Dry Eye NEWS
Volume I, Issue 2
The Latest Dope
What's been going on lately, from peer-reviewed literature to the grumpy gossip circles
In The Pipeline
Clinical trials... what's still in the queue and what's in which state of this vital if excruciatingly slow process
In the Spotlight
Zooming in on lesser-known treasures for dry eye patients
At the Zone
New and old, what you can find these days at The Dry Eye Zone
About Dry Eye NEWS
The usual obligatory descriptive blather, directions for contributing content, directions for subscribing and unsubscribing via email, disclaimer and copyright information
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The Latest Dope
DRY EYE GOES MAINSTREAM: It started just weeks ago with chatty little Dry Eye 101 courses sprouting like mushrooms on the health pages of obscure newspapers. Now they are spreading to TV. Well, perhaps they're more like Dry Eye 100 1/2. Come to think of it, one or two read rather suspiciously like Restasis 101. But seriously, we hope what we are seeing is the beginning of a trend in the general press which could do much to boost public awareness of dry eye causes, symptoms and appropriate treatment.
WANT TO BONE UP ON AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE TRANSPLANTATION DEVELOPMENTS? Try the August issue of Cornea. It opens with "Mother's own remedy for ocular surface disease", an editorial in which Dr. Kenyon outlines the best, so-so and questionable applications of AMT and discusses its limitations, variations, and likely future innovations. Further on, the references cited by Fernandes et al in their literature review of AMT for ocular surface reconstruction - all 146 of them - are a veritable AMT bible. (Amniotic membrane transplantation for ocular surface reconstruction, Fernandes et al, Cornea 2005;24(6) 643-653, click here for abstract.)
WHERE DO TEARS GO? (SERIOUSLY) A study in July's IOVS (Nichols et al, "Thinning Rate of the Precorneal and Prelens Tear Films" Inv Ophthal Vis Sci
2005;46:2353-2361) investigates what happens to tears between blinks in terms of evaporation, absorption by a lens or the epithelium, and movement across the surface, and suggests explanations for very rapid thinning. Click here for abstract.
t-PTK AND SERUM COMBINATION THERAPY Holzer et al studied 25 eyes which were treated for RCEs with transepithelial PTK followed by autologous serum, with 80% of eyes experiencing no further RCEs. The study (Jour Cat & Refract Surg, Vol 31 Aug 2005 1603-1606) includes some interesting comments on benefits of trying t-PTK before PTK and hypotheses about how t-PTK works. Click here for abstract.
MEIBOMIAN GLAND DYSFUNCTION + LASIK = DRY EYE? Scheffer Tseng and colleagues speculate that LASIK may aggravate pre-existing MGD and suggest taking this into account pre-operatively. They studied 17 patients for a year who had persistent dry eye more than a year after LASIK with poor TBUT despite punctal plugging. Click here for EyeWorld article.
TEAR FUNCTION IMPAIRED BY ANTI-VIRAL TREATMENT? A study in the July issue of Cornea (Huang MD et al, Cornea, 2005:24(5) 561-566) investigates objective and subjective dry eye conditions experienced by chronic hepatitis C patients undergoing interferon and ribavirin treatment. Click here for abstract.
GENTEAL GEL... ON THE WAY BACK AT LAST? Novartis have been, er, economical in their communications about the long absence of the popular Genteal Gel product but they recently added this to their website, perhaps to reduce phone calls from unhappy distributors and customers: "Novartis Ophthalmics truly understands and shares your frustrations with regards to access to GenTeal Gel. A substantial increase in GenTeal Gel supply will be available by October 2005." We will refrain from any sarcastic speculation about how much a substantial increase from zilch might be.
IT'S THAT BLINKING COMPUTER SCREEN A study in the July issue of Cornea (Miyake-Kashima MD et al, Cornea, 2005:24(5) 567-570) examined differences in blink rates while using a display terminal with or without antireflection films and found improved rates when the film is used. We were a little puzzled at their choice of DVD viewing as the task during which blink rates were analyzed (not being in the habit of viewing DVDs during our normal work day) but we certainly welcome publications drawing attention to the significance of blink rates. Click here for abstract. Or better yet just click here to get our must-have Blinkers.
WHAT, MICE DON'T LIKE THE A/C EITHER? A study in August's IOVS (Barabino et al, "The Controlled-Environment Chamber: A New Mouse Model of Dry Eye", Inv Ophth Vis Sci
2005;46:2766-2771) examined the effect of a low-humidity environment on tear film of mice. Tear secretion decreased, staining increased, and conjunctival goblet cell density significantly decreased. Click here for abstract.
