• Adaptilens Inc. announced the closing of Series A financing that will drive the development of the company’s Accommodating Intraocular Lens (A-IOL). The A-IOL imitates the human lens by responding to the eye’s natural signal to focus, according to a press release.
• ArcScan Inc.’sArcScan Insight 100 ultrasound solution received National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approval in China. Using Insight 100, eye surgeons can accurately determine the appropriate sizing of phakic IOL’s for placement behind the iris for the treatment of myopia, according to the press release.
• Bausch + Lomb launched Zenlens Echo, a non-prosthetic, custom scleral contact lens designed to fit a wide variety of corneal shapes and sizes and patients who have advanced ocular conditions, such as corneal degeneration and certain postoperative conditions, according to a press release.
• Brill Engines released a noncontact and portable corneal esthesiometer. This FDA-approved device measures the functional status of the corneal nerves. “By being able to analyze corneal sensitivity, ophthalmologists can diagnose, monitor, and follow up on multiple pathologies, such as glaucoma, and dry eye disease, in which the corneal nerves are affected,” says the press release.
• Emmetrope Ophthalmics LLC (“Emmecell”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cell-based therapies for eye diseases, announced the final dose administration for the last patient in its U.S. randomized, double-masked, multi-center trial assessing the safety and efficacy of EO2002 for the treatment of corneal edema. EO2002 can modify corneal edema via Emmecell’s Magnetic Cell Delivery (MCD) nanotechnology platform, according to a press release.
• Eversight Center for Vision and Eye Banking Research named its 2024 grant recipients: Pedram Hamrah, MD, professor, Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Immunology Program, Neuroscience Program, Tufts University; Ashok Kumar, PhD, associate professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University; Jason Miller, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan; and Lev Prasov, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Human Genetics, University of Michigan.
• EyeCare Partners launched its Refractive Cataract Anterior Segment Fellowship. Specifically, the one-year Fellowship offers hands-on experience in refractive cataract and anterior segment surgery under the guidance of nationally recognized leaders, according to the press release. If you know of any students interested in applying for the fellowship, contact Rhonda Sciarrra, senior director, Corporate Communications, at rhondasciarra@eyecare-partners.com. The application process is open until August 2024.
• Formosa Pharmaceuticals received FDA approval for clobetasol propionate ophthalmic suspension 0.05% for the treatment of postoperative inflammation and pain following ocular surgery. Eyenovia acquired the U.S. commercial rights to the b.i.d.- dosed ophthalmic steroid that does not require titration, from Formosa, in August 2023.
• iOR Partners’ announced that its cofounder and chairman of the board, Daniel S. Durrie, MD, has retired. iOR Partners empowers surgeons with turnkey office-based-surgery suites and support services, including space planning, capital equipment acquisition, staff training, materials management, accreditation, billing, and day-to-day oversight, according to a press release.
• Pantheon Vision completed two presubmission meetings with the FDA to obtain agency guidance on preclinical and clinical work supporting a Premarket Approval submission. In related news, Pantheon Vision secured $1.8 million in a second tranche from KeraLink International to advance the company’s development of bioengineered corneal implants.
• TheiaNova is working on an eye-drop treatment to restore collagen in the eyes of patients living with keratoconus, while also raising capital to go into phase 1 and 2 trials. Specifically, the drop combines a novel growth factor and an existing steroid and would be dosed b.i.d. for a 3-week period to regenerate and restore lost collagen in the cornea, according to a press release. CP
