FDA Approves Dry-Eye Medication

"Drug regulators in the United States have approved Xiidra, which is lifitegrast ophthalmic solution 5 percent, to treat dry eye disease," reports Medical News Today. "Xiidra is the first prescription eye drop approved to treat both the signs and symptoms of dry eye - a group of conditions where the tear fluid produced by the eyes is either insufficient to lubricate the eyes properly, or of the wrong consistency." Read more.FDA, Food & Drug Administration, Xiidra, Dry Eye,

Tear Study May Help Contact Lens Wearers

"When contact lenses work best, wearers forget forget they are on their eyes. But after too many hours of wear, the lenses and the wearer's eyes dry out, causing irritation that might outweigh the convenience of contacts. Now researchers hope to alleviate that pain by both advancing the understanding of how natural tears keep our eyes comfortable, and developing a machine for designing better contact lenses," according to a post on Western Daily Press. "The work was inspired in part by a scientist's own dry eyes. Doctor Saad Bhamla, of Stanford University in the US, said: 'As a student, I had to stop wearing lenses due to the increased discomfort. Focusing my PhD thesis to understand this problem was both a personal and professional goal.' The researchers suspected that most of the discomfort arises from the break up of the tear film, a wet coating on the surface of the eye, during a process called dewetting." Read more.

Bioengineer's Dry Eye Inspires Improvement in Contact Lenses

"After long hours of studying as a graduate student, Saad Bhamla’s eyes hurt. Contacts and intense visual focus just didn’t go together," notes Stanford Medicine's Scope blog. "He resolved to make contacts more comfortable and now, as a postdoctoral scholar in bioengineering with a PhD in chemical engineering, he’s taken a step to do just that. As reported in a Stanford News release:

"Bhamla and [chemical engineer Gerald Fuller, PhD,] suspected that most of the discomfort arises from the break up of the tear film, a wet coating on the surface of the eye, during a process called dewetting. [In a study,] they found that the lipid layer, an oily coating on the surface of the tear film, protects the eye’s surface in two important ways – through strength and liquid retention. By mimicking the lipid layer in contact construction, millions of people could avoid ocular discomfort.

"The engineers and their team then designed a device that mimics the surface of the eye." Read more.

After long hours of studying as a graduate student, Saad Bhamla’s eyes hurt. Contacts and intense visual focus just didn’t go together.
He resolved to make contacts more comfortable and now, as a postdoctoral scholar in bioengineering with a PhD in chemical engineering, he’s taken a step to do just that. As reported in a Stanford News release:

Bhamla and [chemical engineer Gerald Fuller, PhD,] suspected that most of the discomfort arises from the break up of the tear film, a wet coating on the surface of the eye, during a process called dewetting. [In a study,] they found that the lipid layer, an oily coating on the surface of the tear film, protects the eye’s surface in two important ways – through strength and liquid retention. By mimicking the lipid layer in contact construction, millions of people could avoid ocular discomfort.

The engineers and their team then designed a device that mimics the surface of the eye,
- See more at: http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2016/03/24/a-bioengineers-dry-eyes-spurred-a-hunt-for-ways-to-improve-contact-lenses/#sthash.zGhbLPCc.dpuf

After long hours of studying as a graduate student, Saad Bhamla’s eyes hurt. Contacts and intense visual focus just didn’t go together.
He resolved to make contacts more comfortable and now, as a postdoctoral scholar in bioengineering with a PhD in chemical engineering, he’s taken a step to do just that. As reported in a Stanford News release:

Bhamla and [chemical engineer Gerald Fuller, PhD,] suspected that most of the discomfort arises from the break up of the tear film, a wet coating on the surface of the eye, during a process called dewetting. [In a study,] they found that the lipid layer, an oily coating on the surface of the tear film, protects the eye’s surface in two important ways – through strength and liquid retention. By mimicking the lipid layer in contact construction, millions of people could avoid ocular discomfort.

The engineers and their team then designed a device that mimics the surface of the eye,
- See more at: http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2016/03/24/a-bioengineers-dry-eyes-spurred-a-hunt-for-ways-to-improve-contact-lenses/#sthash.zGhbLPCc.dpuf

After long hours of studying as a graduate student, Saad Bhamla’s eyes hurt. Contacts and intense visual focus just didn’t go together.
He resolved to make contacts more comfortable and now, as a postdoctoral scholar in bioengineering with a PhD in chemical engineering, he’s taken a step to do just that. As reported in a Stanford News release:

Bhamla and [chemical engineer Gerald Fuller, PhD,] suspected that most of the discomfort arises from the break up of the tear film, a wet coating on the surface of the eye, during a process called dewetting. [In a study,] they found that the lipid layer, an oily coating on the surface of the tear film, protects the eye’s surface in two important ways – through strength and liquid retention. By mimicking the lipid layer in contact construction, millions of people could avoid ocular discomfort.

