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bluebird bio reveals plans to launch two gene therapies – PMLiVE

August 11th, 2022 1:56 am

bluebird bio has reported its financial results and business highlights for the second quarter of 2022, in which the company revealed the anticipated launch of both betibeglogene autotemcel (beti-cel) and elivaldogene autotemcel (eli-cel) gene therapies in the fourth quarter of the year.

The news comes after both therapies were endorsed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Cell Tissue & Gene Therapy Advisory Committee (CTGTAC) in June 2022.

Beti-cel is under priority review for the treatment of people with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassaemia (beta-thal), a rare genetic blood disease caused by a gene defect that impairs the ability of red blood cells to produce haemoglobin. Patients with the most severe form of beta-thal develop life-threatening anaemia and have to undergo regular blood transfusions, a lengthy process typically needed every two to five weeks.

Eli-cel is under priority review for the treatment of early active cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD) in patients under the age of 18 who do not have an available and willing matched sibling donor. CALD is a rare neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects young children and leads to irreversible loss of neurologic function and death.

Beti-cel and eli-cel have Prescription Drug User Act Fee (PDUFA) goal dates of 19 August 2022 and 16 September 2022, respectively. If approved, the company anticipates that both therapies will be availabile in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Andrew Obenshain, chief executive officer, bluebird bio, said: The second quarter marked significant progress for bluebird bio and a precedent-setting moment for the field of gene therapy.

With the FDA advisory committees unanimous support for beti-cel and eli-cel for their target indications, we are now laser-focused on commercial readiness and, if approved, we anticipate launching both therapies in the fourth quarter of this year.

bluebird bio also reported that it remains on track to submit a Biologics Licensing Application (BLA) to the FDA for lovotibeglogene autotemcel (lovo-cel) for sickle cell disease in the first quarter of 2023.

The company reported that it ended the quarter with $218m in restricted cash, cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, having raised approximated $24.7m in gross proceeds through its At-the-Market (ATM) equity facility.

The company is exploring additional financing opportunities, including public or private equity financings and monetising any priority review vouchers that may be issued upon approval of beti-cel or eli-cel.

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The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine Announces the Appointment of Timothy D. Hunt as Chief Executive Officer – Yahoo Finance

August 11th, 2022 1:56 am

Headshot of Timothy D. Hunt, Incoming CEO at ARM

Headshot of Timothy D. Hunt, Incoming CEO at ARM

Washington, D.C., Aug. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the leading international advocacy organization representing the cell and gene therapy sector, today formally announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Timothy D. Hunt as the organizations next Chief Executive Officer. Hunt will succeed Janet Lynch Lambert, who announced in April her plan to step down as CEO and who served on the Boards Search Committee. Hunt will start at ARM on September 6.

We are excited to welcome Tim to the ARM team at such a pivotal moment for our sector, said Emile Nuwaysir, Chair of the ARM Board and Search Committee,and President and Chief Executive Officer of Ensoma, an in vivo genomic medicines company. Tims two decades of experience advocating for biotechnology companies, knowledge of the key issues facing the cell and gene therapy field, and expertise in leading teams make him the ideal choice to guide ARM in building the future of medicine. Tim has a deep philosophy of engagement with major stakeholders that will support ARM members and help bring cell and gene therapies into mainstream medical practice.

Hunt was most recently the Chief Culture and Corporate Affairs Officer at Xilio Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing tumor-selective immuno-oncology therapies for patients with cancer. Prior to that, he was the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at CRISPR gene-editing pioneer Editas Medicine, where he led the companys global policy and government affairs, bioethics, communications, market development and human resources initiatives. He also served in executive public affairs roles at Cubist Pharmaceuticals and Biogen.

Hunt was an Advisory Group member of the Value-Based Payments for Medical Products consortium at the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy. He also has been a member of the Board of Directors of the non-profit organization Life Science Cares and has chaired the Ethics Committee of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT). Hunt previously served as a member of ARMs Gene Editing Task Force and on the Biotechnology Innovation Organizations Gene Editing Working Group. He received a B.A. in history and philosophy from Boston College and a J.D. from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America.

