Also in the News…

From advancing our understanding of AMD and its progression, to a new cell therapy candidate for corneal endothelial disease, these are the news stories and studies that caught our attention this week…

Standing up for AMD progression. Researchers from Trinity College, Dublin, have found that measuring hemodynamic changes during an orthostatic challenge (i.e., a standing test) might provide further clues to understanding the processes of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Taking their data from participants involved in the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), the team found that the observed hemodynamic changes caused by the test, particularly as they occur during the first 20 seconds after standing, could be linked to understanding the pathophysiology of AMD’s progression. Link

Efficacy of FDA-approved amblyopia treatment. Luminopia, a digital health company focused on neurovisual disorders, has announced real-world data demonstrating efficacy of their FDA-approved VR-based therapy for children with amblyopia. Link

Cell therapy candidate for corneal endothelial disease. Aurian Biotech’s AURN001, an allogeneic cell therapy candidate for the treatment of corneal edema secondary to corneal endothelial disease, has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) Designation by the FDA. Link

Agents for change. The Myopia Collective – including the American Optometric Association (AOA) and CooperVision – has announced a list of annual Change Agents (in other words, eye care professionals focused on delivering myopia control as well as advocating for long-term community and policy changes on myopia). The Collective was formed with the central goal of rallying eye care professionals to shift their focus on myopia care from mere correction to comprehensive treatment. Link

Ortho-K issues. With discontinuation of orthokeratology (ortho-K) lenses being relatively common in myopia patients, a new Eye & Contact Lens study has explored the reasons why. The researchers found that while ortho-K with corneal refractive therapy can be efficacious and safe for myopia correction, frustrations with the regimen and visual complications led to a significant portion of patients discontinuing their treatment within the first six months. Link

Space travel and ocular health. A Microgravity Journal study examining the impacts of space travel on astronaut’s ocular health focused on countermeasures to the fluid shifts and ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) changes that are caused by Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS). Though the team investigated these physiological responses on Earth, they propose that future studies are performed in true microgravity conditions, collecting the cardiovascular responses of individual participants to determine how each countermeasure might compare in terms of mitigating changes in OPP. Link