Week in review: Retinoblastoma survival rates, generic of Restasis approved, prematurity leads to long-term vision problems

A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.

Despite improvements, global disparities in retinoblastoma survival still exist. To investigate long-term global trends and patterns in retinoblastoma survival and globe preservation, investigators conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of 311 articles published between 1981 and 2021 (38,130 patients in 80 countries). While pooled retinoblastoma survival and globe salvage rates improved during the 40-year period, there were wide disparities in outcomes between higher- and lower-income countries. Education level, maternal health, and the poverty gap were some of the socioeconomic factors affecting survival and globe salvage. The Lancet Global Health

First generic of Restasis eye drops is approved by the FDA. On February 2, 2022, the FDA approved the first generic of Restasis 0.05% single-use vials. Restasis is currently indicated for increasing tear production in patients whose tear production is presumed to be suppressed due to ocular inflammation associated with keratoconjunctivitis sicca. In announcing this approval, Dr. Sally Choe, director of the Office of Generic Drugs in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said “Restasis has been approved for use in the US for nearly 20 years, but until today, there was no approved generic product of this drug that can help the millions of Americans who suffer from dry eyes. Today’s approval reflects the FDA’s continued commitment to advancing patient access to lower-cost, high-quality generic drug products that are as safe and effective as their brand name counterparts.” US Food and Drug Administration

Vision problems due to extreme prematurity persist into adulthood. Researchers have followed children in the EPICure cohort, which includes all infants born at ≤25 completed weeks of gestation in the United Kingdom and Ireland from March through December 1995, to assess the long-term effects of extreme prematurity. In the EPICure@19 follow-up study, ophthalmic outcomes and visual measures were evaluated in 129 19-year-olds from the cohort and 65 control participants. Mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), monochrome BCVA, and binocular contrast sensitivity were significantly worse in the cohort group than in the control group; however, ocular morbidity and patient-reported visual function were similar between the populations. JAMA Network Open