Blog

November 7, 2016April 24, 2018

New Look Vision Group Continues to Break New Records

New Look Vision reported revenues of $49M and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $8M for the third quarter ended September 24, 2016. These figures represent increases of 18.3% and 12.5% respectively over last year.

These increases were due of course to New Look’s multiple acquisitions, namely 20 stores in the last twelve months. The Quebec-based chain store also experienced strong sales growth of 9.1% over last year.

Year-to-date revenues and EBITDA reached $144M and $25.6M respectively, which represent record highs for the company. President Antoine Amiel stated in a news release that, after its recent acquisition of iVision in Ontario and Visions One Hour Optical in British Columbia, New Look continues to monitor additional acquisition opportunities.

Source: http://web.tmxmoney.com/article.php?newsid=6703120673145123&qm_symbol=BCI

November 4, 2016April 24, 2018

OWP Blau Style 2159 Gives Feminine Urban Character

OWP’s Blau collection launches new models this fall; amongst them, these two young, light-hearted acetate styles with fashionable metal temple design for women. Traditional engravings have been redesigned to give these frames a more urban character with a floral look.

Style 2159 (photo) features a feminine, curved top line, while model 2160 comes with a classic panto shape with an understated keyhole insert bridge. Both styles are available in two glossy options and two options with a brushed finish.

Distributed by Lanctôt : www.rlanctot.com

November 4, 2016April 24, 2018

TRIPTIC, the First Eyewear Consulting Agency

Serving both as protective (and corrective) product and as fashion accessory, eyewear is powerfully attractive for wearers and consumers worldwide. Realizing this, many from the eyewear industry are actively involved in its mutation that started a few years ago, a change that resulted from increasing competition, a potential disruption of the sales channels partially arising from progressively growing online sales, as well as the new expectations of young (and older) consumers looking for new customer experiences and a transformation—and even an industrial concentration, as the global leaders aim to control the entirety of the value chain.

From that assessment, three renowned professionals—Jacques Emmanuel Falempin, Eric Jean and Dominique Cuvillier—joined their expertise to found TRIPTIC, the first eyewear consulting agency.

Based in Paris, TRIPTIC is the first eyewear agency. It advises, guides and provides comprehensive solutions to brands, eyewear manufacturers, distributors and retailers worldwide.

To read full press release, click HERE.

November 4, 2016April 24, 2018

Transitions and Vision RX Lab Team Up to Host CE Event for ECPS

With the potentially harmful effects of blue light, eye care professionals need to be aware of ALL the sources and the products available to protect their patients.Transitions Optical and Vision Rx Lab hosted an educational event for eye care professionals at the Glenerin Inn, Mississauga, Ontario on October 25th. Attendees learned what source of harmful blue light 60% of eye care professionals did not identify in a survey, earned an education credit, networked with their colleagues and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and refreshments.

Front row: Snehali Patel and Mladen Stankovic
Back row: Brian Cockrell, Jase Srnja, Isabelle Tremblay-Dawson, Dave McGrath

For more information or to learn more on how Transitions® lenses provide superior blue light protection, please visit TransitionsCanadaPro.ca/BlueLight or call Transitions Optical customer service at 1.877.254.2590.

November 3, 2016April 24, 2018

UdM Research Sheds Light on Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is the most prominent complication of diabetes and the leading cause of blindness in working age individuals. It is estimated that half a million Canadians are afflicted by diabetic retinopathy and it is predicted that the incidence will double over the next 15 years.

The ability to control and cure this disease has been limited so far. But a study led by Drs. Przemyslaw (Mike) Sapieha and Frédérick A. Mallette, researchers at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal) and professors at the Université de Montréal, sheds new understanding on the mechanisms of the disease as it uncovered a program of accelerated aging of the neurons, blood vessels and immune cells of the retina in areas where blood vessels had been damaged. Dr. Malika Oubaha, postdoctoral fellow in Sapieha and Mallette’s group, found that cells of the retina that are cut off from their main source of oxygen and nutrients during disease are resilient and do not die. Instead, they enter a state of cellular senescence (or cellular aging) where they are dormant yet start producing a series of factors that contribute the blinding disease.

Their exciting work lead to the successful mapping and identification of the molecules that are activated during this process of premature aging. Interfering with the early cellular aging process occurring in mouse models of retinopathy with currently available and novel drugs resulted in improved regeneration of blood vessels within the retina and reduced retinal damage.

“Currently available treatments for diabetic retinopathy are either invasive or present adverse side effects when used for long term regimens. Our study does not identify a cure, but by mapping out the events that lead to premature senescence in retinopathy, we are now able to consider novel therapeutic interventions to slow down the disease process and preserve vision“, says Mike Sapieha.

Ultimately, this study identifies potential therapeutic avenues to prevent entry in the dormant senescent state of retina that occurs during diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and help reinstate adequate function of the retina.

In the retina (the layer of neurons at the back of the eye that transmits information from light to the brain) of patients suffering from diabetes, there is an initial degeneration of the blood vessels that feed the eye leading to a lack of oxygen and nutrients. This triggers a second phase of deregulated and destructive blood vessel growth within the eye. Given this sequence of events and prominent clinical features, the currently most widely used local ocular therapeutic interventions directly target pathological blood vessel growth, yet present a number of non-desirable off-target effects such as destruction of the retina itself. Overcoming these therapeutic limitations or exploring novel pharmacological avenues is therefore required to ameliorate the safety profiles of current interventions.