Month: August 2014

MacuSight(TM), Inc., a
developer of innovative therapeutics for the treatment of severe ocular
diseases and conditions, announced positive interim data from a Phase
1 study of its lead product candidate in patients with chronic, clinically
significant diabetic macular edema (DME). Results from this prospective
study of 50 patients demonstrated that MacuSight’s proprietary formulation
of sirolimus (rapamycin) was safe and well-tolerated in all doses tested
with two different routes of administration. Additionally investigators
noted improvements in visual acuity and foveal thickness reductions for up
to 180 days following a single administration of sirolimus. These findings
were presented at the 40th Annual Meeting of The Retina Society by Mark
Blumenkranz, M.D., chairman of MacuSight’s scientific advisory board and
professor and chairman of the department of ophthalmology, Stanford
University School of Medicine.

As part of the design of this randomized, open-label study,
investigators evaluated the safety, tolerability and biological activity of
sirolimus when delivered by either subconjunctival or intravitreal
injection. Intravitreal injections (into the central cavity of the eye),
while the standard route of administration for current therapies, are
uncomfortable for many patients and are accompanied by the risk of serious
infection in a small percentage of patients. In contrast, subconjunctival
injections (just under the outer layer over the white of the eye) are
designed to offer physicians and patients a less invasive and more
convenient procedure. MacuSight’s DME trial included ten treatment arms
with patients receiving one of five doses of sirolimus via either a single
subconjunctival injection or a single intravitreal injection. Preclinical
studies suggested that a single administration may provide the patient with
exposure to sirolimus for up to approximately three months.

In addition to safety and tolerability data, the study provided an
initial assessment of sirolimus’ biological activity in DME. At 45 and 90
days following treatment, patients receiving the two lowest doses of
sirolimus by subconjunctival injection demonstrated mean improvements in
visual acuity of 8.5 and 7.4 letters over baseline, respectively, using a
standard (ETDRS) eye chart. Additionally, this group of patients also
experienced anatomical improvements, with a mean decrease in foveal
thickness that was consistent with the observed functional improvements in
visual acuity. Preliminary data for these patients at 180 days following
treatment suggest that these initial improvements in visual acuity and
foveal thickness reductions were maintained, or even enhanced, over time in
many patients.

“The fact that we are seeing measures of biological activity
maintained, and, in some cases improving, through 180 days following a
single subconjunctival injection, is somewhat surprising. This finding
raises the possibility that sirolimus may be fundamentally changing the
course of diabetic retinopathy through its impact on the mTOR (mammalian
target of rapamycin) pathway rather than simply reversing macular edema in
a more non-specific way,” said Dr. Blumenkranz. “Further studies to support
or refute this hypothesis will be necessary. However, if so, then the
potential clinical utilization of the drug may eventually extend beyond
those patients with clinically significant diabetic macular edema.”

“The study’s findings are intriguing, particularly in light of the fact
that a majority of the participants had been previously treated for DME. As
such, these results provide great excitement for researchers as we prepare
to advance this product into Phase 2 clinical studies,” stated David A.
Weber, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of MacuSight. “We are
also delighted the drug appeared so effective by a simple subconjunctival
injection, a route of administration that is able to decrease the risk and
treatment burden to patients and physicians alike. As a result, we can
confidently proceed with our clinical development of sirolimus as a product
delivered via subconjunctival injection.”

With regard to safety and tolerability, the study showed no evidence of
increased intraocular pressure or inflammatory response to treatment.
MacuSight intends to complete its collection and analysis of all data from
this trial and present final findings later this year.

“From a patient treatment standpoint, the study findings related to the
safety and biological activity of sirolimus administered through
subconjunctival injection are very exciting,” stated Pravin U. Dugel, M.D.,
clinical instructor, vitreoretinal diseases and surgery, department of
ophthalmology, University of Arizona, partner at Retinal Consultants of
Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona, and the study’s lead investigator. “By
offering both physicians and patients significant benefits in the way of
reduced invasiveness, safety and ease of administration, the
subconjunctival injection has the potential to dramatically improve the
current DME treatment paradigm.”

