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Vabysmo® Now Publicly Funded for Retinal Vein Occlusion and Pre-Filled Syringe in Quebec

Press release communiqué de presse image

Hoffmann-La Roche Limited (Roche Canada) has announced that Vabysmo® (faricimab injection) is now publicly funded in Quebec for the treatment of macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). The medication has been added to the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) list of reimbursed drugs.

The update also includes coverage of Vabysmo in a 6.0 mg single-use pre-filled syringe (PFS) format, offering another treatment option for patients and prescribers. Health Canada authorized Vabysmo for RVO in July 2024, followed by approval of the PFS format in December 2024.

With this latest decision, Quebec now covers Vabysmo for all three of its approved indications: neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and macular edema secondary to RVO.

RVO, along with nAMD and DME, are among the leading causes of vision loss worldwide. According to international data, these conditions affect tens of millions of people and can have significant impact on patients’ quality of life, as well as on families and caregivers.

“This reimbursement for RVO in Quebec is a significant step forward for people living with the condition,” said Dr. Ananda Kalevar, Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Sherbrooke University. “It provides ophthalmologists with an important treatment option and expands access for patients.”

Roche Canada indicated that it will continue working with other provincial drug plans to expand access to Vabysmo across the country.

Source: Roche Canada

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Honey, You’re a Star!

Optik July-August 2025 Voila OGI Kids Honey

Meet Honey: The ultra-light, butterfly-shaped frame that turns everyday moments into sweet style statements. Designed for vibrant kids, it blends soft curves with color-fade magic for a look that’s bold yet breezy. Slim, comfy, and made to move, Honey keeps up with every giggle, dash, and dance break. Sweetness, squared!

Distributed by: www.ogieyewear.com  

About OGI Eyewear:

Established in 1997, we’re a design house first, an innovator with a proven record of setting industry standards, of working with top tier manufacturers and suppliers to create new eyewear designs that stay ahead of the trends.

Our releases are frequent, distinct, and tell a consistent story without overlapping existing styles across Brands. Each one of our Brands tells a unique story that identify and serve a captive audience. Think durable, handcrafted frames designed to appeal to a diverse range of lifestyles so your clients can connect with the perfect piece instead of feeling shoehorned into a more generalized look.

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CooperVision Canada Marks Fifth Year of Raising Awareness About Childhood Myopia and Treatment Options

CooperVision

For the fifth year in a row, CooperVision Canada is investing in educating parents and raising awareness about myopia (aka nearsightedness) in children, emphasizing that it is more than just a blurry vision issue, it is a progressive condition that requires proactive management to help protect long-term eye health and preserve future opportunities for children.

MiSight® 1 day contact lenses from CooperVision can help age-appropriate children with myopia reach their full potential. MiSight® 1 day is the first and only FDA approved* soft contact lens proven to slow the progression of myopia in children aged 8-12 at the initiation of treatment.1†

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common condition where distant objects appear blurry while close-up vision remains clear. It often develops during childhood, typically beginning in the early school years.2-3 A 2018 study from the University of Waterloo found that 6% of children aged 6-8 had myopia, and this rate jumped to almost 30% for children aged 11-13,4 highlighting the urgency for early intervention. Research suggests that increased screen time is contributing to the rise in myopia,5 and studies have shown that spending more time outdoors may prevent or delay the onset of this eye condition.6

MiSight® 1 day contact lenses are designed to be part of a proactive myopia management treatment plan,1† providing freedom from glasses and slowing the worsening of myopia1† during a child’s most critical years of growth.

“When children develop myopia at a younger age, their condition tends to worsen more rapidly into their late teens,7 which increases their risk of sight-threatening eye health conditions later in life,8” said Teresa Yu, Senior Manager of Marketing, CooperVision Canada. “We remain committed to helping parents understand that myopia is not just a blurry distance vision problem to correct with regular glasses or contact lenses, but a disease that needs to be treated and managed as early as possible. For five years, our direct-to-consumer campaign has focused on educating Canadian families about these critical issues.”

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, and as part of CooperVision Canada’s continual investment and commitment to children’s eye health, this back-to-school season they are urging parents to proactively schedule regular eye exams for their children and talk to their eye care professionals about myopia management treatment options. MiSight® 1 day is a safe,9 convenient, single-use contact lens that doesn’t require cleaning, solutions, or storage so children can start each day with a comfortable, fresh pair of lenses.   

MiSight® 1 day is also uniquely backed by a multi-year, peer-reviewed clinical study that demonstrated sustained slowing of myopia progression in children who wore the lenses daily, compared to those wearing single-vision lenses.1,10-13 The results showed not only significant slowing of eye length growth1† but also excellent vision correction1,10± and high satisfaction among young wearers and their parents.14≠

Over a 3-year period, MiSight® 1 day contact lenses slowed myopia progression by 59% on average.1† Parent-approved MiSight® 1 day contact lenses saw 90% of parents whose children wore the lenses report that their children were extremely happy14≠ wearing MiSight® 1 day lenses and strongly preferred them over their glasses.15

MiSight® 1 day contact lenses are available through licensed Canadian eye care professionals.