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I am honored to succeed Janet as Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine and for the tremendous opportunity to build upon her legacy of developing ARM into the leading sector advocate and resource for the industry, said Hunt. Cell and gene therapies are already transforming patients lives, and we are on the cusp of even more breakthroughs in both rare and prevalent diseases. Our mission is both urgent and clear: to engage all our major stakeholders to ensure the patients we serve have access to the durable and potentially curative therapies of the present and future.

Tim is an excellent choice to continue to grow and strengthen this amazing organization and help realize the potential of regenerative medicine, said Lambert, whose tenure includes doubling ARMs global membership to 425 members, strengthening the organizations advocacy in the US and Europe, and building the ARM team.

Cell and gene therapies to treat blood cancers, spinal muscular atrophy, and an inherited form of blindness are approved in the US and Europe. 2022 could be a record year for new gene therapy approvals for rare disease, and regulators in the US and Europe could approve the first such therapies for hemophilia and sickle cell disease in late 2022 and 2023. More than 2,400 regenerative medicine clinical trials 60% of which targeted prevalent diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular disease were active globally at the end of 2021. ARM is committed to working with stakeholders to ensure that patients benefit from this rapidly advancing pipeline of transformative therapies.

About The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine

The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) is the leadinginternationaladvocacy organization dedicated to realizing the promise of regenerative medicines and advanced therapies.ARMpromotes legislative, regulatory, reimbursement and manufacturing initiativesto advance this innovative and transformative sector, which includes cell therapies, gene therapies and tissue-engineered therapies.Early products to market have demonstrated profound, durable and potentially curative benefits that are already helping thousands of patients worldwide, many of whom have no other viable treatment options. Hundreds of additional product candidates contribute to a robust pipeline of potentially life-changing regenerativemedicinesand advanced therapies. In its 12-year history,ARMhas become the voice of the sector, representing the interests of 425+ members worldwide, including small and large companies, academic research institutions, major medical centers and patient groups. To learn more aboutARMor to become a member, visithttp://www.alliancerm.org.

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Adverum Biotechnologies to Participate in the 2nd Annual H.C. Wainwright Ophthalmology Virtual Conference – Yahoo Finance

August 11th, 2022 1:56 am

Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADVM), a clinical-stage company that aims to establish gene therapy as a new standard of care for highly prevalent ocular diseases, today announced that Laurent Fischer, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Adverum Biotechnologies, will present at the H.C. Wainwright 2nd Annual Ophthalmology Virtual Conference on Wednesday, August 17, 2022.

The on-demand webcast corporate presentation may be accessed under Events and Presentations in the Investors section of Adverums website. A replay of the webcast will be available on the website for 30 days following the presentation.

About Adverum Biotechnologies

Adverum Biotechnologies (NASDAQ: ADVM) is a clinical-stage company that aims to establish gene therapy as a new standard of care for highly prevalent ocular diseases with the aspiration of developing functional cures for these diseases to restore vision and prevent blindness. Leveraging the research capabilities of its proprietary, intravitreal (IVT) platform, Adverum is developing durable, single-administration therapies, designed to be delivered in physicians offices, to eliminate the need for frequent ocular injections to treat these diseases. Adverum is evaluating its novel gene therapy candidate, ixoberogene soroparvovec (Ixo-vec, formerly referred to as ADVM-022), as a one-time, IVT injection for patients with neovascular or wet age-related macular degeneration. By overcoming the challenges associated with current treatment paradigms for these debilitating ocular diseases, Adverum aspires to transform the standard of care, preserve vision, and create a profound societal impact around the globe. For more information, please visit http://www.adverum.com.

Forward-looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding events or results that may occur in the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including risks inherent to, without limitation: Adverums novel technology, which makes it difficult to predict the timing of commencement and completion of clinical trials; regulatory uncertainties; enrollment uncertainties; the results of early clinical trials not always being predictive of future clinical trials and results; and the potential for future complications or side effects in connection with use of Ixo-vec. Additional risks and uncertainties facing Adverum are set forth under the caption Risk Factors and elsewhere in Adverums Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and reports, including Adverums Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 filed with the SEC on May 12, 2022. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Adverum undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

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Corporate & Investor Inquiries