Additionally, MacuSight has completed enrollment of its second Phase 1
trial which is examining its same proprietary sirolimus formulation in
patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration. Results from this
second trial are expected to be presented during the first half of 2008.

About Sirolimus

Sirolimus, originally known as rapamycin, is a highly-potent,
broad-acting compound that has demonstrated the ability to combat disease
through multiple mechanisms of action including immunosuppressive,
anti-angiogenic, anti-migratory, anti-proliferative, anti-fibrotic and
anti-permeability activity. Based on the versatility associated with these
multiple mechanisms of action, MacuSight believes that its sirolimus
product may serve as a potentially highly-efficacious therapeutic for a
wide range of ocular diseases and conditions, including the treatment and
prevention of wet AMD.

As the active pharmaceutical ingredient in the FDA-approved products
Rapamune(R) and CYPHER(R) Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent, sirolimus has
been safely administered to humans for more than six years. MacuSight has
developed a proprietary minimally-invasive, sustained administration
approach for its novel liquid sirolimus formulation which it believes will
provide the product with significant competitive advantages related to
convenience, ease-of-use, compliance and safety.

About Diabetic Macular Edema

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a serious manifestation of diabetic
retinopathy that involves retinal swelling brought on by the leaking of
fluid from small blood vessels within the macula. As the condition
develops, central vision becomes blurred. DME can progress fairly rapidly
and over just a few years can lead to permanent visual loss. There is a
significant unmet need to both reverse the visual loss associated with DME
and to help delay the progression of this condition.

About MacuSight

MacuSight is a privately-held pharmaceutical company focused on
developing innovative therapeutics for the treatment of severe ocular
diseases and conditions. The company is dedicated to preserving patients’
vision by identifying known, highly-potent and broad-acting small molecule
drug compounds that may possess efficacy in treating and/or preventing
diseases or conditions of the eye. As part of its unique product
development philosophy, MacuSight also concentrates on the optimal delivery
of these compounds into the eye. By combining its compounds with innovative
delivery approaches, the company strives to optimize the efficacy, safety,
convenience and cost- effectiveness of its product candidates.

The company’s lead development program is centered on advancing
sirolimus (rapamycin) as a potential next-generation therapeutic for the
treatment and prevention of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD)
and the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), a manifestation of
diabetic retinopathy.

MacuSight, Inc.
macusight

StemCells, Inc. (NASDAQ:STEM) announced new preclinical data showing that its human neural stem cells protect cone photoreceptors (cones) in the eye from progressive degeneration and preserve visual function long term. Cones are light sensing cells that are highly concentrated within the macula of the human eye, and the ability to protect these cells suggests a promising approach to treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in people over the age of 55. These important findings were presented today in Chicago, Illinois at the Society for Neuroscience 2009 Annual Meeting, one of the leading forums for neuroscientists from around the world to present and discuss cutting-edge research in the field.

“We have long recognized that a number of eye disorders may be suitable candidates for stem cell-based therapies,” stated Stephen Huhn, MD, FACS, FAAP, vice president and head of the CNS program at StemCells, Inc. “The demonstrated ability of our human neural stem cells to preserve cones is very meaningful, because it is the progressive deterioration of these specific cells that ultimately results in vision loss in AMD. These data support our hypothesis that our neural stem cells may provide neuroprotection to existing cells, and it is our hope that we will be able to replicate these promising results in the clinic.”

This study, which was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), focused on assessing photoreceptor survival and vision preservation following transplantation of StemCells’ human neural stem cells. Results of the study demonstrate that, when transplanted into the eye of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat, a well-established animal model of retinal degeneration, the neural stem cells preserve visual function as measured by two separate visual tests, and exhibit robust, long-term protection of both rod and cone photoreceptors.