The engineers and their team then designed a device that mimics the surface of the eye,
- See more at: http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2016/03/24/a-bioengineers-dry-eyes-spurred-a-hunt-for-ways-to-improve-contact-lenses/#sthash.zGhbLPCc.dpuf

After long hours of studying as a graduate student, Saad Bhamla’s eyes hurt. Contacts and intense visual focus just didn’t go together.
He resolved to make contacts more comfortable and now, as a postdoctoral scholar in bioengineering with a PhD in chemical engineering, he’s taken a step to do just that. As reported in a Stanford News release:

Bhamla and [chemical engineer Gerald Fuller, PhD,] suspected that most of the discomfort arises from the break up of the tear film, a wet coating on the surface of the eye, during a process called dewetting. [In a study,] they found that the lipid layer, an oily coating on the surface of the tear film, protects the eye’s surface in two important ways – through strength and liquid retention. By mimicking the lipid layer in contact construction, millions of people could avoid ocular discomfort.

The engineers and their team then designed a device that mimics the surface of the eye,
- See more at: http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2016/03/24/a-bioengineers-dry-eyes-spurred-a-hunt-for-ways-to-improve-contact-lenses/#sthash.zGhbLPCc.dpuf

Link between Dry Eye and Pain Syndromes Found

Science Digest reports that "a link between 'dry eye' and chronic pain syndromes has been found by researchers, a finding that suggests that a new paradigm is needed for diagnosis and treatment to improve patient outcomes." Read more.

"New" Simulator May Increase Tear Production for Dry Eye

Medical News Today reports that "scientists have developed a device that electronically stimulates tear production, which will offer hope to sufferers of dry eye syndrome, one of the most common eye diseases in the world." Read more.

Researchers Find Origin of Dry Eye Symptoms

"A group of researchers from the Instituto de Neurociencias, a mixed centre of the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has taken part in a study on the origin of the symptoms of dry eye disease," notes Science Daily. "The work, which explains the molecular mechanism leading to the discomfort that causes this disease, has been published in the journal Nature Communications." Read more.

Dry Eye Finally Linked to Allergens in New Study

"New ophthalmology research from the University of Miami shows that dry eye - the little understood culprit behind red, watery, gritty feeling eyes - strikes most often in spring, just as airborne allergens are surging," according to Medical News Today. "The study marks the first time that researchers have discovered a direct correlation between seasonal allergens and dry eye, with both pollen and dry eye cases reaching a yearly peak in the month of April. The paper was published online in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology." Read more.

Liposomal Sprays/Drops Might Be Good for Dry Eye

“Contact lens wearers with ‘dry eye’ and discomfort may find relief from sprays or drops that add lipids back to the eye, Australian researchers say,” reports Reuters. “They found that among contact lens wearers with the bothersome symptoms, the outermost layer of tears on the eye, a protective layer of lipids, is more degraded than among people without the symptoms. The liposomal spray used in the study is already available on the market, as are similar compounds in drop form, senior author Fiona Stapleton told Reuters Health by phone.” Read more.

New Treatment for Dry Eye

Supporting research into a better treatment for dry eye has been one of Dr. Jerome Wujek’s tasks for the past eight years and has just begun to reach fruition with the launch of an FDA-approved Phase I clinical trial that will test the safety and efficacy of a novel drug called P-321 Ophthalmic Solution. The drug is applied as an eye drop and targets a unique mechanism involved in maintaining moisture in the eye. Its development was supported through two NEI SBIR grants to Parion Sciences, Inc. and through the NCATS Bridging Interventional Development Gaps (BrIDGs) program, which gives investigators access to NIH subcontractors who conduct preclinical safety studies necessary for an FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) application. Read more.

Mapping Tear Movements May Improve Dry-Eye Treatment

National Science Foundation (NSF) Logo, reproduction allowed. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"A treatment for dry eye -- a burning, gritty condition that can impair vision and damage the cornea -- could some day result from computer simulations that map the way tears move across the surface of the eye," says Science Daily. "Kara Maki, assistant professor in Rochester Institute of Technology's School of Mathematical Sciences, contributed to a recent National Science Foundation study seeking to understand the basic motion of tear film traversing the eye. 'Tear Film Dynamic with Evaporation, Wetting and Time Dependent Flux Boundary Condition on an Eye-shaped Domain,' published in the journal Physics of Fluids on May 6, is an extension of Maki's doctoral research under her thesis advisor and co-author Richard Braun, professor in the University of Delaware's Department of Mathematical Sciences." Read more.

Pollution Increases Risk of Dry Eye, Study Shows

Residents in cities with high levels of air pollution have an increased risk of dry eye syndrome, according to a study presented at the 117th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. For example, Chicagans and New Yorkers were three to four times more likely to be diagnosed with dry eye syndrome than their counterparts in more rural areas. As a result, researchers suggest that environmental manipulations should be considered as part of the overall control and management of patients with dry eye syndrome. Read more.

High Pain Sensitivity and Low Tolerance Connected to Dry Eye?

