Bausch + Lomb and AcuFocus, a privately held ophthalmic medical device company, announced that an affiliate of Bausch + Lomb has acquired AcuFocus, pursuant to a merger transaction with the parent company of AcuFocus.

AcuFocus has delivered breakthrough small aperture intraocular technology to address the diverse unmet needs in eye care, including the IC-8^® Apthera^™ intraocular lens (IOL), which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July 2022 as the first and only small aperture non-toric extended depth of focus (EDOF) IOL for certain cataract patients who have as much as 1.5 diopters of corneal astigmatism and wish to address presbyopia at the same time.

“Cataracts are the largest contributor to global blindness in adults aged 50 years and older, with more than 15 million individuals, or approximately 45% of the more than 33 million cases of global blindness. We believe that the IC-8 Apthera EDOF IOL will bolster our surgical portfolio by enhancing our IOL offerings, which is a strategic area of focus for Bausch + Lomb,” said Joseph C. Papa, CEO, Bausch + Lomb.

“Bausch + Lomb is a legacy name in eye care with a fully integrated portfolio of offerings in eye health,” said Al Waterhouse, president and CEO, AcuFocus. “With its extensive development footprint and renowned commercial expertise, we believe Bausch + Lomb is best positioned to educate physicians about the IC-8 Apthera lens, and ultimately, ensure more cataract patients have access to this new IOL.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

Christopher and James Shyer, owners and co-CEOs of Zyloware, announce that the company turns 100 years old January 26, 2023.

From humble beginnings, Zyloware became one of the first manufacturers of Zyl frames. Since its official incorporation in New York State on January 26^th, 1923, Zyloware has boasted a unique quality and business acumen which has contributed to the success of the Family-owned company to span 100 years across three generations.

The Shyer’s family values have always been at the forefront of everything the business is and does. It was these values that Henry Shyer said would lead to Zyloware’s longevity; Never taking success for granted, treating employees and partners as family, listening intently, filling consumers’ vision and critical needs, and working to make our industry partners successful.

Zyloware puts its people first. Priding themselves on diversity, inclusion and an open-mindedness that generates the innovation, creativity, and an unrivaled loyalty to producing world class products and services helping customers flourish in a complex optical marketplace.

Zyloware has always been unafraid to push boundaries, bringing new products and brands to market. Bob and Henry most famously introduced the Invincible, the nearly indestructible nylon frame during the 1960s.

They continued to blaze trails through the optical world during the 70s and 80s becoming the first licensee for eyewear of an American fashion designer (Gloria Vanderbilt), the first licensee of a celebrity collection (Sophia Loren) and the first licensee of a men’s eyewear brand (Stetson).

Chris and Jamie at the helm have kept the company evolving, most notably with their addition of edgy fashion eyewear for men by Randy Jackson who made wearing glasses cool every night on American Idol. 

The company now boasts several leading fashion collections for women with Via Spiga, Leon Max and newly launched Halston in 2022 as well as men’s designer eyewear by Shaquille O’Neal and sports safety Shaq Eye Gear. Recognizing a changing America, Zyloware introduced Daisy Fuentes and will be adding to their portfolio CEV, an edgy designer collection from Pro-Bowl, NFL Linebacker Jaylon Smith at Vision Expo in NYC this March.

Source: Zyloware

CooperVision Specialty EyeCare announced the launch of its pioneering digital fitting tool, Visavy™ (pronounced Vee-SAH-vee) at 2023 Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS). The easy-to-use, web-based fitting software incorporates topography-guided algorithms to assist the design and selection of Paragon CRT^® orthokeratology contact lenses for myopia management.

Visavy™ is an adaption of the company’s popular MyProcornea tool. The all-in-one platform includes integrated ordering to reduce chair time, provides ECPs with the ability to track orders in real time, and chat live with online consultants. The topography-driven approach and view simulated fluoresceine patterns promote greater precision and accuracy. In addition, professionals and staff can easily login and manage their product range anywhere, at any time.

Kelly Voltz, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Senior Manager, Professional and Clinical Affairs, CooperVision Specialty EyeCare, led Visavy™ clinical development. “As an industry partner, we are committed to discovering new ways to help ECPs streamline their processes and build even more confidence when fitting and prescribing our lenses. This goes well beyond our lenses to include digital innovation,” she said. “Visavy™ was designed with ease-of-use in mind. The platform centers on fitting accuracy and convenience, making it easier than ever before for ECPs to find the optimal fit for specialty lens patients.”

ECPs interested in learning more about the software can visit https://marketing.coopervisionsec.com/visavy for more information.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Horace in Cadillac has been nominated for the Men’s Frame of the Year at the Love Eyewear Awards which take place at 100% Optical at Excel, London in February.

The Horace frame, a signature piece in the Centena Collection, is hand-crafted in France from 10mm acrylic so, despite the chunky appearance, weighs virtually nothing and is extremely comfortable to wear.

The Centena Collection celebrates the Kirk family’s one-hundred-year history in optics with each of the styles being named after a member of the Kirk family, dating back as far as 1919 when Sidney and Percy Kirk set up Kirk Brothers and were instrumental in establishing London as an internationally renowned centre of optical excellence. 

Director, Jason Kirk, said, “it is all the more poignant for us to be nominated for this prestigious award in London at 100% Optical. London is focal to my family’s love of optics, and this means a great deal to us.”

Creative Director, Karen Kirk, explained that “the clearly defined forms and hues within the collections reflect the individuality of our audience. These people do not need external labelling to say who they are and who are comfortable enough in their style choices to go bold in shape and colour.”

Click HERE for the full press release.