Raymond Lund, Ph.D., professor of Ophthalmology at the Casey Eye Institute, commented, “My lab has been involved in researching many cell therapy approaches for diseases of the eye, and the results we have seen with the human neural stem cell are particularly exciting. This study provides novel evidence that neural stem cells may provide significant therapeutic value for clinical cases of retinal degeneration, and we look forward to testing their potential in additional studies with StemCells, Inc.”

The eye contains millions of photoreceptor cells, known as rods and cones, which are responsible for picking up light and converting it into electrical impulses that are sent along the optic nerve for the brain to interpret what we see. Rods allow us to see under dark conditions, while cones allow us to see color and fine detail. Cones are highly concentrated within the macula, the part of the eye that is responsible for our central, “straight ahead” vision. Patients with AMD lose central vision when the cones within the macula degenerate. It is estimated that 25 – 30 million people worldwide suffer from AMD, including as many as 15 million Americans, and today there is no cure.

StemCells is pursuing additional preclinical studies of its neural stem cells in the hope of one day achieving a breakthrough in treating AMD. The encouraging results of this latest study follow previously reported data showing that StemCells’ neural stem cells engraft, survive long term, and can protect the retina from progressive degeneration in the RCS rat. StemCells is currently developing its human neural stem cells as a potential therapeutic product, HuCNS-SC® cells, for multiple degenerative disorders of the central nervous system.

About HuCNS-SC® Cells

StemCells’ lead product candidate, HuCNS-SC cells, is a highly purified composition of human neural stem cells that are expanded and stored as banks of cells. The Company’s preclinical research has shown that HuCNS-SC cells can be directly transplanted in the central nervous system. The transplanted cells are able to engraft, migrate, differentiate into neurons and glial cells, and possess the ability to survive for as long as one year with no sign of tumor formation or adverse effects. These findings show that HuCNS-SC cells, when transplanted, behave like normal stem cells, suggesting the possibility of a continual replenishment of normal human neural cells.

StemCells recently completed a Phase I clinical trial of its HuCNS-SC cells for the treatment of a Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL), a fatal brain disorder in children. Data from this trial demonstrated the safety and tolerability of these cells. StemCells has also announced that it will soon initiate at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Children’s Hospital a Phase I trial of the HuCNS-SC cells in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD), a fatal myelination disorder that primarily affects young children. The human safety data that StemCells is accumulating for its HuCNS-SC cells through these clinical trials is expected to facilitate the pathway for future clinical testing in other central nervous system disorders, including retinal degenerative diseases such as AMD and retinitis pigmentosa.

About StemCells, Inc.

StemCells, Inc. is focused on the development and commercialization of cell-based technologies. In its cellular medicine programs, StemCells is targeting diseases of the central nervous system and liver. StemCells’ lead product candidate, HuCNS-SC® cells (purified human neural stem cells), is in clinical development for the treatment of two fatal neurodegenerative disorders that primarily affect young children. StemCells also markets specialty cell culture media products under the brand SC Proven®, and is developing its cell-based technologies for use in drug screening and drug development. The Company has exclusive rights to approximately 55 issued or allowed U.S. patents and approximately 200 granted or allowed non-U.S. patents. Further information about StemCells is available on its web site at stemcellsinc.

Source
OHSU and Casey Eye Institute

Recent studies have explored the use of an implantable prosthetic device — an implantable miniature telescope — for end-stage age-related macular degeneration. While the device has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, physicians have described a recommended surgical technique to ensure proper product placement while minimizing damage to the eye. Their technique is published in the August issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.

AMD is the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment and blindness among persons aged 60 and older. With the elderly population steadily growing, the burden related to this loss of visual function will increase. “At the very end stages of this disease, vision is very poor and quality of life is compromised,” said Lead Author Kathryn Colby, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Joint Clinical Research Center at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. “An implantable miniature telescope can improve the vision and quality of life for patients, but surgeons must be very careful in implanting it.”

