News

What to take away on PBM, hormonal eye health, and GLP-1 receptor agonists from this year’s meeting.

Host Hamza Shah, OD, MS, FAAO, is joined by Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, to discuss burnout among US optometrists, inspired by Abbott et al's nationwide survey.

From treating myopic complications to preventing them, eye care providers have ample opportunity to close a collaborative care gap.

This week’s top stories include pipeline updates in dry eye, retinitis pigmentosa, contact lens hygiene, and more.

The meeting, which comes a year after the agency issued a complete response letter in October 2025,2 was held from 8:30 am-3 pm ET and was open to public.

The licaminlimab trial enrolled 176 patients, two-thirds with a TNFR1 variant tied to stronger response. Data expected late 2026.

Nicole Haessly, OD, FAAO, discusses common unsafe contact lens habits, overlooked care steps, and how lens innovations have improved safety.

Amanda Nanasy, OD, discussed how sports can open the door to eye care for underserved athletes and what goes into her performance vision evaluations.

FDA grants orphan drug designation to oral OCT-980 for RHO-adRP, now in phase 1b/2 testing at US sites.

Amanda Nanasy, OD, described how her own concussion shaped her approach to athletes and why she ties every vision evaluation back to the demands of their sport.

Zachary Keaney, CPOA, discusses the lens care steps patients skip most often and why early diagnosis of lens-related keratitis is critical.

This week's top stories include breaking FDA approvals, insights on AI-assisted front desk management, and more.

Open-access OCTA tools showed similar reliability, but different vessel density values in glaucoma; researchers advise using one tool consistently.

Interim 48-month data show 86% of patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension remain off topical drops after a single cataract procedure, although the drop-free rate has eased from earlier time points.

CLARITY program data show significantly longer time to treatment failure and higher rates of steroid-free quiescence vs placebo.

Drs Bryce St. Clair and Behrad Garmsiri explain how they build trust, improve health literacy, and destigmatize future interventions for patients with AMD.

Diana Canto-Sims, OD, introduces the second guest of Season 2, Raphael Rostenne, who will be discussing AI-assisted front desk management.

Duravyu gained 2.5 letters vs 6.1 with aflibercept at week 52/56, missing noninferiority in a second phase 3 wet AMD trial.

Alcon's Brytly eye drops received FDA approval for OTC temporary relief of minor ocular redness.

From dry eye to GLP-1s, this year's conference brought a variety of insights from key experts in optometry.

Ryzumvi gained a presbyopia indication in adults based on the phase 3 VEGA-2 and VEGA-3 trials, adding a pharmacologic option for managing near vision loss.

Enspryng is the first subcutaneous, at-home treatment option for TED and the first IL-6 receptor inhibitor approved for this indication.

Susan Gromacki, OD, MS, FAAO, FSLS, details one of her AAOpt 2026 sessions, titled "Advances in Contact Lens Care for the New Contact Lens Technologies."

Three researchers share the prize for discovering channelrhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein now being tested to restore vision in retinal disease.

Presenters from AAOpt26's research symposium share their findings, applications for optometric practice, and goals for future study.

FDA advisers review SYD-101, low-dose atropine 0.01% for pediatric myopia, on Oct 30 after a 2025 complete response letter.

For Maria Sampalis, OD, implementing AI isn't an excuse for practice owners to replace their staff with new technology; it should instead lift the burden of certain tasks to make for more patient visits.

Walline, American Academy of Optometry president, shares this year's conference attendance numbers, clinical pearls, and what he hopes to see in 2027.