t perform at their best when they can’t see well; additionally kids who wear glasses for vision correction actually choose not to wear them. A study from Eye & Contact Lens showed that the majority of children who previously wore glasses noticed improved performance in activities after switching to contact lenses.¹

Although many children are interested in contact lenses, some parents worry about whether their child is ready for the added responsibility associated with cleaning, disinfecting and properly storing extended wear contact lenses. Daily disposable contact lenses, such as SofLens daily disposables, allow for fresh lenses everyday without the burden of daily cleaning, minimizing the risk for infection.  “The Daily Score” builds upon a 2010 promotion that encouraged trial of SofLens daily disposables by motivation parents and kids to participate in the “Seeing Eye to Eye” contest together. Feedback to this promotion showed that 98 percent of parents agreed SofLens daily disposables provided their children with crisp, clear vision and 96 percent agreed the lenses fit into their child’s busy lifestyle.²

“ ‘The Daily Score” will enable more kids to benefit from Bausch + Lomb SofLens daily disposable lenses so they can kick off the school year with the clear, crisp vision necessary to perform their best, in school and out,” said Lisa VanDeMark, VP North America Marketing, Bausch + Lomb.  “We’re happy to offer eye care professionals the tools with which to have a conversation with parents to determine if SofLens daily disposable lenses are the right option for their children.”  ^[1] Walline, Jeffrey J. (2007). Benefits of Contact Lens Wear for Children and Teens. Eye & Contact Lens, 33, 317-321.  ² Internal Bausch + Lomb data on file

CooperVision, Inc. announced the U.S. launch of the Biofinity Multifocal at the AOA conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Biofinity Multifocal, which combines the Biofinity Asphere and Toric lens material with the company's Balanced Progressive Technology, is the latest addition to the Biofinity family of monthly replacement contact lenses. CooperVision also introduced a new streamlined fitting approach. Working closely with eye care practitioners, the company reports that it developed the new process to make it easier for eye care practitioners to fit their patients and offer lens wearers an ideal combination of ease, comfort and eye health. The company further validated the new fitting protocol through clinical testing with eye care practitioners.  Biofinity Multifocal is currently available in the U.S. and France in sphere powers of +6.00 D to -8.00 D and in four ADD powers (+1.00, +1.50, +2.00, +2.50). A D and N lens are available for each ADD power.  The product will be available in Canada later this fiscal year. CooperVision anticipates a rollout to more countries and regions in 2012.  Eye care practitioners can visit www.coopervision.com for product details.

The National Institutes of Health has expanded a genetic and clinical research database to give researchers access to the first digital study images. The National Eye Institute (NEI), in collaboration with the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), has made available more than 72,000 lens photographs and fundus photographs of the back of the eye, collected from the participants of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS).

Novartis announced in a press release that it has completed its merger with Alcon. Stuart Raetzman.  In another press release from Alcon, Area President US and Vice President Global Marketing stated: “We are very pleased that Novartis and Alcon have closed the merger, uniting the strengths of Alcon, CIBA VISION and Novartis Ophthalmics into one eye care business.  We believe our combined leadership in eye care, our complementary product portfolios across surgical, pharmaceutical and vision care, as well as our expanded geographic reach will generate incremental growth and additional benefits for all our customers and their patients.  As we integrate the CIBA VISION operations and the Novartis Ophthalmics portfolio into the new Alcon Division as part of Novartis, our primary objective is to maintain our service and support to our customers. Please note that until our combined commercial operations go live in the second half of the year, we anticipate no change in our interactions with you.  Please continue to contact your respective Alcon or CIBA VISION sales and technical service representatives.”

Vistakon, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. in a press release dated May 11, 2011 stated that contact lens wearers are significantly non-compliant in virtually all the active steps involved in soft contact lens wear, including hand washing, case hygiene, lens disinfection and following the recommended lens replacement schedule, according to new data on patient attitudes and behaviors regarding compliance with soft contact lenses.  Findings from two online surveys of frequent replacement contact lens wearers, along with a review of the many activities involved with good compliance with soft contact lens wear, suggest a number of missteps that occur before, during, and after contact lens wear that could lead to clinical complications.  These findings will be published in Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, Journal of the British Contact Lens Association.   “How patients comply during each step of contact lens wear and care has a well documented impact on the rate of complications,” explains co-author Sheila Hickson-Curran, BSc (Hons), MCOptom, FAAO, Director of Medical Affairs, VISTAKON^®, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.  “Each step of non-compliance that results in no ill effects only reinforces poor behavior because nothing bad happens. However, by not following instructions on proper wear and care, contact lens wearers are more likely to experience discomfort and may put themselves at greater risk for infection or other serious complications, such as microbial keratitis.”

About the Studies

Two independent, sponsor-masked surveys were distributed online.  The first survey consisted of a random sample of 645 frequent replacement contact lens wearers who answered questions, including those relating to lens replacement frequency.  The second survey was distributed to a random sample of 787 frequent replacement contact lens wearers who answered questions relating to lens disinfection, hygiene and replacement of the lens storage case.  The respondents, aged 12 to 39 years old, represented wearers of hydrogel and silicone hydrogel lenses available in the United States that are prescribed for two-week or monthly replacement.

Compliance Before Lens Wear – Nearly half of survey respondents admitted to not having washed their hands with soap prior to lens insertion in the morning (44%) and removal in the evening (49%).  In addition, few patients rub their lenses with disinfecting solution (27% in morning, 25% in evening), but this may be in accordance with the product instructions, many of which use the words “No Rub” on the packaging.  Recent developments may indicate that rubbing and/or rinsing of the lens surface before or after lens wear may add a safety margin for contact lens wearers. 

Compliance During Lens Wear – The results of the lens replacement survey indicate generally low compliance with practitioner recommendation on lens replacement frequency.  “To maximize the likelihood of replacement compliance, strong doctor recommendation, backed up with written instruction and reinforced at every patient visit, teamed with a reminder service such as the ACUMINDER™ Tool (www.acuminder.com) , can be very effective,” adds Hickson-Curran.

Compliance After Lens Wear – Although 75 percent reported that they emptied disinfecting solution from the lens case in the morning, only 46 percent reported that they filled the lens case with fresh solution instead.  Failure to empty and replace the full volume of contact lens disinfecting solution was one of the few significant behavioral factors found in the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention investigation of the Fusarium outbreak of 2005, according to the authors.

The average frequency for cleaning the lens case was 2-3 times per week.   Thirty  percent of lens wearers reported cleaning them daily, while 33 percent said they cleaned their cases monthly or less often.  In addition, most patients reported methods of cleaning the lens case that involved exposure to tap water, very likely without understanding that there is a risk involved with such action. 

Lens wearers also slip in the frequency of replacement of their storage cases, even when they seem to know it should occur more often.  The median interval for intended and actual replacement of the lens storage case was 4-6 months; however, 48 percent said they replace the storage case annually or less often.

Source: Hickson-Curran, S, Chalmers, R, Riley, C, “Patients attitudes and behavior regarding hygiene and replacement of soft contact lenses and storage cases.” Contact Lens & Anterior Eye (2011)  (Article in Press)  The study was sponsored by VISTAKON^®, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

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