The implantable telescope has completed two years of follow-up in a pivotal multicenter trial. In this phase 2/3 clinical trial, 206 patients received the telescope prosthesis implant. One-year outcomes showed that 67 percent of eyes with the implant achieved a three line or greater improvement in best-corrected distance visual acuity, as indicated by reading an eye chart, compared with 13 percent of the fellow eyes in control patients. Meaningful improvements in quality of life measurements were also shown.

Surgical implantation of this device is challenging, the authors wrote. It is critical that surgeons not view this first-of-a-kind device as simply a larger intraocular lens, like that used to replace the lens in cataract surgeries. The paper describes the recommended surgical technique, based upon the results of the clinical trial and will be a useful resource for ophthalmic surgeons when the device is approved for use.

The authors of the paper include Dr. Colby, David Chang, M.D., University of California, San Francisco; Doyle Stulting, M.D., Ph.D., Emory Vision Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; and Stephen S. Lane, M.D., Associated Eye Care, Stillwater, Minn. This device is being developed by VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, Inc.

About the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, meei.harvard.edu:
The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, an independent specialty hospital, is an international center for treatment and research and a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
243 Charles St.
Boston, MA 02114
United States
meei.harvard.edu

New Zealand Ophthalmologists (eye doctors) have repeated their call for government funding of a drug which treats the leading cause of blindness.

Ranibizumab (brand-name Lucentis®) can prevent vision loss from wet macular degeneration. It is funded in Australia, Canada, the US and Britain, but not in New Zealand, said Dr Iain Dunlop, President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO), in his address to the New Zealand Branch of RANZCO’s annual meeting in Christchurch.

Auckland Ophthalmologist, Dr Dianne Sharp, outlined a compelling health economic case for government funding of Lucentis®.

“Neovascular macular degeneration affects 15,000 New Zealanders and is the leading cause of blindness,” Dr Sharp explained. “Previous treatments have only been able to limit the severity of vision loss in some patients with this condition. A number of high-quality international trials have shown that treatment with Lucentis® may not only prevent vision loss, but actually improve vision in those treated.”

Dr Sharp identified the impact on the overall health budget of not funding this vision-saving drug. The cost of legal blindness in well documented population studies is estimated at $21,000 per person per year. The cost of treatment of injuries related to falls and the need for residential care more than outweigh the cost of treating macular degeneration.

“Pharmac has suggested that the already over-burdened public hospital clinics should carry the load of treating these patients (and pay for the drug), but treatment with Lucentis® can be given in an ophthalmic doctor’s rooms and doesn’t require attendance at a hospital,” Dr Sharp said.

RANZCO notes that Pharmac did not even ask its ophthalmic specialist subcommittee for an opinion on funding Lucentis. The New Zealand Ophthalmologists are now requesting that Pharmac’s Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee formally consult with them so that the evidence can be properly scrutinised.

New Zealand Medical Association

View drug information on Lucentis.

Scientists have confirmed that the healthful substances found in green tea – renowned for their powerful antioxidant and disease-fighting properties – do penetrate into tissues of the eye. Their new report, the first documenting how the lens, retina, and other eye tissues absorb these substances, raises the possibility that green tea may protect against glaucoma and other common eye diseases. It appears in ACS’s bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Chi Pui Pang and colleagues point out that so-called green tea “catechins” have been among a number of antioxidants thought capable of protecting the eye. Those include vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Until now, however, nobody knew if the catechins in green tea actually passed from the stomach and gastrointestinal tract into the tissues of the eye.

Pang and his colleagues resolved that uncertainty in experiments with laboratory rats that drank green tea. Analysis of eye tissues showed beyond a doubt that eye structures absorbed significant amounts of individual catechins. The retina, for example, absorbed the highest levels of gallocatechin, while the aqueous humor tended to absorb epigallocatechin. The effects of green tea catechins in reducing harmful oxidative stress in the eye lasted for up to 20 hours. “Our results indicate that green tea consumption could benefit the eye against oxidative stress,” the report concludes.

