LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK eye surgeons from Yonsei University College of Medicine, in Seoul, Korea. have reported the case of a man who underwent LASIK eye surgery, and three months later presented with epithelial ingrowth caused by viral keratoconjunctivitis.

The eye care specialists from Seoul, Korea, have advised:

• “As the patient showed no complications prior to viral conjunctivitis, we suspect that the viral infection caused edema of the corneal flap, which caused epithelial ingrowth under the flap.”¹
• “Patients who have viral conjunctivitis after LASIK surgery should be examined carefully and managed with consideration of flap complications.”

The researchers from Seoul have also noted:

• “A 41-year-old man presented with decreased visual acuity in the right eye, which had developed about 3 weeks before.”
• “He had undergone LASIK surgery 3 months prior without complications.”
• “Two months after the surgery, he was treated for viral conjunctivitis.”
• “During the treatment period, filamentary keratitis developed, and a therapeutic bandage contact lens was applied for 2 weeks.”
• “Upon presentation, examination revealed a corrected visual acuity of 20/100 and irregular epithelial sheets under the edematous flap.”
• “The flap was lifted, and the in-grown epithelium was removed.”
• “The flap was repositioned with double continuous 10-0 nylon sutures.”
• “Post-operatively, the patient developed a mild diffuse lamellar keratitis that resolved rapidly with topical corticosteroid treatment.”
• “At 2 months, the corrected visual acuity was 20/20 without interface opacities.”

(1) Jun RM, Suh W, Kim EK: Delayed epithelial ingrowth caused by viral conjunctivitis after LASIK. Yonsei Med J. 2008 Aug 31;49(4):662-5.

Tags: 3 weeks after LASIK after LASIK surgery after surgery applied bandage contact lens before College of Medicine complications consideration contact lenses continuous corneal flap corrected visual acuity corticosteroid decreased delayed developed diffuse double edema edematous flap epithelial ingrowth epithelial sheets examination examined carefully eye eye care specialists filamentary keratitis flap flap complications in-grown epithelium interface interface opacities irregular Korea lamellar keratitis LASIK LASIK eye surgeons LASIK eye surgery lifted managed mild nylon sutures opacitiies post-operatively prior rapidly removed repositioned resolved revealed right eye Seoul sheets suspect therapeutic three months later topical treated treatment treatment period under the flap viral conjunctiviti viral conjunctivitis viral infection viral keratoconjunctivitis visual acuity without complications Yonsei University

A contact lens reminder service has been launched.

More information from a Release dated September 3:

VISTAKON(R) Brings ACUMINDER(TM) to Facebook Users

Popular Electronic Contact Lens Reminder Service Launches on Social Networking Site; Contact Lens Wearers Self-Report Better Compliance with ACUMINDER(TM)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — VISTAKON(R), Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. and maker of ACUVUE(R) Brand Contact Lenses, today announced the launch of its ACUMINDER(TM) Facebook application (http://www.acuminder.com/facebook). This newest iteration of the company’s free online ACUMINDER(TM) contact lens compliance service expands its functionality into a multipurpose lifestyle tool available to Facebook’s 80 million active users.

…

ACUMINDER(TM) was introduced last year as a complimentary online service designed to help improve contact lens compliance and eye health for the nation’s 38 million contact lens wearers. Now available as a Facebook application, ACUMINDER(TM) users can receive reminder messages via e-mail and/or alerts in their Facebook newsfeed. In addition to helping consumers with contact lens compliance to help avoid potential eye health complications, ACUMINDER(TM) Facebook reminders can pertain to just about anything, including taking daily medications, doctors’ visits, work deadlines, important social events and more. Reminders also can easily be sent to other Facebook users

Contact lens wearers who do not use Facebook can still register for the free service at http://www.acuminder.com and elect to receive an automatic reminder about changing or ordering new contact lenses via e-mail, cell phone text message, and/or a computer desktop prompt.

“Contact lens wearers should adhere to prescribed replacement schedules and recommended wearing schedules, which is why a reminder service such as ACUMINDER(TM) is so valuable,” says Sheila Hickson-Curran, Director, Medical Affairs, VISTAKON(R). “By not following doctor’s instructions on proper wear and care, contact lens wearers may put themselves at greater risk for infection or other serious complications.”