AN OASYS FOR PATIENTS, IF NOT PATENT LAWYERS: J&J/Vistakon's new Oasys lens, a daily wear silicone hydrogel (senofilcon A) is making waves. Some verrry nice anecdotal reports floating our way from users. CIBA are apparently trying to get a restraining order (click here for Optometric Management article). We just hope the many ocular surface challenged consumers who want this type of lens innovation won't end up losing out yet again while the Contact Lens Wars rage on.
EPITHELIAL INNERVATION OF HUMAN CORNEA: Such is the title of an interesting study in the July issue of Cornea (Guthoff MD et al, Cornea 2005;24(5) 608-613) about a new method to get a complete picture of nerves in the central cornea using
confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy. Click here for abstract.
IF WE ASK POLITELY ENOUGH will they someday stop ignoring dry eye in LASIK pre-op evaluations? A recent study (Sharma et al, Jour Refract Surg, Vol 21 No 5 p 496-498, click here for abstract) analyses reasons for not performing LASIK in refractive surgery candidates. It makes no reference to dry eye whatsoever, and the absence of dry eye testing from the list of pre-operative tests was particularly conspicuous. Last we checked, dry eye was still the number one lasting complication from LASIK, at least according to every ASCRS survey and informed consent we've ever laid eyes on.
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What’s in the pipeline?
OTSUKA-NOVARTIS/REBAMIPIDE: Phase III clinical trials continue. Click here for initial screening checklist and list of study centers. Participants receive higher or lower dose or placebo.
ALLERGAN/ANDROGEN TEARS: Phase II clinical trials going on... and on... and on. We don't have any official information on the latest delay but from what the grapevine is saying we're looking at late spring 2006 for the next milestone.
NASCENT/ NP50301: In Phase IIb clinicals. Topical ophthalmic therapeutic eye drop for treating dry eye in postmenopausal women.
NOVARTIS / PIMECROLIMUS (AMS981): Recruiting for Phase II clinicals. Click here for more info. We note that in a recent study pimecrolimus drops worked better for dogs than cyclosporine (click here and scroll down for abstract) though another study had a bit more equivocal results (click here for abstract). Incidentally you'd be less inclined to giggle over our doggy references if you ever asked your local veterinary ophthalmologist about the prevalence of canine dry eye.
INSPIRE/DIQUASOFOL: Inspire Pharmaceuticals submitted an amendment to its New Drug Application in June focusing this time on analysis of ocular surface staining and are awaiting response. Click here for Inspire's page on the drug.
SENJU-ISTA/ECABET SODIUM: Ista's secretagogue is in Phase IIb clinical studies which were expected to be completed in late 2005.
15-HETE/ALCON: No recent information on Alcon's secretagogue. Did we miss something, or is it just dead?
LANTIBIO/MOLI1901: Cystic fibrosis drug being attempted as a dry eye treatment. We don't know anything newer than the March announcement about starting Phase I clinicals (click here for announcement).
PORT PUNCTUM OCCLUDER/ALCON & LANDEC: Awaiting approval. See June/July issue for more details. We have heard some good reports from patients.
NEI/CYCLOSPORINE IMPLANT: NEI is recruiting patients for Phase I clinical trials of a subconjunctival cyclosporine implant for patients with GVHD (graft-vs-host-disease, which causes eye dryness and inflammation). It consists of a half-inch silicone implant with sustained-release cyclosporine, and is implanted in the conjunctiva for a year. Click here for details.
AND ACROSS THE POND, RESTASIS FANS TAKE NOTE: Novagali of France has a cyclosporine emulsion (NOVA22007) in Phase II clinical trials. Click here for company's page on this.
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In the spotlight this issue
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Panoptx DryEyeWear
Quality protective eyewear is without doubt one of the best-kept secrets in the chronic dry eye veteran's toolbox. Truly, we know of no other single product that can rival a top quality sunglass with vented medical grade foam surrounds when it comes to instantly, consistently and measureably improving quality of life for the chronically photophobic, pain-ridden ocular surface disease patient. Cure? Of course not. But not the less is it often a vital piece of equipment for struggling patients.
This has been so long evident to your editor from years of rave reviews from her savviest dry eye product connoisseur friends that one wonders why it took her until summer of 2005 to try it for herself. But like many dry eye patients, she thought of those "goggles" as an extreme treatment she just didn't need. One day in a pair of perfectly fitting Panoptx Sirroccos transformed her thinking. She was in fact rather shocked to discover, through the new sense of freedom the glasses gave her, how much discomfort she had evidently been suppressing and to what extent she had been evading outdoors activities because of photophobia and wind irritation.
