The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the pre-market approval to Advanced Medical Optics, Inc.’s Healon D®. To be used as a surgical aid in procedures such as corneal transplant, cataract extraction, glaucoma filtration and implantation of intraocular lens (IOL), the ophthalmic visco-surgical device (OVD) offers incomparable clarity in the field of surgery and protects corneal cells well. Its molecular weight being low, Healon D® stays in place for the entire process of surgery. It ensures safer environment for doctors and patients as it is latex free.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given 510(k) clearance to the company’s SOLX 790 for use in Titanium: Sapphire laser trabeculoplasty (TLT). The clearance followed the results of a multi-center clinical trial which established the equivalence of TLT to ALT in its ability to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients suffering from primary open angle glaucoma and poorly controlled IOP. The laser emits pulses of energy at a wavelength of 790 nm that loosens particles in the trabecular meshwork. The penetration of this energy into the tissue is deeper than other currently used trabeculoplasty lasers. The treatment is long-lasting and less damaging.

Paradigm Medical Industries plans to introduce the Glaid-PERG electrophysiology instrument for the early detection of Glaucoma at the American Society for Cataract Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS) Conference in Chicago, Illinois, in April. The company’s CEO Raymond Cannefax said, “All research and studies indicate the Glaid-PERG diagnostic device is the earliest means of detecting cellular losses attributed to glaucoma and other ocular ailments.” The early diagnosis of Glaucoma, which causes the most cases of vision loss, will help reduce these cases.

Researchers have found that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure was a third lower in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma than in those who did not have the condition. The group of researchers led by John Berdahl also found in a retrospective case-control study that intraocular pressure (IOP) was similar between patients with glaucoma and those with other vision defects. The research published in the May issue of Ophthalmology suggests that the pressure difference between the intraocular space and the CSF space, the so-called translaminar pressure difference, may play a role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma.

Carl Zeiss Meditec has announced that two new optical coherence tomography (OCT) applications, Cirrus™ HD-OCT and Stratus™ OCT, will be made available at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting in Chicago for the first time. These are among the most advanced imaging technologies available for assessment and management of glaucoma and diseases of the retina.

A recent study published in the Ophthalmology journal found that there is a 70% increased risk of developing the most common form of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, for diabetic women as compared to non-diabetic women. The study, led by Dr. Louis Pasquale, was conducted on over 76,000 women and provided conclusive evidence of the risk of glaucoma in people with diabetes.

Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co Inc has received tentative approval from the FDA for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for dorzolamide hydrochloride with timolol maleate ophthalmic solution. Hi-Tech Pharmacal’s dorzolamide hydrochloride with timolol maleate ophthalmic solution is the generic version of Merck’s Cosopt, for the treatment of glaucoma. The company said that it has 180 days of marketing exclusivity for generic dorzolamide hydrochloride with timolol maleate ophthalmic solution, and will begin marketing the product upon the completion of Merck’s pediatric exclusivity period in October 2008.

Carl Zeiss Meditec, a glaucoma care company, has launched Humphrey® Field Analyzer II-i (HFA II-i) with new Guided Progression Analysis™ (GPA) software. HFA II-i is to be used in determining the stage of the disease, the rate of progression and the risk of loss of vision. Eye care providers will now be able to monitor patients to prevent the loss of vision.