Week in review: Elevated IOP after gas tamponade, tear-based lens charger, bevacizumab biosimilar stalled

A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.

After vitreoretinal surgery with gas tamponade, patients may want to avoid elevator rides. Researchers in Hong Kong studied the effect of pressure change caused by elevator rides in 54 post-vitrectomy patients, half of whom had gas tamponade during the procedure. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured at the 4th and 12th floors of the hospital 3 times, and the mean values of all measurements were recorded. The mean IOP change was +1.39 mm Hg for the gas tamponade group and −0.43 mm Hg for the non-tamponade group, a significant difference. The authors conclude that “this pilot study provides valuable insights and highlights the need for further investigation into the potential safety implications of elevated [IOP] in individuals residing in cities with abundant tall buildings and skyscrapers.” Scientific Reports

Smart contact lenses with tear-based batteries and biofuel chargers may be on the horizon. A barrier to the development of wearable smart contact lenses is the need for a strong power source that is rechargeable and not prone to leakage. Scientists in Singapore have designed an aqueous battery containing a biofuel cell that uses a glucose-based (rather than saline-based) solution to charge the battery at night, after the wearer removes the contact lenses. Further studies are needed to test this battery in real-world situations. Nano Energy

No approval yet for a bevacizumab biosimilar for wet AMD. On August 30, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Complete Response Letter to Outlook Therapeutics regarding ONS-510 (bevacizumab-vikg), an investigational ophthalmic formulation of bevacizumab being developed as an intravitreal injection for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The nonapproval ruling was made based on potential manufacturing issues and the need for additional confirmatory data. ONS-510 is still being considered for approval by the European Medicines Agency. Pharmaceutical Technology

Cataract surgery appears to improve long-term subjective driving abilities, even at night. Twenty years after undergoing cataract surgery, 114 Swedish patients were surveyed about driving habits and driving difficulty via the Visual Function 14 questionnaire. Overall, vision remained improved after 20 years, and 45% of patients were still driving (current drivers). Nearly all current drivers reported no difficulties with daytime driving. There was a significant longitudinal decline in nighttime driving abilities over time, but overall self-reported nighttime driving abilities were better than what they had been prior to surgery. Those who reported difficulties with nighttime driving and with glare had poorer BCVA in the better-seeing eye than those who did not have nighttime driving difficulties. Clinical Ophthalmology

Giving fatty acids to extremely preterm infants probably won’t improve their vision as toddlers. In the randomized Mega Donna Mega clinical trial, 178 extremely preterm infants (born at <28 weeks’ gestational age) received either arachidonic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid (AA/DHA) supplementation or placebo from birth to 40 weeks postmenstrual age. A follow-up study of 115 patients conducted at 2.5 years of corrected age found that after adjusting for gestational age, examination center, and other factors, there was no significant difference in the number of patients who achieved visual acuity ≥20/63 between those given AA/DHA supplements and those given placebo. The Lancet Regional Health Europe