Latest Advances

  • The Pros and Cons of Dry-Eye Technologies

    A look at the advantages and disadvantages of time-honored methods as well as new techniques and devices.
    Posted Wed, 01/04/2012 - 10:34am
    Author(s): 
    Mark Abelson

    As we enter the dawn of dry-eye season and close the chapter on another year, it’s an appropriate time to reflect on the current state of dry-eye diagnosis and treatment as well as the prospects for therapeutic development in the coming year and beyond. In August, we ran through a list of dry-eye diagnostic tests, and discussed the critical value of a thorough patient history and a comprehensive discussion between doctor and patient about the patient’s ocular health.

  • Mucins: Foundation of A Good Tear Film

    What we know about mucins and their role in protecting the eye from ocular surface disease.
    Posted Mon, 11/28/2011 - 2:01pm
    Author(s): 
    Mark Abelson
    Author(s): 
    James McLaughlin

    How do you describe a good tear film? Put simply, a good tear film is sticky on the bottom, juicy in the middle and greasy on top. While this may be an oversimplification, it’s also a good way to start a conversation about mucins—a vital component of a healthy ocular surface. Lipid meibum supplies the greasy top surface that reduces aqueous evaporation, lacrimal glands produce the tears that compose the aqueous layer, and the sticky mucins create an intimate layer of protection at the corneal and conjunctival surfaces.

  • In the Blink of an Eye

    Although not often researched, studying blinks can serve as an important diagnostic tool for eye care practitioners.
    Posted Thu, 10/27/2011 - 1:06pm
    Author(s): 
    Mark Abelson
    Author(s): 
    Caroline Tobey

    Picture driving down the freeway in your Mercedes Benz S-600 after a long day of treating patients.1 You didn’t get enough sleep last night and you feel fatigue start to set in. Your eyes water, you blink faster, your head starts to nod… Beep, beep, beep! A set of alarms start ringing and you’re jolted back to reality—you almost fell asleep at the wheel. Now, how did your car know this?

  • Drugs and Devices

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Blurry Vision

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Causes Environmental

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Causes Medications

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Clinical Technologies

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Closing Remarks

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Pipeline Overview

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Intro

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Manufacturers

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Measuring Staining

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Tear Film

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Restasis

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Treatment Types

    National dry eye patient conference - George W. Ousler III - Vice President, Dry Eye

  • Glaucoma and Dry Eye: A Tough Combo

    How chronic glaucoma treatment can give rise to ocular surface disease, and how you can treat them both.
    Posted Fri, 10/14/2011 - 1:15pm
    Author(s): 
    Mark Abelson
    Author(s): 
    Ashley Lafond
    Glaucoma and Dry Eye: A Tough Combo

    As our patients age, an increased interest and heightened awareness of the changes occurring on the ocular surface is necessary. It’s not uncommon in this older patient population to see age-related changes on the ocular surface that affect the protective and nutrient functions of the tear film. These changes can include laxity of the lids, dropout of the meibomian glands, decrease in goblet cells and an increase in dry eye related to a decrease in acinar cells of both the main and accessory lacrimal glands. In fact, aging itself is a drying process.

  • The Pros and Cons of Dry-Eye Tests

    The various tests of ocular surface health can yield many insights, but they're not perfect.
    Posted Tue, 08/30/2011 - 8:26am
    Author(s): 
    Mark Abelson
    Author(s): 
    George Ousler
    Author(s): 
    Ashley Lafond
    Dry Eye Tests

    Dry eye is a multifactorial disease that affects the quality and quantity of tears and alters the ocular surface. Patients may experience varying degrees of discomfort, including symptoms such as ocular burning, stinging, grittiness, foreign body sensation, sensitivity to light and blurriness.1 Signs such as keratitis are often noted to a greater or lesser degree.

    • 1. Abelson MB, Ousler GW, 3rd, Nally LA, Emory TB. Dry eye syndromes: diagnosis, clinical trials and pharmaceutical treatment—'improving clinical trials'. Adv Exp Med Biol 2002;506(Pt B):1079-1086.

  • RegeneRx Set to Begin Enrolling Phase 2 Dry Eye Trial

    First Patients Expected to Begin Treatment on August 13th
    Posted Mon, 08/01/2011 - 1:18pm
    RegeneRx

    RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: RGRX) ("the Company" or "RegeneRx") has announced that it is set to begin a Phase 2 clinical trial in 72 patients with dry eye syndrome. The Company anticipates enrollment of the first patients on August 13th, and expects preliminary data from the study to be available in October 2011. The trial is a double-masked, placebo-controlled trial testing the safety and efficacy of RGN-259, the Company's proprietary preservative-free eye drops, against a placebo. Patients will receive RGN-259 or placebo twice daily for 30 days.