Article: “Green Tea Catechins and Their Oxidative Protection in the Rat Eye”

pubs.acs/stoken/presspac/presspac/full/10.1021/jf9032602

CONTACT:
Chi Pui Pang, Ph.D.
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Eye Hospital
Kowloon, Hong Kong

Source:
Michael Bernstein

American Chemical Society

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Besivance (besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension 0.6 percent) for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis (non-viral), a contagious condition marked by irritation of the eyes and a discharge from the mucous membranes.

“Bacterial conjunctivitis is a common condition that affects people of all ages,” said Wiley A. Chambers, M.D., acting director of the Division of Anti-Infective and Ophthalmology Products in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “It is important to have a variety of treatment options available to health care professionals and patients because an effective drug therapy can reduce the duration of the illness and reduce the chances of infecting others.”

Bacterial forms of conjunctivitis are common in childhood, but they can occur in people of any age. Symptoms of bacterial conjunctivitis can include red eyes, swelling, eyelids sticking together, itching, watering and a white or yellow sticky discharge from the eyes. Bacterial conjunctivitis is generally a condition that runs its course in 7-14 days.

Patients using the drug in clinical trials had a faster rate of resolution of the infection than those treated with a solution containing only a preservative. The drug was shown to be effective in treating patients age one year and older.

Adverse events were reported in less than 3 percent of patients in clinical trials. Adverse reactions included redness of the eyes, blurred vision, eye pain, irritation and itching, and headache. Besivance is an eye drop for topical use on the eyes only. It should not be injected into the eye.

Besivance is made by Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, N.Y.

Source
U.S. Food and Drug Administration

View drug information on Besivance.

Potentia Pharmaceuticals, a privately
held biotechnology company developing medicines for the treatment of
age-related macular degeneration (AMD), presented Phase I data last week
during the Retina Subspecialty Day at the American Academy of Ophthalmology
(AAO) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA. The data was from the ASaP (Assessment
of Safety of Intravitreal POT-4 Therapy for Patients with Neovascular
Age-Related Macular Degeneration) clinical trial for the company’s leading
drug candidate, POT-4, which is being developed for the treatment of AMD.

The ASaP trial is a first-in-man, multi-center, single escalating dose
study. The interim results of this trial revealed no drug-related toxicity
based on clinical signs, ophthalmic examinations, or laboratory results at
any time point monitored in patients treated with up to 150 microgram/dose
of POT- 4. Additionally, no serious adverse events and no identifiable
intraocular inflammation were reported.

Preliminary results indicate that intravitreal POT-4 is safe, and the
data accumulated so far support the continued investigation of POT-4 for
the treatment of both dry and wet AMD with larger randomized clinical
trials to further define its efficacy profile.

“These safety data strongly support the further development of POT-4 as
a potential treatment for patients with AMD,” said Cedric Francois,
President and CEO of Potentia Pharmaceuticals. “We believe that the product
has significant promise based on these early-stage findings and look
forward to further testing of the compound in higher doses as we continue
this trial.”

About POT-4

POT-4 is a complement inhibitor, which shuts down the complement
activation cascade that could otherwise lead to local inflammation, tissue
damage and upregulation of angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF) in the eye. Based on this mechanism of action, POT-4
holds the potential to be effective against both dry and wet AMD.

About AMD

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly of the western
world and affects more than 10 million patients in the United States alone.
The current standard of care for AMD relies primarily on angiogenesis
inhibitors, an approach geared towards the approximately 10-15% of AMD
patients with complications resulting from ocular angiogenesis (growth of
new blood vessels and bleeding in the back of the eye). No drug currently
on the market has been approved for the treatment of the remaining
patients, who suffer from the so- called “dry” form of the disease.

