Eye News and Research

Latest Eye News and Research

Global endoscopy equipment market to reach $33.7 billion by 2016: New report

By 2016 it is believed that the global endoscopy equipment market will be worth in excess of $33.7 billion, growing at a CAGR of 6.4% over the reporting period, according to a new report available on companiesandmarkets.com.

10 Aug 2011

Scientist determines how nyctalopin gene makes night vision possible

A scientist from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute has determined how a particular gene makes night vision possible. The study, which was published in the August 10, 2011 edition of The Journal of Neuroscience, focuses on a gene called nyctalopin. Mutations in the gene result in inherited "night blindness," a loss of vision in low-light environments.

10 Aug 2011

New genetic cause of retinitis pigmentosa

Combining the expertise of several different labs, University of Iowa researchers have found a new genetic cause of the blinding eye disease retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and, in the process, discovered an entirely new version of the message that codes for the affected protein.

10 Aug 2011

New preclinical approach can guide more efficient drug development for brain-related conditions

The development of drugs for brain-related conditions is not an efficient process; only 8% of candidate drugs that enter clinical trials gain FDA approval. A key reason for this low success rate is a lack of preclinical tests that accurately predict drug efficacy and detect unwanted side effects.

9 Aug 2011

Researchers team up to combat age-related macular degeneration

A professor at the University of California, Riverside Bourns College of Engineering has received a $100,000 grant to develop a new technique to fight a disease that gradually destroys vision.

8 Aug 2011

Mindless eating: Don't rely on your stomach to tell you when you're full!

There a millions of people around the world who are a victim of mindless eating – or eating without being hungry. The phrase is coined by Cornell University food psychologist Brian Wansink, PhD, to describe subconscious eating habits that can lead to unnecessary weight gain.

8 Aug 2011

Simple changes in food environment can help people lose weight

Dieters may not need as much willpower as they think, if they make simple changes in their surroundings that can result in eating healthier without a second thought, said a consumer psychologist at the American Psychological Association's 119th Annual Convention.

6 Aug 2011

Merge Healthcare acquires Ophthalmic Imaging Systems

Merge Healthcare, a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, and Ophthalmic Imaging Systems, one of the country's top providers of digital imaging and informatics solutions for ophthalmology and other medical specialties, announced today the completion of Merge's acquisition of Ophthalmic Imaging Systems.

5 Aug 2011

Scientists confirm feasibility of new battery-powered skin patch drug delivery system

Scientists have confirmed the feasibility of using a new drug delivery system - the basis for a battery-powered skin patch - to administer medication that shows promise for treating peripheral artery disease (PAD) and healing stubborn skin ulcers and burns.

5 Aug 2011

AAA journal secures number 1 rank in science education category

What began as a gleam in the eye of now co-editor Rick Drake and colleagues at the anatomy chairs' meeting in 2006, launched in 2008, and is now the highest ranking journal in science education? If you said Anatomical Sciences Education (ASE), you would be absolutely correct!

5 Aug 2011

Specific microRNA cluster could play a key role in retinoblastoma development

New research from a team including several Carnegie scientists demonstrates that a specific small segment of RNA could play a key role in the growth of a type of malignant childhood eye tumor called retinoblastoma.

5 Aug 2011

Debt deal's potential Medicare cuts echo through health care industry

Medicare and Medicaid advocates prepare for their luck to run out as the debt deal will likely lead to pressure on providers and could lead to family physicians, hospitals and even elderly patients feeling the pinch.

4 Aug 2011

Instituto Bioclon receives FDA approval for Anascorp to treat Centruroides scorpion sting

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Anascorp, the first specific treatment for a scorpion sting by Centruroides scorpions in the United States.

4 Aug 2011

First Edition: August 3, 2011

Today's headlines showcase continuing reports about the impact the debt deal might have on health care providers, as well as how the agreement's "super committee" will be charged with finding spending reductions in Medicare, Medicaid and a range of other government programs.

3 Aug 2011

Super committee's muscle draws interest, questions

Some lawmakers are questioning the powerful panel's ability to recommend changes to entitlement programs and the tax code. This group must present a deficit-reduction package to Congress by Nov. 23. Failure to do so would lead to across-the-board cuts to high-priority programs such as defense spending and Medicare.

3 Aug 2011

Hydrogen sulfide protects blood vessels from diabetes complications

Hydrogen sulfide is a foul-smelling gas with an odor resembling that of rotten eggs. Sometimes called "swamp gas," this toxic substance is generally associated with decaying vegetation, sewers and noxious industrial emissions. And - as odd as it may seem - it also plays a critical role in protecting blood vessels from the complications of diabetes, according to a new study from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

3 Aug 2011

Akorn enters agreement to acquire minority ownership in Aciex

Akorn, Inc., a niche specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a minority ownership in Westborough, MA, based Aciex Therapeutics Inc., an ophthalmic drug development company with a focus on developing novel therapeutics to treat ocular diseases.

3 Aug 2011

Words+ introduces EyePro GS system

Words+, Inc., a leading provider of augmentative communication and assistive technology hardware and software for people with disabilities, announced today that it has launched EyePro GS™, a new product designed and manufactured in-house that allows a person to operate an augmentative communication system or computer by simply looking at the screen. Words+ is a wholly owned subsidiary of Simulations Plus, Inc..

2 Aug 2011

Akorn second quarter revenue grows 59% to $32.1 million

Akorn, Inc., a niche specialty pharmaceutical company, today reported financial results for the second quarter of 2011. The Company also separately announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a minority ownership in Westborough, MA, based Aciex Therapeutics Inc., an ophthalmic drug development company with a focus on developing novel therapeutics to treat front-of-eye diseases.

2 Aug 2011