To learn more about myopia and MiSight® 1 day, visit fightmyopia.ca.

Indications and Important Safety Information. Rx only. Results may vary.

ATTENTION: Reference the Patient Information Booklet for a complete listing of Indications and Important Safety Information.  This product may not be right for you, talk to your Eye Care Professional.

*USA INDICATION: MiSight 1 Day (omafilcon A) Soft (Hydrophilic) Contact Lenses for Daily Wear are indicated for the correction of nearsightedness and for slowing the progression of nearsightedness in children with non-diseased eyes, who at the initiation of treatment are 8-12 years of age and have a refraction of -0.75 to -4.00 diopters (spherical equivalent) with ≤ 0.75 diopters of astigmatism. CANADIAN INDICATION: MiSight (omafilcon A) Soft Contact Lenses for Myopia Control are indicated for the correction of ametropia (myopia and hyperopia) in aphakic and non-aphakic persons with non-diseased eyes in powers from -20.00D to +2.00 diopters. The lenses may be worn by persons who exhibit astigmatism of -2.00 diopters or less that does not interfere with visual acuity. MiSight (omafilcon A) Soft Contact Lenses for Myopia Control may reduce the rate of myopia progression in children (6-18) and correct ametropia. Reduction of myopia progression was observed in children with wearing time of 12 hours (8-16 hours) per day, 6.4 days (5-7) per week in a clinical study.  Permanent myopia control after lens treatment is discontinued is not supported by clinical studies. MiSight (omafilcon A) Soft Contact Lenses for Myopia Control are indicated for single use daily disposable wear. When prescribed for daily disposable wear, the lens is to be discarded after each removal. WARNINGS: Problems with contact lenses could result in serious injury to the eye.  Do not expose contact lenses to water while wearing them. Under certain circumstances MiSight® lenses optical design can cause reduced image contrast/ghosting/halo/glare in some patients that may cause difficulties with certain visually-demanding tasks. PRECAUTIONS: Daily wear single use only. Patient should always dispose when lenses are removed. No overnight wear. Patients should exercise extra care if performing potentially hazardous activities. ADVERSE EVENTS:  Including but not limited to infection/inflammation/ulceration/abrasion of the cornea, other parts of the eye or eyelids.  Some of these adverse reactions can cause permanent or temporary loss of vision.  If you notice any of the stated in your child, immediately have your child remove the lenses and contact your eye care professional.

†Compared to single-vision lenses over a three-year period.

±VA (LogMAR) > 6/6 (20/20) at all visits from dispensing to 6-year visit.  

≠Children ages 8-15.

References: 

  1. Chamberlain P, et al. A 3-year randomized clinical trial of MiSight® lenses for myopia control. Optom Vis Sci. 2019; 96(8):556-567.
  2. Holden BA, Fricke TR, Wilson DA, et al. Global prevalence of myopia and high myopia and temporal trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology. 2016;123(5):1036-1042.]
  3. Hou W, Norton TT, Hyman L, Gwiazda J; COMET Group. Axial Elongation in Myopic Children and its Association With Myopia Progression in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial. Eye Contact Lens. 2018 Jul;44(4):248-259.
  4. Yang M, Luensmann D, Fonn D, Woods J, Jones D, Gordon K, Jones L. Myopia prevalence in Canadian school children: a pilot study. Eye (Lond). 2018 Jun;32(6):1042-1047. 
  5. Lanca C, Saw SM. The association between digital screen time and myopia: A systematic review. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2020 Mar;40(2):216-229.
  6. Jonas JB, et al., IMI Prevention of Myopia and Its Progression. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2021 Apr 28;62(5):6.
  7. K. Zadnik, G.L. Mitchell, L.A. Jones, D.O. Mutti; Factors Associated with Rapid Myopia Progression in School-aged Children . Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2004;45(13):2306.
  8. Flitcroft DI. The complex interactions of retinal, optical and environmental factors in myopia aetiology. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2013;31(6):622-60.
  9. Woods J, et al. Ocular health of children wearing daily disposable contact lenses over a 6-year period. CLAE 2021 Aug;44(4):101391.
  10. Chamberlain P, et al. Long-term Effect of Dual-focus Contact Lenses on Myopia Progression in Children: A 6-year Multicenter Clinical Trial. Optom Vis Sci. 2022 Mar 1;99(3):204-212.
  11. Chamberlain, Arumugam, et al. Myopia progression cessation of Dual-Focus contact lens wear: MiSight 1 day 7 year findings. Optom Vis Sci. 2021;98:E-abstract 210049.
  12. Woods J, et al. Ocular health of children wearing daily disposable contact lenses over a 6-year period. CLAE 2021 Aug;44(4):101391.
  13. Sulley A, et al. Experience and subjective responses for children switched from single vision to dual focus myopia control daily disposable contact lenses. BCLA paper presentation 2021.
  14. CVI data on file 2018. 3-year data for RCT with MiSight® 1 day and Proclear 1 day.
  15. Sulley A et al. Wearer experience and subjective responses with dual focus compared to spherical, single vision soft contact lenses in children during a 3-year clinical trial. AAO 2019 Poster.

