Preliminary results from a new study indicate that individual question responses within the widely-used Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) symptom questionnaire can be correlated to specific clinical measures, providing eye care professionals better insight on treatment pathways. The CooperVision-supported work is being presented at the ARVO 2023 Annual Meeting this week.

Association of Clinical Signs with the Ocular Surface Disease Index: Preliminary Results from the Multicenter Neurosensory Abnormalities in ocular SurfAce Disease Study (Hom M., et al.) from the NASA Study Group probes deeper than past reports of overall OSDI score correlations. The multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional investigation assessed patients who presented for ocular surface disease care. In addition to completion of the OSDI, measures were taken for tear break-up time (TBUT), corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), lissamine green conjunctival staining (LGS), Schirmer’s test, and meibomian gland grading (MGG).

Preliminary analysis included 250 participants across 13 sites. Significant correlations were identified between decreased TBUT and difficulty reading (r=-0.166, p=0.009). Increased CFS was associated with increased frequency of gritty sensation (r=0.166, p=0.008). Decreased Schirmer’s test was associated with increased symptom frequency in windy conditions (r=-0.195, p=0.002). MGG and LGS show no significant correlations.

“These outcomes should help eye care professionals derive even more value from their OSDI questionnaires, pointing them toward potential underlying issues and treatments,” said Anna Sulley, BSc(Hons), MCOptom, FAAO, FBCLA, Director, Global Medical Affairs at CooperVision. “We’re privileged to partner with some of the top researchers and institutions in ocular science, with the aim of improving fundamental clinical practice. The works being shared at ARVO 2023 reflect this collaborative spirit.”

An additional CooperVision-supported study on display in New Orleans demonstrates the effect of ceasing and then restarting contact lens use after three months in symptomatic wearers as measured by psychophysical responses to repetitive cooling stimuli.

Click HERE for the full press release.

SightGlass Vision announced positive outcomes of multiple studies designed to evaluate the performance of its Diffusion Optics Technology^™ spectacle lenses, which are designed to slow the progression of myopia in children. All are being presented this week at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

Most prominent is the reporting of 42-month data from the company’s pivotal CYPRESS study extension. Results reinforced the safety and efficacy of Diffusion Optics Technology™ spectacle lenses in children aged 6–10 at the study’s start. The latest investigation re-enrolled 98 participants from the original three-year, double-masked, randomized, multi-site clinical trial to generate six additional months of data. Outcomes again demonstrated statistically significant improvements in axial length (AL) and cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (cSER) between the test and control groups.

Separate work calculated age-independent myopia AL growth to evaluate Diffusion Optics Technology^™ spectacle lens efficacy. Because AL growth occurs even in persistently emmetropic eyes as a child develops and is most rapid before preadolescence, deriving an age-adjusted measure is valuable for clinicians and researchers. Physiological AL growth was determined based on age-matched emmetropic eye growth data from the Orinda Longitudinal Study of Myopia, then compared to AL growth observed in the original three-year CYPRESS study. Children in the test lens group showed 0.23 mm (73%, p=0.003) less pathological AL change than the control group (test: 0.08 ± 0.06 mm; control: 0.31 ± 0.05 mm).

“The extensive and rigorous science we are communicating at ARVO 2023 demonstrates the depth of our commitment to advancing myopia control, while also building additional confidence in the efficacy, safety, and overall performance of Diffusion Optics Technology^™ spectacle lenses,” said Andrew Sedgwick, CEO of SightGlass Vision.

In addition to the featured CYPRESS presentations, SightGlass Vision and its research partners will display several scientific posters at the meeting. A study from the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) shows that Diffusion Optics Technology^™ spectacle lenses have no significant effect on accommodative lag after short-term wear. Work from Indiana University suggests that Diffusion Optics Technology^™ contrast-reducing micro-dots do not limit high quality spatial details and good visual performance, while another Indiana investigation concludes that wearers are unlikely to notice substantial contrast decreases when looking through the spectacle lens treatment zone.

A SightGlass team also examined the effect of social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic on myopia progression in North American children who participated in the CYPRESS study.

Spectacle lenses with SightGlass Vision™ Diffusion Optics Technology™ use thousands of micro-dots to softly scatter light to reduce contrast on the retina, a unique mechanism of action to control myopia progression in children. Over the last 18 months, this patent-protected technology with clinically proven efficacy made its commercial debut in several markets, including China, the Netherlands, and Israel, as well as through preliminary market trials in other countries. The company operates as a joint venture of CooperCompanies and EssilorLuxottica.

