• Bausch + Lomb has launched the Vision Experts Facebook page, an aggregated site of industry news and events. It will also provide commentary from B+L experts and a venue to encourage discussion among the optometry community on the latest happenings in the industry. The page’s first internal experts include Joseph T. Barr, O.D., M.S.; Carla J. Mack, O.D., M.B.A.; Mohinder M. Merchea, O.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.; Michael Pier, O.D.; Christopher Snyder, O.D., M.S.; and Stephanie Su, O.D. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/VisionExperts.

• Ocusoft announced a multiyear agreement with Ardeo Health, LCC to distribute a novel dry eye therapy, Nova23041, under license from Novagali Pharma of France. Nova23041 will be marketed and distributed in the United States and Canada as Retaine, a preservative-free, oil-in-water emulsion that will prolong corneal contact time to enhance comfort. Retaine MGD will be available in January 2012. For more information, visit www.ocusoft.com.

• On October 15, the 2011 Eye Ball Gala raised $150,000 in support of the Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research (LEITR) and its mission to give the gift of sight. Held in Tampa, Fla., speakers included Florida State Senator Steve Oelrich and Carolyn Glaspy, mother of former Bengal player Chris Henry. For more information, visit www.lionseyeinstitute.org.

• Presbia, a medical device company that specializes in near vision restoration, has received approval in Brazil for Flexivue Microlens—a safe and reversible treatment for presbyopia that eliminates dependence on reading glasses or contact lenses for seeing near objects. Flexivue is commercially available in more than 40 countries across Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.presbia.com.

B+L Unveils PureVision2 For Astigmatism
The latest in the PureVision line, PureVision2 For Astigmatism lenses, features HD optics and incorporates Auto Align Design, a stabilization system to deliver all-day clear vision with stability and comfort. The optimized thickness profile has a combination of prism and peri blasting for enhanced stability. The large lens diameter of 14.5mm provides more area for ballasting and improves centration for visual quality.

According to the company, PureVision2 HD For Astigmatism lenses reduce spherical aberration across both the cylinder and sphere meridians, as well as across the entire power range, thus helping to reduce halos and glare in low-light conditions. The lenses provide high levels of oxygen transmissibility during wear and are packaged in a moisture-rich solution for comfort upon insertion.

For more information, visit www.bausch.com.

Vistakon Study Finds Prevalence of “Sensitive Eyes”
A new Vistakon study finds that one in eight soft contact lens wearers report having sensitive eyes. The data also suggests that sensitive eye patients experience a greater incidence of discomfort symptoms—including dryness, redness, stinging or burning—compared to non-sensitive eye patients. The findings of the study were presented at the 2011 American Academy of Optometry meeting in Boston.

The results were drawn from a database of 2,166 current soft contact lens wearers who were defined as “normal” upon entering the clinical trial. Approximately 12.2% of soft contact lens wearers reported “sensitive” or “very sensitive eyes,” but nearly 48% reported at least some degree of sensitivity.

For more information, visit www.jnjvisioncare.com.

Pacific EyeClinic Celebrates Grand Opening
On October 6, Pacific University’s College of Optometry celebrated the grand opening of its newest vision science center, which features the world’s first 3-D performance clinic. The Pacific EyeClinic Beaverton, located in The Round at Beaverton Central in Oregon, is the first-ever clinic to specialize in the diagnosis and management of eye and health-related symptoms related to viewing 3-D electronic displays. The clinic houses a movie theater for one—to measure the performance of binocular vision performance. Other eye services offered to patients include primary care, contact lens fitting, treatment of eye infections, glaucoma and cataract management, visual field testing, retinal photography and imaging, and emergency eye care services.

For more information, visit www.pacificu.edu/optometry.

CooperVision Recalls Avaira Toric Contact Lenses
CooperVision Inc. is voluntarily working with the FDA on a worldwide recall of certain lots of Avaira Toric contact lenses. The recall was initiated on August 19, 2011 because of the unintended presence of a residue on certain lots of Avaira Toric lenses. The residue may cause hazy vision, discomfort or eye injuries requiring medical treatment.

For patients who wear Avaira Toric lenses and are not experiencing symptoms, CooperVision recommends visiting the recall web page ( www.coopervision.com/recall) and entering the lot number of the package to determine whether the lenses have been recalled. To date, the recall has impacted 600,000 Avaira Toric lenses in the United States.

Vmax Vision Introduces PSF Refractor
Vmax Vision, Inc.’s new PSF Refractor will provide clinicians with a subjective refraction module that measures a patient’s night vision capabilities, in addition to providing subjective point spread function patient refractions with 0.05D accuracy. The PSF Refractor uses the patented Integrated Vision System that allows eye care practitioners to provide their patients with accurate refraction—measuring to 0.05D accuracy, up to five times more precise than the phoropter.

For more information, visit www.vmaxvision.com.