Bausch + Lomb will soon have a new edition to its frequent replacement lens line. The company has received marketing clearance from the FDA for a new monthly disposable silicone hydrogel lens. The new lenses, which will only be available with a prescription, are formulated to address the growing demand for comfort and improved vision throughout the day.

Scientists with the National Institute of Health Research and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology have identified a new rare gene variant that predisposes people to age-related macular degeneration. More than 50 researchers from 30 countries sequenced DNA from 10 regions of the genome that had been previously linked to AMD and identified two rare variants that are associated with increased AMD risk.
According to researchers, the results demonstrate the importance of abnormal immune function and should lead to new treatments.

A PhD student at the Brien Holden Vision Institute and the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of New South Wales believes he has come up with a solution for inflammation and infection in contact lens wearers. Debarun Dutta has been working on a novel antimicrobial coating for contact lenses that uses melamine, a cationic peptide that is strongly active against a number of ocular pathogens, including bacteria, fungi and Acanthamoeba.
The coating is heat stable, wettable and does not have any effect on the physical dimensions of the contact lenses. This discovery could potentially lead to a reduction in microbial contamination and infection in contact lens wearers.