IOPtima has received CE approval for its laser based system for noninvasive treatment of glaucoma. IOPtima’s CO2 laser system, IOPtiMate OT-134, alleviates intra-ocular pressure through a fast, simplified, efficient and cost-effective filtration procedure. This intra-ocular pressure is the primary cause of damage to the optic nerve in glaucoma patients. The approach, says IOPtima, is expected to compete as the preferred first line of glaucoma treatment.

A team of scientists from Italy found that eye drops containing nerve growth factor seem to protect optic nerve and retinal nerve cells from the damage caused by glaucoma and even restored some sight loss. The study was conducted by Dr Stefano Bonini of the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Rome Campus Bio-Medico and Alberto Sordi Foundation and published online on Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS.

Presbyopia, in combination with myopia, hyperopia and emmetropia, can be effectively and safely treated by Presbyopic LASIK that uses a new nonlinear aspheric ablation profile. This profile increases the depth of field of the eye, Dan Z. Reinstein, MD, MA(Cantab), FRCSC, FRCOphth said while presenting a study on nonlinear aspheric presbyopic micro-monovision at a symposium sponsored by Carl Zeiss Meditec during the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting in San Francisco.

Researchers have found that the cancer drug bevacizumab medication (sold as Avastin) may prove useful in improving vision loss in diabetic patients, as well as in those who have undergone cataract surgery. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the major threat to vision in working-age people. While laser treatment is usually able to reduce vision loss, widespread, diffuse DME  (DDME) is often resistant to laser and other standard treatments.