Catch up with what Optometry Times®' shared this week:

FDA approves low-dose pilocarpine hydrochloride 0.4% as a treatment for presbyopia

Lynda Charters; Emily Kaiser Maharjan, Assistant Managing Editor; Elad Kedar; Paul Smith

The FDA announced the approval of pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.4% (Qlosi; Orasis Pharmaceuticals) to treat presbyopia.

Orasis Pharmaceuitcals' Elad Kedar, CEO, and Paul Smith, president and COO, sat down with Optometry Times®' assistant managing editor Emily Kaiser to give a high-level overview of the latest approval.

Presbyopia is the loss of ability to focus on near objects as a result of the natural aging process and affects more than 120 million people in the US.

This drug is the company’s focus, ie, the development of a unique eye drop to improve near vision for people with presbyopia.

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Pearls for integrating dry eye disease management into your practice

Lynda Charters; Sheri Rowen, MD, FACS, PCEO, FCWS

Dry eye disease is ubiquitous and, if left untreated, it can substantially alter the ocular surface and further worsen as a result of other treatments, such as LASIK and cataract surgery. Sheri Rowen, MD, FACS, PCEO, FCWS, of NVISION Eye Centers in Newport Beach, California, discussed how physicians can better handle patients with dry eye in clinical practice. For ophthalmologists, Rowen noted that collaborating with optometrists can help identify dry eye early. Both specialties need to be more highly attuned to the dry eye disease state and identifying it early.

Rowen described 2 patients who presented with difficult cases of dry eye. She originally discussed these cases at a recent Ophthalmology Times and Optometry Times Case-Based Roundtable. Some of the ideas discussed are highlighted here.

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Drops are changing the future of presbyopia treatment

Preeya K. Gupta, MD; Murray Fingeret, OD, FAAO

Inquisitive by nature and eminently human, physicians are constantly on the lookout for something new. When industry representatives walk into our practice, we want to hear about new molecules, modalities, and devices. Meanwhile, novel formulations, delivery vehicles, and platforms are frequently met with skepticism.

In our pursuit of novelty, we sometimes forget that significant treatment breakthroughs have been made thanks to the reformulation or change in treatment delivery. Several years ago, brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solution 0.1% or 0.15% (Alphagan P; Allergan) was reformulated to brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solution 0.025% (Lumify; Bausch + Lomb), creating an entirely new aesthetic application for brimonidine. With the identification of a minimal effective concentration through reformulation, resolution of an established effect—eye whitening—became a primary point of efficacy.

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A deeper look at pegcetacoplan

Winston Posvar, OD, MS, FAAO; Andrew D. Pucker, OD, PhD, FAAO; George Magrath, MD

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pegcetacoplan (Syfovre; Apellis Pharmaceuticals) in February 2023 for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA) in patients with advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and now, for the first time, the community has a treatment option for dry AMD beyond vitamins. AMD is a degenerative, multifactorial ocular disease that can result in progressive visual loss, and it is the most common cause of permanent blindness in patients older than 50 years in the Western world.^1,2 GA is an advanced form of dry AMD that can result in irreversible vision loss, and it affects about 1 million patients in the United States.^2,3

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Fortified antibiotic advance improves corneal infection treatment paradigm

Brian Shafer, MD

Corneal ulceration secondary to infectious keratitis is a painful and vision-threatening condition. Most corneal ulcers in the United States are associated with contact lens use and poor hygiene. Historically, corneal ulcer management has been dictated by a treatment algorithm that considers size and location of the ulcer—generally, if concerning, the infiltrate is cultured and the patient is prescribed fortified antibiotics. The acquisition and provision of fortified antibiotics recently has been simplified, resulting in a practice paradigm shift replete with potential vision-saving benefits.

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AAOpt 2023 cont.

The 2023 American Academy of Optometry meeting took place October 11-14 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans and the Optometry Times® editorial team was on the ground bringing you all the latest news. Emily Kaiser Maharjan, assistant managing editor, and Kassi Jackson, editor, met with industry leaders and KOLs to learn about the latest cutting edge technology, therapies, and innovation, as well as research to enhance patient care in myopia, glaucoma, imaging and more.

This year's keynote address focused on mental health and optometry. Presented by Drs. Dennis Pardo, Jeff Walline, and Bernadette Melnyk, alongside former NFL star Brandon Marshall, the team discussed the intersection of mental health care and optometry, from patient care and practice management to caring for clinicians' own mental health.

See the AAOpt 2023 coverage...