Even though doctors and manufacturers provide instructions about caring and wearing contact lenses, less than half of wearers (46 percent) always replace their contact lenses in accordance with their recommended schedule, with younger wearers less likely to be compliant according Americans’ Attitudes & Perceptions About Vision Care, a survey of 3,700 Americans conducted by Harris Interactive(R) on behalf of The Vision Care Institute(TM), LLC, A Johnson & Johnson Company in 2006.

But, ACUMINDER(TM) users self report that they are becoming more compliant thanks to the reminder service, which is open to all contact lens wearers. In its first year, more than 11,000 contact lens wearers signed up for ACUMINDER(TM). In a January 2008 survey, bi-weekly contact lens wearers reported a marked improvement in their contact lens behavior — the average number of days between lens changes decreased from 19 days to a near-perfect compliance of 15 days.

ACUVUE(R), VISTAKON(R), and ACUMINDER(TM) are trademarks of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

The Vision Care Institute(TM) is a trademark of The Vision Care Institute, LLC

Tags: adhere attitudes automatic reminder average number avoid behavior better compliance care changing compliance complications complimentary contact lens compliance contact lens wearers contact lenses daily medications days deadlines decreased doctor instructions doctors visits elect electronic expands Florida free free service functionality greater risk health health complications important improve infection iteration Jacksonville Johnson 038 Johnson launched lens lifestyle marked improvement multipurpose newest online ordering perceptions potential prescribed proper wear reminder reminder service reminders replacement schedules self-report service social events social networking tool work

Initiation of a clinical trial of a small molecule LFA-1 product candidate for T-cell mediated ophthalmic diseases …

Tom Gadek, PhD, CEO of SARcode Corporation has informed:

• “LFA-1 antagonists mediate both migration and adhesion of the white blood cells to sites of inflammation as part of the body’s immune response …”
• “Lead indications for LFA-1 include dry eye and allergic conjunctivitis, both large indications with unmet medical needs.”

More from a Release dated September 5:

SARcode and Sunesis Announce Start of Phase 1 Clinical Trial in Ocular Inflammatory Diseases

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — SARcode Corporation, a private company focused on small molecule LFA-1 inhibitors to treat inflammatory diseases, and Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNSS) today announced SARcode’s initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial of a small molecule LFA-1 product candidate for T-cell mediated ophthalmic diseases. Sunesis and SARcode entered into a license agreement providing SARcode with an exclusive license to Sunesis’ LFA-1 technology to develop LFA-1 inhibitors in March 2006.

“LFA-1 antagonists mediate both migration and adhesion of the white blood cells to sites of inflammation as part of the body’s immune response,” said Tom Gadek, Ph.D., chief executive officer of SARcode Corporation. “Lead indications for LFA-1 include dry eye and allergic conjunctivitis, both large indications with unmet medical needs. The results of this study will inform dose selection for several Phase 2 studies to commence in the first half of 2009.”

“We congratulate SARcode on the progress they have made moving this program forward into the clinic,” said Daniel Swisher, chief executive officer and president of Sunesis. “The LFA-1 inhibitor product candidate, which was discovered at Sunesis, has the potential to address immunological and inflammatory diseases, including dry eye syndrome. We look forward to SARcode’s continued advancement of this novel compound.”

As part of the license agreement, Sunesis has earned a milestone payment from SARcode of $500,000 and a $375,000 convertible note. The next payable milestone, if earned, will be for initiation of the Phase 2 clinical program.

About SARcode

SARcode is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of best in class small molecule LFA-1 antagonists as novel nonsteroidal immunomodulators/ anti-inflammatory agents for the treatment of T-cell mediated inflammatory diseases.

