Cacicol corneal regenerative drops

CACICOL® is the first ophthalmologic matrix therapy agent which triggers REGENERATION of damaged tissues for ENHANCED HEALING.

 The Cacicol drop belongs to the regenerating agent family (or RGTA). These agents are key in corneal matrix repair therapy (or matrix repair). Cacicol helps to trigger the regeneration of damaged tissues for enhanced healing. It makes it possible to delay or even avoid more invasive surgical procedures. ItCacicol is intended for the management of chronic corneal wound healing, such as in dry eye, with persistent epithelial defects (where the surface layer of cells the epithelium is damaged) and persistent corneal dystrophies with associated pain. Cacicol is a regulated healthcare product which requires a medical prescription, to ensure it is best course of treatment  for each patient.Each box of contains 5 detachable and ready-to-use single-dose units and are preservative-free drops which are administered once or twice a week. CACICOL® acts as a scaffold. Its matrix structure permits the fixation and the protection of the components involved in the tissue regeneration process.

Halloween horror for one unlucky contact lens lady

A  woman was rushed to ER after store bought contact lenses were suctioned to her eyes.

To really complete an outfit, many people like to add special effect contact lenses to finish off their scary disguise.  Be it coloured eyes, cat eyes or even white eyes there are so many options available, over the counter.

Although these lenses can be bought in-store without a proper fitting, these seamlessly harmless lenses can be sight threatening. 

There are countless stories where these lenses have gone wrong, yet they still remain for sale both online and in store. A recent case in America say Gaye, a 20 year old party goer comes  close to being blind.

After wearing the lenses for a party, consulting an online video on how to insert them, Gaye struggled to remove them and fell asleep with them in situ. Later awaking to somewhat blurry vision and a strange sensation, she instilled eye drops hoping to diffuse the situation and went back to sleep. By midway through the next day, the sensation had become unbearable and Gaye feared she may be going blind. 

A trip in the ambulance to a&e, an ophthalmologist told Gaye she had scratches on the surface of her eyes, the term corneal abrasions. 

Dr Thomas Steinemann commented, “All contact lenses are medical devices and the lens has to fit the patient,” the professor of ophthalmology who treated Miss Gaye. “Even though you may not wear a correction (prescription), the lens still has to fit the outer surface of your eye, the cornea.”

Though they may look legitimate, as fashion lenses are not regulated as they are from an optometrist they could themselves have germs or be defective with chips or tears. A study in America found 48% of these lenses were contaminated.

All contact lens fitting sessions come with dos and dont’s, to help ensure the safe use of the lenses. Things like avoiding contact with water, to prevent serious infection and even wearing the lenses inside out.  


If you have any concerns with your eyes or lenses you have been using, please contact our practices for an appointment with our Optometrists. 

Nice gives Luxturna the NHS go ahead.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec) on the NHS, Novartis has announced.

Intravitreal injection (IVI) of a therapeutic substance is the most common procedure performed in ophthalmology. The diseases treated with this method include diabetic macular oedema (DMO), retinal vein occlusions (RVO), anti-vegf for the treatment of wet macular degeneration and gene therapy for choroideremia.

The treatment has been approved as an option for treating RPE65-mediated inherited retinal dystrophies in people with vision loss caused by inherited retinal dystrophy from confirmed biallelic RPE65 mutations, who have sufficient viable retinal cells



The drug is injected under the retina and carries a functioning RPE65 gene to act in place of the faulty one, and is recommended based on data from a Phase I clinical trial which found that the difference in mean change in binocular MLMT score between patients treated and the control group was 1.6.

It's estimated that 86 people would be eligible for treatment with voretigene neparvovec in England
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec) for use in the NHS in England, making it the first available treatment for an inherited retinal dystrophy.

Voretigene neparvovec is the first licensed gene therapy for vision loss caused by RPE65-meidated inherited retinal dystrophy.

In the gene therapy, a healthy copy of the gene is injected directly into the eye so a working protein can be produced. Patients have to have some functioning retinal cells for it to work.
Research has shown that, in the short term that the drug improves vision and prevents the condition from getting worse. The draft recommendations are now out for consideration by the company, healthcare professionals and patient groups. If there are no appeals, NICE expects to publish its final guidance next month. The treatment would then become available from January 2020. The voretigene neparvovec evaluation at NICE has taken 20 weeks instead of the average of 38 weeks within the Highly Specialised Technologies programme.

This treatment is only for the treatment of Leber congenital amaurosis type 2 (LCA2) and severe early-onset RP caused by mutations in a specific gene called RPE65.
Researchers are hopeful this could pave the way for similar treatments for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to be made available on the NHS. Evidence from clinical trials shows that, in the short term, voretigene neparvovec improves vision and prevents the condition from getting worse. There is no long-term clinical evidence, but the committee considered it is biologically plausible that the treatment effect is likely to continue for decades.

