A combined dorzolamide hydrochloride and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution 2%/0.5% has been granted U.S. regulatory approval, developer Lannett Company (Philadelphia) said in a press release.

An investigational new drug application (NDA) for a nano-suspension of loteprednol etabonate has been submitted to U.S. regulators to treat inflammation and pain after cataract surgery, developer Kala Pharmaceuticals (Waltham, Mass.) said in a press release.

Clearside Biomedical (Alpharetta, Ga.) has initiated a phase 2 randomized, controlled, masked, multicenter clinical trial of triamcinolone acetonide (CLS-TA) for the treatment of macular edema associated with noninfectious uveitis. Delivery will be via suprachoroidal injection, the company said in a press release.

Optical Express (Edinburgh, Scotland) is offering a web-based service allowing consumers to report digitally on eye health via a new platform called iScan. The company noted that telemedicine can help manage increasing public sector healthcare costs associated with the aging population by diagnosing medical conditions in the early stages.

A group of European companies will put up 18.5 million euros over the course of 5 years to fund SIGHT AGAIN, a project that aims "to restore vision to legally blind patients with retinitis pigmentosa at different stages," according to a press release.

Surgical thyroidectomy alone or combined with medical therapy can decrease the risk of thyroid eye disease (TED) by up to 74%, according to researchers at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, Ann Arbor.

RESEARCH BRIEFS

• Early consideration of lamellar keratoplasty in patients with ocular comorbidities is warranted, according to R.H. Epstein and colleagues. They described the case of a 68-year-old female patient with bilateral keratoconus who experienced persistent visual acuity deficits after cataract extraction with a Nd:YAG capsulotomy in her right eye. Penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) in the patient's right eye was successful until steroid drops were discontinued 10 years later owing to persistent intraocular pressure. Before the patient died at the age of 95, she underwent 3 PKPs, 1 Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK), and a trabeculectomy with an anatomically successful DSEK in her right eye. A single PKP proved successful in the patient's left eye. This case study is published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
• Switching patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to Eylea (aflibercept, Regeneron, Tarrytown, N.Y.) treatment from Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech, South San Francisco) or Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech) resulted in a significant decrease in the number of injections, central retinal thickness, and retinal pigment epithelial detachment volume; however, visual acuity remained unchanged. Mariana R. Thorell, MD, and colleagues conducted a retrospective study of 65 patients (73 eyes) with neovascular AMD, who were switched to aflibercept because of persistent macular fluid after treatment with intravitreal bevacizumab or ranibizumab. Treatment with bevacizumab or ranibizumab was provided for at least 1 year. Patients were re-treated at least every 6 weeks, before switching, and followed up at 6 months. The switch to aflibercept occurred on or around 45 months, with a mean number of bevacizumab or ranibizumab injections of 31. Six months after the switch, the mean number of injections decreased by 0.6 compared with the 6 months before the switch (P<.001), central retinal thickness decreased by 19 µm (P<.001), and retinal pigment epithelial detachment cube-root volume decreased by 0.07 mm (P=.007). However, the change in visual acuity was not statistically significant 6 months after the treatment switch. This study is published in Ophthalmic Surgery, Lasers and Imaging Retina.
• Following successful trabeculectomy, end-diastolic velocities of the central retinal artery and of the temporal posterior ciliary arteries increased and remained stable, even when patients' intraocular pressure (IOP) rose significantly at follow-up. David Kuerten, MD, and colleagues performed color Doppler imaging to investigate the long-term effects of trabeculectomy on retrobulbar hemodynamics in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). This prospective study included 30 patients (mean age 63.2±15.4 years) with POAG. Imaging was performed 1 to 2 weeks before, 2 months after, 4 to 6 months after, and up to 3 years after trabeculectomy to establish patients' peak systolic and end-diastolic velocities in the ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, and short nasal and temporal posterior ciliary arteries. Compared with pre-surgical velocities, end-diastolic velocities of the central retinal artery and of the temporal posterior ciliary arteries were increased at all postoperative visits (P<0.003). This study was published in Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics. 

NEW PRODUCT BRIEFS

• CooperVision (Pleasanton, Calif.) introduced MyDay lenses in Hong Kong. Heralded as the next generation of silicone hydrogel lenses, the lenses protect users' eyes from 85% of UVA and 96% of UVB rays, the company said.