About Sunesis Pharmaceuticals

Sunesis is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of new oncology therapeutics for the treatment of solid and hematologic cancers. Sunesis has built a highly experienced cancer drug development organization committed to advancing its lead product candidate, voreloxin, in multiple indications to improve the lives of people with cancer. For additional information on Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, please visit http://www.sunesis.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements related to the potential payment of future milestones to Sunesis under its license agreement with SARcode. Words such as “will,” “potential,” “look forward,” “ifs” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Sunesis’ current expectations. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Sunesis’ actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, the risk that SARcode’s drug development activities could be halted or delayed significantly for various reasons and the risk that Sunesis may not receive any future payments from SARcode under the license agreement. These and other risk factors are discussed under “Risk Factors,” including the risk factors entitled “The commercial success of products resulting from our collaborations, if any, depends in whole or in part on the development and marketing efforts of our collaboration partners, over which we have limited control. If our collaborations are unsuccessful, our potential to generate future revenue from the sale of these products would be significantly reduced” and “If conflicts of interest arise between our collaboration partners and us, any of them may act in their self interest, which may be adverse to our interests,” and elsewhere in Sunesis’ annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Sunesis expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the company’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

SUNESIS and the logo are trademarks of Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Tags: address adhesion agents allergic antagonists anti-inflammatory biopharmaceutical blood body California cancer cancers cells class clinical trial company conjunctivitis development diseases dose drug focused hematologic immune response immunological immunomodulators improve indications inflammation inflammatory inflammatory diseases inhibitor inhibitors initiation large LFA-1 LFA-1 antagonists lives medical migration multiple nonsteroidal oncology ophthalmic diseases part people Phase 1 SARcode Corporation selection sites small molecule solid South San Francisco study Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc syndrome T-cell mediated technology therapeutics treatment treatment mediated unmet voreloxin white white blood cells

Masakatsu Nishigaki and Daisuke Arai of Shizuoka University, Japan, have noted the use of biometrics for user authentication.

“Biometrics makes it possible to authenticate a person accurately,” they inform.

“However, biometric information can easily be leaked or copied … It is therefore desirable to devise biometric authentication that does not require biometric information to be kept secret.”

More information from a Release dated September 4:

Keeping an eye on intruders

Blind spot and eyeball reflexes keep out intruders

Electronic fingerprinting, iris scans, and signature recognition software are all becoming commonplace biometrics for user authentication and security. However, they all suffer from one major drawback - they can be spoofed by a sufficiently sophisticated intruder. Writing in the International Journal of Biometrics, Japanese researchers describe a new approach based on a person’s reflexes that could never be copied, forged, or spoofed.

Masakatsu Nishigaki and Daisuke Arai of Shizuoka University, Japan, explain how the use of biometrics for user authentication is becoming increasingly widespread. “Biometrics makes it possible to authenticate a person accurately,” they say.

A digital fingerprint pad hooked up to a computer, for instance, can provide access to online resources only to specific individuals based on their unique fingerprint. Signature recognition allows a person to receive information or goods only if their signature matches the imprint held in a database. Iris scanning technology identifies a person and allows them access to a building only if they have authorization. There are several other biometrics in development, based on the pattern of blood vessels in the retina or skin and other such phenomena.

“However, biometric information can easily be leaked or copied,” the researchers point out. “It is therefore desirable to devise biometric authentication that does not require biometric information to be kept secret.”

To this end, the team has turned to one phenomenon that cannot be spoofed - a person’s unique reflex responses. They point out that even if a person’s pattern of reflex characteristics were revealed to a malicious third-party, they would not be able to replicate them adequately to impersonate the authorized individual. Reflexes by their very nature are beyond conscious control.

Nishigaki and Arai have turned to blind spot position and the so-called saccade response for their biometric. The blind spot, or scotoma, is a fixed region on the retina of the eye where the optic nerve bundle and blood vessels pass from the eyeball into the brain and so no image can be produced here. The position of the blind spot can be determined relative to the direction of gaze. Saccade response is the repeated, tiny, left-to-right movements made when our eyes track something moving right to left, and vice versa.

If physiological biometric information, such as blind spot, were used alone, Nishigaki adds, the possibility remains that an impostor could use surgery or an ingenious contact lens to change the shape of their own eyeball, and be successful in impersonating someone else. Blind spot alone would be no more sophisticated than iris recognition.

By using the blind spot position as a trigger to induce saccades, user authentication can be done by displaying a target within and outside the person’s blind spot and using eye tracking technology to measure the reflex time taken until eye movements occur. Each pattern of responses will be unique to the individual.

An authentication system of this type could not be spoofed even if the attacker were to use sophisticated materials, equipment, or even surgery. “Our method transforms differences in physiological biometric information (blind spot) into “differences in human reflexes (saccade) and uses it for authentication,” Nishigaki says.