About the Complement System and POT-4

Complement activation is an inflammatory process involving dozens of
plasma proteins, ultimately leading to cell membrane disruption through the
membrane attack complex (MAC). Activation of the complement system is an
important part of the body’s defensive immune response against pathogens
such as bacteria and viruses. In spite of its defensive function,
inappropriate or excessive complement activation can have destructive
consequences if left unchecked. Over the past three years, multiple
scientific publications have strongly linked variants of genes encoding
components of the complement system with a predisposition toward AMD.

POT-4 binds tightly to complement component C3, preventing its
participation in the complement activation cascade. As C3 is the central
component of all major complement activation pathways, its inhibition
effectively shuts down downstream complement activation that could
otherwise lead to local inflammation, tissue damage and upregulation of
angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF).

About Potentia

Potentia Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an early stage biotechnology company
focused on developing novel therapeutics and drug delivery technologies to
address chronic inflammatory diseases, with an initial emphasis on diseases
of the eye such as age-related macular degeneration.

Potentia Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
potentiapharma

If you and your loved one plan on sharing a bottle of bubbly this Valentine’s Day, be sure not to spoil it with an accidental eye injury.

Hundreds of eye injuries happen every year when people are celebrating special occasions, and often the last thing on their mind is the danger that a flying cork can present. This Valentine’s Day the American Academy of Ophthalmology reminds the public to get Eye Smart™ and keep love in the air, not flying champagne corks.

“An eye injury can take all of the romance out of your Valentine’s Day,” said Tamara Fountain, M.D., a clinical correspondent for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “A cork can fly up to 50 miles per hour as it leaves the bottle. Anything that travels with such momentum can have a devastating effect if it strikes your eye.”

Knowing the right way to open a bottle of champagne will make your celebrations enjoyable and safe. “A few simple steps can eliminate the chance of an eye injury and make for an injury-free Valentine’s Day,” says Dr. Fountain.

Here are some tips on opening a bottle of champagne properly:

– Make sure sparkling wine is chilled to at least 45 degrees Fahrenheit before opening. The cork of a warm bottle is more likely to pop unexpectedly.

– Don’t shake the bottle. Shaking increases your chances of eye injury.

– To open the bottle safely, hold down the cork with the palm of your hand while removing the wire hood. Point the bottle at a 45-degree angle away from yourself and from any bystanders.

– Place a towel over the entire top of the bottle and grasp the cork.

– Keep the bottle at a 45-degree angle as you slowly and firmly twist the bottle while holding the cork to break the seal. Continue to hold the cork while twisting the bottle. Continue until the cork is almost out of the neck. Counter the force of the cork using slight downward pressure just as the cork breaks free from the bottle.

– Never use a corkscrew to open a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine.

In the event that an eye injury does occur, it is important to seek medical help immediately. If you think you have injured your eye, contact your Eye M.D. or seek emergency medical help at once.

An educational video showing the force of a cork breaking glass, as well as more information about eye safety and eye health, is available at GetEyeSmart.

About the American Academy of Ophthalmology

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world’s largest association of eye physicians and surgeons-Eye M.D.s-with more than 27,000 members worldwide. Eye health care is provided by the three “O’s” – opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all, eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery.

American Academy of Ophthalmology

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (April 24) provides updates on cases of fungal corneal infections and advice on prevention.

In Hong Kong a total of 27 cases were reported to the CHP since the infection was firstly reported in May 2005. Of the 27 patients, 26 were interviewed and 25 of them claimed that they were users of Bausch and Lomb (B&L) ReNu multipurpose contact lens solution.

The manufacturer has voluntarily suspended sales of the contact lens solution in question from the local market since February this year as a prudent measure to protect consumers.

In a recent development, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated its recommendation and advise contact lens wearers to stop using B&L Renu with MoistureLoc products, discard all remaining solution including partially used or opened bottles.

The Department of Health echoes FDA’s updated recommendation and reiterates that further investigations are needed to identify the cause of the problem.

“We are maintaining close communication with the health authorities in US and Singapore to help determine the contributing factors and products that place contact lens users at risk for the infection,” the spokesman said.