The list price of voretigene neparvovec is £613,410 per patient. This technology breached the Budget Impact Test, meaning it would have cost the NHS more than £20 million in one of the first three years after being introduced. However, the company has a commercial arrangement with NHS England making the treatment available to the NHS at a discount, the size of which is commercial in confidence.

This gene therapy is similar to that used for the treatment of Choroideremia

AMD replication in Mice

UK researchers have replicated features of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in mice.
Sight loss caused by damage to the central retina in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represents the most common cause of irreversible blindness in developed societies. Scientists describe how the mice displayed characteristics of early stage geographic atrophy (withering away).  Early stages of geographic atrophy (GA) age-related macular degeneration is characterised by the demise of photoreceptors, which precedes the loss of underlying retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Sight-loss due to GA has no effective treatment; reflecting both the complexity of the disease and the lack of suitable animal models for testing potential therapies. To develop a mouse model with reproducible early GA-like features, retinas were exposed an 810 nm diode laser. The effects were assessed by colour fundus photography based on discolouration indicative of retinal atrophy. OCT scans from mice treated with the laser showed rapid development of a geographic atrophic region. An observed development of lesions in 63/80 animals, displayed an overall success rate of 80%.The researchers highlighted that a lack of dry AMD models has previously been one of the factors inhibiting the development of potential new therapies targeting the condition.

Dr Arjuna Ratnayaka, from the University of Southampton, said that the research was the result of multi -disciplinary work between scientists and clinicians over a seven-year period. “These mice could help us understand how AMD causes damage to the retina, which is desperately needed,” he said.“This is important, as it appears that prolonged injections of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor inhibitors, which is used to manage wet AMD in patients, can sometimes result in a switch to the dry form.”

Why driving with sunglasses on could land you a £2,500 fine

Did you know that driving with sunglasses on could actually land you a hefty £2,500 fine and nine points on your licence?

The Highway Code states that drivers must slow down or pull over if dazzled by bright sunlight and if you don't (and you're not wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes), you could be convicted of careless driving.

If caught, you may receive an on-the-spot fine of £100 and up to three penalty points on your licence, or you could go to court where the fine can be increased up to £2,500 and nine points.

However, as reported by The Plymouth Herald, you can actually be breaking laws while driving with sunglasses on too.

The reason for this is because sunglasses are divided into four categories based on the amount of light they filter out, with some being acceptable to wear while driving and others illegal.

Most sunglasses are category two - meaning that they filter between 18 and 43 per cent of light and are suitable for driving.

If you have category four sunglasses, which let less than eight per cent of light through, you're breaking the law.

Please see this handy guide below to help you work out which category of sunglasses are most suitable for your needs.

Do E-Cigarettes vaporise the health risks associated with smoking?

Everyone is aware of the dangers of both active and passive smoking and the recent smoking in public places regulations highlight this awareness. E-cigarettes are claimed by Public Health England(PHE) to be 95% less harmful than conventional cigarettes, largely because they do not subject the user or people nearby to tar and carbon monoxide. This is not endorsed by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence(NICE) as a smoking cessation device. Some respiratory specialists are concerned that Vaping “risks a further epidemic of lung disease for today’s children”.

The nicotine is vaporised with a mix of polypropylene glycol and glycerine and often other flavourings. The vape material can cause adverse changes in the lining of the lungs which can lead to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD) and may be associated with heart disease (myocardial infarction). Vapes that contain nicotine salts rather than free based nicotine are less volatile and as such more of the nicotine reaches deeper into the lungs.

As vaping has only been round for a relatively short time, we do not know all its adverse effects. We do know that the chemicals in the vapour such as formaldehyde are toxic to the ocular surface and can cause irritation and dry eye. This can apply to passive vaping as well as direct use.

The nicotine itself can affect the eye especially in diabetics, by speeding up diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular oedema. By reducing the retinal blood flow nicotine can contribute to the early development of Macular Degeneration (AMD). Eye Care Practitioners need to be alert for signs of these conditions in Vape users.

Transitions Contact lenses arriving in the UK!

The clever contact lens that knows light, these contact lenses change colour in the sun. They automatically turn a darker shade of grey, giving you increased comfort, better vision and reduced glare all without sunglasses.

Seamlessly adapting to changing light levels in our day to day, they provide more effortless sight with less squinting, all day. The new technology reduces the impact of the eye’s exposure to light both indoors and outdoors. The Oasys is a 2 weekly replacement lens, which currently covers a wide range of prescriptions (-12.00D to +8.00D). 

The lens offers a blue light filter, blocks harmful UV and gives improved adaptation when moving from indoor to bright outdoor sunlight. 

After more than a decade of in-depth research and clinical trials, the lens which provides more than benefits to clear vision, is set to arrive in the UK later this year. Acuvue Oasys with Transitions Light Intelligent Technology is already available in America and Canada, creating quite the buzz.