Anand ReddiVice President, Head of Corporate Strategy and External Affairs & EngagementAdverum Biotechnologies, Inc.T: 650-649-1358E: areddi@adverum.com

Media

Megan TalonAssociate Director, Corporate CommunicationsAdverum Biotechnologies, Inc.T: 650-649-1006E: mtalon@adverum.com

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Stem Cell Therapy Global Market Report 2022: Rapid Growth in Emerging Markets & An Increase in Investments in Cell and Gene Therapies Driving…

August 11th, 2022 1:56 am

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Stem Cell Therapy Global Market Opportunities And Strategies To 2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global stem cell therapy market reached a value of nearly $4,019.6 million in 2021, having increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 70.9% since 2016. The market is expected to grow from $4,019.6 million in 2021 to $10,600.2 million in 2026 at a rate of 21.4%. The market is then expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.4% from 2026 and reach $18,175.4 million in 2031.

Growth in the historic period in the stem cell therapy market resulted from rising prevalence of chronic diseases, a rise in funding from governments and private organizations, rapid growth in emerging markets, an increase in investments in cell and gene therapies, surge in healthcare expenditure, and an increase in pharmaceutical R&D expenditure. The market was restrained by low healthcare access in developing countries, limited reimbursements, and ethical concerns related to the use of embryonic stem cells in the research and development.

Going forward, increasing government support, rapid increase in the aging population, rising research and development spending, and increasing healthcare expenditure will drive market growth. Factors that could hinder the growth of the market in the future include high cost of stem cell therapy, stringent regulations imposed by regulators, and high cost of storage of stem cells.

The stem cell therapy market is segmented by type into allogeneic stem cell therapy and autologous stem cell therapy. The autologous stem cell therapy segment was the largest segment of the stem cell therapy market segmented by type, accounting for 100% of the total in 2021.

The stem cell therapy market is also segmented by cell source into adult stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and embryonic stem cells. The induced pluripotent stem cells was the largest segment of the stem cell therapy market segmented by cell source, accounting for 77.2% of the total in 2021. Going forward, the adult stem cells segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the stem cell therapy market segmented by cell source, at a CAGR of 21.7% during 2021-2026.

The stem cell therapy market is also segmented by application into musculoskeletal disorders and wounds & injuries, cancer, autoimmune disorders, and others. The cancer segment was the largest segment of the stem cell therapy market segmented by application, accounting for 49.7% of the total in 2021. Going forward, musculoskeletal disorders and wounds & injuries segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the stem cell therapy market segmented by application, at a CAGR of 22.1% during 2021-2026.

The stem cell therapy market is also segmented by end-users into hospitals and clinics, research centers, and others. The hospitals and clinics segment was the largest segment of the stem cell therapy market segmented by end-users, accounting for 66.0% of the total in 2021. Going forward, hospitals and clinics segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the stem cell therapy market segmented by end-users, at a CAGR of 22.0% during 2021-2026.

Scope:

Markets Covered:

Key Topics Covered:

1. Stem Cell Therapy Market Executive Summary

2. Table of Contents

3. List of Figures

4. List of Tables

5. Report Structure

6. Introduction

7. Stem Cell Therapy Market Characteristics

8. Stem Cell Therapy Trends And Strategies

9. Impact Of Covid-19 On Stem Cell Therapy Market

10. Global Stem Cell Therapy Market Size And Growth

11. Global Stem Cell Therapy Market Segmentation

12. Stem Cell Therapy Market, Regional And Country Analysis

13. Asia-Pacific Stem Cell Therapy Market

14. Western Europe Stem Cell Therapy Market

15. Eastern Europe Stem Cell Therapy Market

16. North America Stem Cell Therapy Market

17. South America Stem Cell Therapy Market

18. Middle East Stem Cell Therapy Market

19. Africa Stem Cell Therapy Market

20. Stem Cell Therapy Global Market Competitive Landscape

21. Stem Cell Therapy Market Pipeline Analysis

22. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Stem Cell Therapy Market

23. Stem Cell Therapy Market Opportunities And Strategies

24. Stem Cell Therapy Market, Conclusions And Recommendations

25. Appendix

Companies Mentioned

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Intracranial Therapeutic Delivery Market revenue will climb to US$ 4.2 Bn by the end of 2032 Persistence Market Research – GlobeNewswire

August 11th, 2022 1:56 am

New York, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global intracranial therapeutic delivery market is currently valued at around US$ 1.6 Bn and is anticipated to progress at an impressive CAGR of 7.9% over the 2022-2032 study period.