If you're not familiar with the kind of eyewear we're talking about, basically they are very high-end sunglasses (though many can be had in clear lenses as well) with medical grade foam lining. Some styles have the lining built right in, others have a removeable gasket so that they can easily convert from protective to a simple fashionable sunglass. They are not airtight, but are designed to keep in moisture and keep out irritants. Such eyewear has developed a strong following amongst chronic dry eye patients. Brands include Harley Davidson and Panoptx (developed primarily for the biker market) and Wiley-X (developed primarily for military applications). Each has its advantageous features.
Panoptx, however, are the only ones who have specifically targeted the dry eye market. They have a set of products dubbed "DryEyeWear" which are designed with their patented Orbital Seal. The variety in their product line and the resources they have dedicated to this market make them a natural starting point for the dry eye patient or doctor. They have four "convertible" frame styles (with removeable eyecup) and four fixed eyecup styles, several frame colors, and several different grades of lenses. Many lenses are available in plano or Rx. Prices for plano glasses range from $85 for a fixed eyecup frame with plano baseline lens to $195 for convertible frame with plano polarized lens. Add a prescription and the price roughly doubles, or more.
They are not cheap. Nor are the competition - pricing from the other manufacturers is generally in a similar range. But increasingly, patients are consdering this money well spent, particularly as their annual budget for eyecare may well be in the thousands anyway.
We stock plano Panoptx in The Dry Eye Shop though that's intended more as an information service to patients than a sales effort. First time users really should not buy online but should seek out a local dealer so that they can try on all different frame styles. Doctors, if you have an optical shop you may want to consider becoming a dealer for these and/or similar eyewear as a service to local dry eye patients.
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Is there a product, treatment, website, book, organization, event or other resource you would like us to consider covering in a future issue? Email details to news@dryeyezone.com.
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What's happening at the Zone...
Doctors, where you can visit us (hint, think local)
NOVEMBER 4 , BIRMINGHAM: Alabama Optometric Association annual meeting, at The Wynfrey Hotel.
DECEMBER 9-11 , BOCA RATON: Florida Ophthalmology Society's meeting, rescheduled from August, at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.
JANUARY 11-15, ORLANDO: Contact Lens & Eyecare Symposium at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando.
New in the The Dry Eye Shop
MY DRY EYEBALL : Like the real thing, it must be felt to be understood. Great conversation piece. Click here for details.
BLINK MORE: A visual reminder to blink more when you're using the computer, to counteract the reduced blink rate that invariably increases dry eye symptoms. Click here for details. Or for a free alternative, click here for our famous Blinkers.
PANOPTX DRYEYEWEAR: High-end sunglasses with medical grade foam lining that keeps in moisture and keeps out irritants. Click here for details.
DONATE TO DRY EYE RESEARCH: Add a few dollars to your purchase and we will pass it along to the Sjogrens Syndrome Foundation, who will earmark it exclusively for dry eye research. Click here for details.
Favourite fixtures at The Dry Eye Zone
Dry Eye FAQ: Patients’ frequently asked questions about dry eye causes, symptoms, diagnosis, products and treatments.
Dry Eye TALK: Community forums for discussion of anything and everything about dry eye.
Dry Eye SHOP: Purchase our exclusive eyedrops (Dwelle®, Dakrina® and NutraTear®); dry eye awareness merchandise; and Panoptx DryEyeWear. Donate to dry eye research while you're shopping.
Dry Eye ENCYCLOPEDIA: The A-Z of dry eye, with patient-friendly definitions, illustrations, articles, and links for further research.
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About Dry Eye News
WHAT IS IT?
Dry Eye News is a free, informal little newsletter offered by The Dry Eye Zone to doctors and patients who are interested in anything and everything about chronic dry eye. What, how frequently is it published? We really couldn't say. So far, whenever we find time.
HOW DO I GET ON THE MAILING LIST?
To subscribe, just register on our Dry Eye Talk forum:
- Go to Dry Eye Talk and click the blue 'Register' button at the far left.
- After registering, you will be sent an email confirmation. You MUST click on the link in that email to confirm your registration.
- Do not uncheck the "Receive email from administrators" (User Settings & Profile / Edit Options) box or you will not receive the newsletter. The only thing this box is used for is the newsletter mailing list - you will not receive spam.
HOW DID I GET ON THE MAILING LIST?
If you received this newsletter via email, you are on this mailing list for one or more of the following reasons:
- You emailed us a subscription request
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HOW DO I GET OFF THE MAILING LIST?
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DISCLAIMER
Don’t believe everything you read on the internet or email. We do our best with what we have, but we promise nothing beyond. Please read our Terms of Use.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright © The Dry Eye Zone, 2005. All rights reserved. Please don’t plagiarize, but do feel free to link to anything on the site you like, and we’ll be ever so flattered if you ask our permission to reproduce individual articles (within reason and properly credited and linked).
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