Medical News Today reports that "high pain sensitivity and low pain tolerance appear to be associated with symptoms of dry eye disease (DED), adding to previous associations of the severity of tear insufficiency, cell damage, and psychological factors, according to a study by Jelle Vehof, Ph.D., of University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, and colleagues." Read more.

Potential New Treatment for Dry Eye

“An estimated nine million people in the United State alone suffer from significant dry eye disorder. Researchers have shown that topical anakinra (Kineret; Amgen Inc.), a recombinant version of human IL-1Ra approved for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, significantly reduced dry eye symptoms.” That’s the report from Science Digest. Read more.

TearScience Looking to Make Its System Standard of Care for Dry Eye

TearScience, Inc., reportedly has secured up to $70 million in funding from HealthCare Royalty Partners to fully implement the company’s commercialization efforts and establish the TearScience system as the “Standard of Care” for evaporative dry eye. More than 23 million Americans suffer from dry eye disease. With the majority (86 percent2) suffering from evaporative dry eye, this represents a more than $10 billion market potential in North America. TearScience has launched the LipiView Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System. The company says that LipiView measures the absolute thickness of the lipid layer of a dry eye patient’s tear film while LipiFlow treats the root cause of evaporative dry eye disease by unblocking obstructed Meibomian glands during an in-office procedure. The goal of treating evaporative dry eye by unblocking the Meibomian glands is to allow the glands to resume their natural production of lipids required for a healthy tear film and ocular surface. Read more.

Easier Eval of Dry Eye

" A simple test of eyelid sensitivity may help vision professionals in evaluating one of the most common eye-related symptoms: dry eyes," according to Science Daily. "A new study linking increased eyelid sensitivity to decreased function of the eyelid margins is presented in the October issue of Optometry and Vision Science." Read more.

RegeneRx Receives Mexican Patent for Dry Eye and Glaucoma Treatment

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. has received a patent in Mexico for the treatment of dry eye syndrome and glaucoma, among other medical indications, using Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4), or its isoforms and fragments, derivatives and analogs. The patent is projected to expire in July 2026. The Company has similar issued patents or pending applications in major countries throughout the world. Read more.

Dry Eye Problems More Common Than Treated

"This study [on dry eye], sponsored by Allergan, Inc., exposed the fact that patients have a lot more to say about their dry eye than eye care practitioners may realize," according to an American Optometric Assn. (AOA) post. "Although, practitioners have known for years that the prevalence of dry eye symptoms is highest in females and increases with age, the study indicates that males are also susceptible. Moreover, some individuals, male and female, have been experiencing symptoms for more than 10 years. Sadly, this means that practitioners have been status-quo in their treatment regimen for a chronic medical condition that causes almost 42 percent of female patients to state that it blurs their vision and 43 percent to state that it made reading more challenging." Read more.

Donning Goggles, Freeman Homers for Braves

Freeman's Reaction after Hitting
Home Run with New Eyewear

"Freddie Freeman homered and drove in three runs, wearing his new glasses, to help the Atlanta Braves recover after blowing a five-run lead to beat the Cardinals 10-7 on Wednesday night," reports USA Today. "Freeman, who had missed four straight starts because of vision problems, was elated about receiving his new sports glasses before the game. He broke out of slump with three hits: his eighth homer in the first, a run-scoring double in the third and run-scoring single in the eighth." Read more.

Hours earlier: "Excited to try the new prescription sports glasses that had just arrived, Freddie Freeman arrived at Turner Field early Wednesday afternoon and immediately went to the batting cage to take swings while wearing dress shorts and a collared shirt," reports a Braves MLB webpage. "After experiencing no problem with the glasses, a jubilant Freeman made his way toward Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez's office to deliver the encouraging update. Things got even better when the young first baseman had no trouble taking swings outside and was placed back in Wednesday's lineup to make his first start since Friday." Read more.

Braves Freeman Waits on Bench for Sports Goggles

" Freddie Freeman has learned he can no longer wear contact lenses or have the peripheral vision necessary to hit while wearing glasses. The first baseman can only patiently wait on the arrival of sports goggles, with the hope they will alleviate the vision problems that have bothered him for three weeks," reports Braves.com. "Under Armour and Oakley both said they needed approximately a week to construct a prescription set of goggles for Freeman. There is some hope that at least one pair of these goggles might arrive by Tuesday." Read more.

Braves Sit Freeman with Dry Eye

"The Braves were also without first baseman Freddie Freeman Sunday night as he continues to battle blurry vision caused by dry eyes," reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "Freeman, who also missed Saturday’s game, told team trainers before the game he was still experiencing the issue. Eric Hinske started at first base. Freeman has tried different combination of contact lenses, sports goggles, eye drops and diet to try to alleviate the issue, which first arose in Colorado at the beginning of the month. 'We are going to take our time,' Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. 'The doctor said it’s a process. It’s a process of getting the right glasses and the right contacts and the right mixture of [eye] solution. … He has to be patient. He can’t go through 12 pairs of contacts in one night. That isn’t going help.'" Read more.