Click HERE for the press release.

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New Transitions® campaign inspires wearers to ‘move freely in any light’

Transitions campaign move freely in any light Aug 2025

To move freely in any light – with speed, style and smart vision – is the inspiring concept behind a brand-new marketing campaign from Transitions® Optical, designed to encourage glasses wearers to upgrade their look and performance.

The campaign illustrates the beauty of an effortless life with Transitions® lenses and the struggle without them in today’s fast-moving world. By contrasting the new way with the old, it aims to inspire a mindset of change and encourage consumers to try the lenses and effortlessly adapt to changing light.

Set against an urban backdrop, the leading character moves smoothly with quiet confidence through a city that never pauses. While others chase the noise, she follows purpose – steady, luminous, untouchable. In a world of motion, she leads with intention.

Running from August, the campaign is expected to reach over 17 million consumers across Canada and features an engaging video promoted across YouTube, Meta, and Connected TV, along with 360 degrees activations with leading consumer lifestyle publishers like ELLE and Narcity.

Arnaud Rajchenbach, Marketing & Sales Manager at Transitions Canada, said: “We envision a world where Transitions® lenses are the standard – empowering people to move through life with clarity and ease, transforming everyday moments into experiences of comfort, confidence, and connection.

“It’s time to embrace the future and forge ahead, leaving behind the old and embracing the new. We need to showcase how Transitions® dynamic lenses are the new standard for everyday glasses by demonstrating how they can make a real difference in patients’ lives.

“Transitions® lenses redefine performance – not just exceeding expectations but reshaping how we experience vision in motion. It’s more than a breakthrough; it’s a catalyst for transforming everyday life into something extraordinary.

“With Transitions® lenses, we offer the possibility to upgrade vision, offering better comfort, eye protection and style. From must wear to love wear, wearers no longer “have to” wear glasses; wearers “love” wearing glasses.”

REFERENCES:

*Tests carried out on grey lenses. Photochromic performance may vary across colours and lens materials and is influenced by temperature and UV exposure.  

1. For grey polycarbonate & CR39 lenses achieving 18% transmission @ 23°C.   

2. For grey polycarbonate & CR39 lenses with a premium anti-reflective coating fading back to 70% transmission @ 23°C. 

3. After 7 days of trial per lens type, 86% of wearers chose to keep Transitions® GEN S, 5% of wearers chose to keep Transitions® Signature® GEN 8TM, 9% of wearers chose to keep the clear lenses. Wearers Test conducted by an external market research agency in the US in Q1, 2023 with Rx lens wearers wearing 1.67 index lenses with a premium anti-reflective coating in clear, grey Transitions® GEN S and grey Transitions® Signature® GEN 8TM, 134 respondents. 

4. Wearers test conducted by an external market research agency in the US in Q1, 2023, Rx lens wearers wearing 1.67 index lenses with a premium anti-reflective coating in grey Transitions® GEN S, 135 respondents

Click HERE for the press release.

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OGS Kicks Off 2025 World Sight Day Challenge

World Sight Day Challenge 2025 Logo

To support its mission to eradicate uncorrected refractive error through the growth and expansion of optometry around the world, Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) has issued its 2025 World Sight Day Challenge. Held in conjunction with World Sight Day, the Challenge will take place from September 1 through October 31. World Sight Day is celebrated on October 9.

During the Challenge, optometry practices, optometry student groups, and optometry-related businesses raise funds for OGS to support the organization’s annual grant program. Since its inception, OGS has awarded more than $8 million in grants for programs that have provided vision care for more than 15 million people worldwide.

Challenge participants can choose to sponsor fundraising activities at their offices, schools, and companies and may include activities such as raffles, bake sales, fun runs, office contests, and other activities that can involve patients, colleagues, and the community. Other options include hosting an online fundraiser or simply making a donation.

This year, optometry practices and optometry student groups can compete to win our new Facebook Thumbs-Up Throwdown or highest contributor contest, both sponsored by Dr. Greg Pearl.

“The World Sight Day Challenge is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” says OGS Executive Director Donna J. Mikulecky. “This time of the year, in particular, we see the entire optometry community come together to support the dire need for access to eyecare where it is most needed.

“More than 1 billion people worldwide suffer from vision impairment and blindness simply because they don’t have access to eye exams and eyeglasses,” she adds. “The programs we fund provide exams and glasses, but also fund the establishment and development of the optometry profession, so that eye care is available today and well into the future.”

 To date, OGS has helped establish 14 optometry schools, built 130 vision centers, and trained more than 14,000 optometry professionals. In all, OGS’s work has impacted people in more than 50 countries.

“Our impact continues to grow each year,” Mikulecky says, “But, so does the need. The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness projects that the number of people suffering vision loss will increase to 1.7 billion people by 2050 unless we invest significantly in vision care.

“We’re fortunate that so many others in the optometry profession want to participate in creating lasting change,” she adds. “And, we are very grateful for their support. The problem we are all trying to address is huge in scope. But, together, we’re making a difference.”

Those interested in participating in the 2025 World Sight Day Challenge can register or learn more at www.givingsight.org/wsdc .

Click HERE for the press release.

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