Optegra has made a new wet AMD treatment available at its eye hospital in Manchester. The company said Oraya Therapy Stereotactic Radiotherapy was a one-time outpatient procedure to reduce the need for routine anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections into the eye. The treatment, using a low-voltage X-Ray source with advanced robotics and taking 20 minutes, has already been introduced at the Optegra Surrey Eye Hospital in Guildford.
Practitioners ordering at least 50 pairs of lenses from the new Shamir Autograph III range will be rewarded with a city break. The lens company said those who ordered 50 pairs during the September to November promotion would be treated to a UK city break for two valued at £500. Hitting the target of 100 pairs won a European city break worth £1,000 and selling 150 pairs earned an international break valued at £2,000.
A date has been announced for the Vision UK 2014 conference, where the progress of the latest UK Vision Strategy 2013-18 (News 14.06.13) will be reported back. The event will be held on Thursday June 12 next year at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre in London, with registration opening in early January 2014.
The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac, known by the trade name Voltarol, has been highlighted in the latest issue of the British National Formulary as contraindicated for use in patients with cardiovascular problems. The drug, which may be prescribed by independent prescriber optometrists for conditions such as postoperative inflammation, epithelial defect-related pain and seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, was stated as contraindicated for a range of patients. These include those with ischaemic heart disease, cardiovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease and mild to severe heart failure.