The team has also now published a second version of the reflex-based user authentication that uses blind spot position and pupil contraction and a third version that uses vergence, or crossing, eye movements. These papers have been published in the scientific literature in Japan.

Researchers from the Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai TCM University, in Shanghai, China, have presented an article titled: “Analysis on literature of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of intractable eye diseases“.

The acupuncture and moxibustion researchers from Shanghai have noted:

• “Acupuncture and moxibustion treatment has good therapeutic effects on the intractable eye diseases including pigmentary degeneration of retina, macular degeneration, glaucoma and optic atrophy, etc.”¹
• “… acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of these diseases from selection of acupoints, treatment methods, effectiveness and mechanism studies, and raises the problems in existence and the prospect.”

(1) Xu H, Liu J, Xu SW, Zong L, Zhang R: [Analysis on literature of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of intractable eye diseases] Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2008 Aug;28(8):625-8.

Tags: acupoints acupuncture China Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion diseases effectiveness effects existence eye eye diseases glaucoma good intractable intractable eye diseases Longhua Hospital macular degeneration mechanism studies moxibustion moxibustion treatment optic atrophy pigmentary degeneration problems prospect raises the problems retina selection Shanghai Shanghai TCM University therapeutic treatment treatment methods

The Cooper Companies Inc reported third quarter Fiscal 2008 revenue “increased 14% year-over-year to $285.9 million”.

Robert S Weiss, Cooper’s CEO said: “The overall business continues to make positive strides including strong revenue growth supported by our Proclear(r) line of products and our silicone hydrogel spheres, Avaira(tm) and Biofinity(r). Also, we accomplished several important goals this quarter including posting positive free cash flow, beginning production of our Biofinity silicone hydrogel toric, staying on target with our roll-out plans for Avaira, expanding our power ranges for Biofinity and Proclear(r) Dailies, and improving our manufacturing yields including more than doubling manufacturing yields on Avaira in Puerto Rico.”

Tags: beginning business dailies doubling expanding fiscal goals growth hydrogel spheres important improving manufacturing positive power ranges production Puerto Rico quarter revenue silicone hydrogel silicone hydrogel toric spheres strides strong supported The Cooper Companies Inc year--year yields

• “To evaluate the effect of lamellar keratoplasty combined with limbal stem cells, using amniotic membrane, autologous conjunctiva, and pseudopterygium to reconstruct external eyes for severe ocular burns with symblepharon.”¹

Eye care specialists and researchers from State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, in Qingdao, China, have presented a study of thirty eyes of twenty nine patients who presented with severe symblephara resulting from eye burns.

The Qingdao researchers have concluded:

• “Depending on the area of symblepharon and the loss of limbal stem cells, partial or total lamellar keratoplasty combined with limbal stem cells, using amniotic membrane, autologous conjunctiva and pseudopterygium to reconstruct external eyes appears to be effective in treating severe ocular burns with symblepharon.”
• “Pseudopterygium can partly substitute autologous conjunctiva in ocular surface reconstruction.”

The researchers from Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, have also noted:

• “According to the range of the symblepharon and the loss of limbal stem cells, partial lamellar keratoplasty combined with partial limbal stem cell treatment was performed in 19 eyes, and total lamellar keratoplasty with total limbus was performed in 11 eyes.”
• “All patients had amniotic membrane and autologous conjunctival transplantation, and the pseudopterygium was preserved to reconstruct the fornix.”
• “Symblephara were completely relieved in 19 eyes.”
• “They remained partially in ten eyes in strip-like form, but seven of these were completely relieved after further autologous conjunctival transplantation.”
• “One eye was treated with tarsorrhaphy for eyelid malformation.”
• “The remaining pseudopterygium became thinner after the operation and showed no symblepharon.”
• “Immune rejection occurred in eight corneal grafts; clarity was restored in four of these, while there was graft neovascularization in the remaining four.”

(1) Shi W, Wang T, Gao H, Xie L: Management of severe ocular burns with symblepharon. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2008 Sep 3; (Article in Press)

Tags: amniotic amniotic membrane autologous autologous conjunctiva cells China clarity combined completely conjunctival corneal effective external eyes eye care specia