Click HERE for the full press release.

EssilorLuxottica announced that consolidated revenue for the first quarter of 2023 reached Euro 6,151 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 8.6% at constant exchange rates compared to the first quarter of 2022 (+9.7% at current exchange rates).

Francesco Milleri, Chairman and CEO, and Paul du Saillant, Deputy CEO at EssilorLuxottica commented:

“We’re very pleased to start the year with another strong quarter, every region and channel contributing to our performance. What’s even more satisfying is the way in which we achieved it. Sustainability is at the heart of our strategy and our key focus in 2023. We continue to deliver on our “Eyes on the Planet” pillars while supporting the long-term growth of the industry.

We started the year with a commitment to setting science-based emission reduction targets in line with the SBTi criteria. We have also announced a new agreement with ERG for the supply of electricity produced from a repowered wind farm in Sicily – covering half of our energy needs in Italy. Our current and future investments in renewable energy will help propel us towards carbon neutrality in Europe this year and globally by 2025.”

North America

North America posted revenue of Euro 2,859 million, up 7.0% compared to the first quarter of 2022 (+11.4% at current exchange rates), visibly accelerating from the fourth quarter and on top of the best quarter of last year.

Professional Solutions was up high-single digit with all product categories contributing nicely. The consumer-facing lens brands, Varilux and Transitions, drove the results together with Shamir. On the frames side, the licensed brands delivered healthy growth, including luxury despite the tough comparison base of last year.

Direct to Consumer grew high-single digit due to the sound performance of the optical retail banners sustained by the robust demand of the insured customers. LensCrafters delivered low-single-digit comparable-store sales2 thanks to revived traffic and a strong in-store execution. The number of eye exams processed and converted was up, also thanks to the increased use of teleoptometry which grew threefold compared to last year. Comparable-store sales at Sunglass Hut were down mid-single digit as severe weather conditions caused traffic to plummet in the second half of the quarter. E-commerce was up low-single digit with EyeBuyDirect.com continuing to outperform the rest of the banners. EyeMed delivered another strong quarter at double-digit sales growth, now covering 72 million lives.

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CooperVision is now accepting submissions for its 2023 Science and Technology Awards program. The longstanding program enables researchers around the world to explore new dimensions in vision care, with the goal of translating innovative ideas into practical solutions.

“Our relentless drive to discover new ways to meet the current and future needs of eye care professionals and contact lens wearers is what keeps CooperVision at the forefront of product development,” said Francis Erard, CooperVision’s Vice President of Research & Development. “The Science and Technology Awards program extends the path to innovation outside of our own organization, providing opportunities to some of the brightest minds in the field to pursue research and make progress toward solving the vision challenges for which they are most passionate.”

Each year, CooperVision determines specific areas of focus for the Science and Technology Awards program. In 2023, submissions will be considered for the following subjects:

• Understanding childhood myopia development, including pathogenesis, mechanisms, and risk factors
• New methods to prevent the onset of myopia, including prophylactic technologies and novel proposals for glasses, contact lenses, interactive and combination therapies
• Strategies to prevent the development of symptomatology in new contact lens wearers, with an emphasis on diagnosis and early intervention therapies, understanding biochemical changes in newly fitted wearers over time, and controlled release technologies for delivery of beneficial agents, as well as approaches to improve moisture retention
• The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on contact lens fitting and diagnosis, including applications for optometry and orthokeratology (ortho-k) with technologies such as ChatGPT, Bard, and more.

Since 2014, the CooperVision program has made grants totaling more than $2 million to investigate a wide variety of topics.

Proposals may span proof-of-concept through translational stages and are eligible for two types of awards. The CooperVision Seedling Award is intended for investigation of early-stage concepts for a one-year period, with a maximum grant of $100,000. The CooperVision Translational Research Award is a two-year grant for substantive projects with funding up to $400,000.

CooperVision Science and Technology Awards are open to any researcher with principal investigator (PI) status holding an OD, MD, PhD or equivalent degree. Applicants such as postdoctoral fellows with a waiver of PI status must submit appropriate documentation before funding can be disbursed.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent before June 23, 2023. Visit www.coopervision.com/about-us/science-and-technology-awards for more information.

Click HERE for the full press release.