Week in review: Shrew clues, high stakes, monkey business

A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.

Small shrews could make a big difference in dry eye research, if Alabama researchers have anything to say about it. Tree shrews are a common model for studying human myopia. But a recent study in Chemistry and Physics of Lipids tracked differences in meibum lipids between humans and tree shrews, and found that the animals may serve as a helpful model for dry eye disease, too. University of Alabama

It’s a swing and a narrow miss for Ocular Therapeutix’s intracanalicular insert, which delivers preservative-free travoprost for up to 90 days. The therapy lowered IOP at 9 timepoints but only surpassed a placebo at 8 in recent a phase 3 trial. Though the insert fell short of its primary endpoint, the company remains encouraged. “This product … has the potential to address one of the biggest issues we deal with in clinical practice: the challenges patients have in taking eye drops,” says chief medical officer Michael Goldstein, MD. “We look forward to meeting with the FDA to discuss these results before determining the next steps.” Ocular Therapeutix

Allergan is $48,500 richer after suing Imprimis Pharmaceuticals for false advertisement of compounded drugs, including Restasis. The damages are far less than expected, however. The pharma giant had initially sought $7 million in lost profits and $54 million in profit disgorgement. The jury did not explain how it arrived at the final number. Reuters, STAT

Live monkeys are the first primates to test an IOP-lowering gene therapy, scientists announced this month. The therapy is carried on a lentivirus and injected into the eye, where it expresses exoenzyme C3 transferase in the trabecular meshwork. So far, the therapy has shown IOP-lowering effects in rodent eyes and live monkeys. Next stop: clinical trials? Molecular Therapy

A so-called Jack-and-Jill model could help shorten Scotland’s long wait lists for cataract surgery, the BBC reports. By splitting their large operating room in 2, surgeons can the jump from one surgery to the next with ease, saving about 6 to 8 minutes per patient. Since its implementation, the hospital has almost doubled their capacity and is on track to see all scheduled patients within a 12-week period. BBC