The spokesman reminded contact lens users to observe the following measures to prevent contact lens associated infection:

— Always wash hands properly with soap and water and dry them before handling contact lens, contact lens solutions or related accessories.

— Attend regular check up by your optometrists/ophthalmologist and follow their instruction of cleaning and disinfection procedures for contact lenses and the accessories.

— Follow wearing hours and replacement schedule recommended by your optometrists/ophthalmologists. Do not wear lenses for duration longer than recommended and replace them as recommended by your optometrists/ophthalmologists.

— Practise proper contact lens cleaning and care regimes. Both sides of the lenses must be rubbed with the fingers for 20 seconds and rinsed thoroughly before soaking overnight in multi-purpose solution. Rinse the lenses with saline before wearing the contact lenses next time.

— The multi-purpose solution in the lens storage case must be changed everyday even if the lenses are not used daily.

— Close all bottles of contact lens solution properly after use.

— Discard contact lens solutions after one month of opening.

— Storage case should be cleaned, rinsed and dried after every use to avoid micro-organism growth contamination.

— All contact lenses, solutions and accessories should be stored in a cool and dry place.

— Disinfect the case weekly by soaking in just-boiled water for 10 minutes.

— Replace case every three months.

— Disposable contact lenses must not be used beyond their recommended disposal period.

— Do not wet your lens with saliva, bottled water or tap water.

— Remove the contact lens whenever you feel discomfort or redness and seek advice from your optometrists or ophthalmologists (eye doctors).

— Seek medical advice from your doctor promptly if symptoms persist despite contact lens is off.

HONG KONG DEPT OF HEALTH

Data from a national survey suggest that an estimated 60 million American adults are at high risk of vision loss, according to a report published in the March issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Of those adults, one in 12 cannot afford eyeglasses when needed, and about one-half do not get dilated eye examinations on a yearly basis.

In 2000, about 3.3 million Americans age 40 or older were visually impaired and more than 11 million of those age 12 and older needed glasses or contact lenses, according to background information in the article. By 2020, these numbers could increase by 50 percent or more. Eye diseases and vision problems are associated with increased illness, increased risk of death and decreased quality of life. They also are causes of falls and injuries and can lead to depression and social isolation.

Xinzhi Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues used data on vision from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey to estimate the number of U.S. adults at high risk of vision loss and assess factors associated with the use of eye care services. A total of 30,920 adults age 18 or older participated in the survey, designed to be representative of the entire U.S. population.

Sixteen percent of the participants were age 65 years or older, 6.5 percent had diabetes and 19.5 percent had vision or eye problems. Based on these percentages, the authors project that an estimated 61 million American adults are at high risk of serious vision loss. The researchers estimated that of those, only half visited an eye doctor in the past 12 months and half had dilated eye examination, in which eyedrops are administered to widen the pupil, allowing a more thorough inspection of the eyes. Yearly exams are recommended for those with diabetes or who are age 65 or older. About one-third of the estimated 144 million U.S. individuals not at high risk of serious vision loss visited an eye doctor and one-third had a dilated eye examination in the past 12 months.

“Among the high-risk population, the probability of having a dilated eye examination increased with age, education and income,” the authors write. “The probability of receiving an examination was higher for the insured, women, persons with diabetes and those with vision or eye problems. Approximately 5 million high-risk adults could not afford eyeglasses when needed; being female, having low income, not having insurance and having vision or eye problems were each associated with such inability.”

As the population ages, providing access to preventive eye care services will become a larger public health concern, the authors note. “Many conditions causing visual impairment and blindness are often asymptomatic in their early, treatable stages,” they conclude. “There is substantial inequity in access to eye care in the United States. Better targeting of resources and efforts toward people at high risk may help reduce these disparities.”

(Arch Ophthalmol. 2007;125:411-418)

Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

Contact: Rachel Ciccarone
JAMA and Archives Journals