Cell and gene therapies are at the forefront of innovation in treating severe diseases, such as cancer, as well as rare diseases, accounting for around 12 percent of the pharmaceutical industrys clinical pipeline. However, the growing focus on effective therapy has impacted positive financial grades for cell and gene therapy throughout the clinical and social spectrum; intracranial therapeutic administration has been gaining favor in the biopharma industry.

The progressive development of CRISPR and next-generation sequencing has led to a surge in the interest in gene therapy and cell treatment in the past few years. The manufacturing community for cell and gene therapies, including pharmaceutical companies, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), and suppliers of lab supplies and equipment, are looking into ways to strengthen supply chains and address process bottlenecks.

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Sales footprint expansion, which has been gaining more and more traction among key participants, calls for the desired assistance, based on financial approvals and consolidated activities. Additionally, several clinical trials have been carried out in association with research institutes.

Key Takeaways from Market Study

Know the methodology of the report: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/33142

Rising prevalence of neurological disorders and increasing research activities for the development of regenerative medicine to drive market growth over the coming years, says an analyst of Persistence Market Research.

Market Competition

The therapeutic delivery for intracranial is a highly consolidated market with limited key manufacturers operating in the industry. A majority of market players are focused on offering a limited range of cell, gene, and enzyme replacement therapy used for neurological disorder indications.

To strengthen their position in the global market, key players are focusing on strategic approaches such as mergers and collaborations to improve their production capabilities and expand their portfolios in various clinical and research fields.

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What Does the Report Cover?

Persistence Market Research offers a unique perspective and actionable insights on the intracranial therapeutic delivery market in its latest study, presenting a historical demand assessment of 2017 2021 and projections for 2022 2032.

The research study is based on the therapy (cell-based therapy, gene therapy, and enzyme replacement therapy) and indication (spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), multiple sclerosis, batten disease), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, across three key regions of the world considered in the taxonomy.

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About Persistence Market Research:

Persistence Market Research (PMR), as a 3rd-party research organization, does operate through an exclusive amalgamation of market research and data analytics for helping businesses ride high, irrespective of the turbulence faced on the account of financial/natural crunches.

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Persistence Market Research is always way ahead of its time. In other words, it tables market solutions by stepping into the companies/clients shoes much before they themselves have a sneak pick into the market. The pro-active approach followed by experts at Persistence Market Research helps companies/clients lay their hands on techno-commercial insights beforehand, so that the subsequent course of action could be simplified on their part.

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OHSU advancing first-of-its-kind strategy to overcome infertility – OHSU News

August 11th, 2022 1:56 am

OHSU researchers will receive a grant to helpadvance a first-of-its-kind method to turn an individuals skin cell into an egg, with the potential to produce viable embryos. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University have received significant philanthropic support to advance a first-of-its-kind method to turn an individuals skin cell into an egg, with the potential to produce viable embryos.

The technique, initially demonstrated in mice, could eventually provide a new avenue for child-bearing among couples unable to produce viable eggs of their own.

Paula Amato, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the OHSU School of Medicine, andShoukhrat Mitalipov, Ph.D., director of the OHSU Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

Even though the proof of concept in mice shows promise, significant challenges remain to be resolved before the technique could be ready for clinical trials under strict ethical and scientific oversight. Even then, Congress currently precludes the Food and Drug Administration from providing oversight for clinical trials involving genetic modification of human embryos.

Shoukhrat Mitalipov, Ph.D., (OHSU)

It will take probably a decade before we can say were ready, said Shoukhrat Mitalipov, Ph.D., director of the OHSU Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy. The science behind it is complex, but we think were on the right path.

This type of research is not funded by the National Institutes of Health, so it depends on philanthropic support. For this project, Open Philanthropy awarded $4 million over three years through the OHSU Foundation.

Paula Amato, M.D. (OHSU)

Paula Amato, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the OHSU School of Medicine, sees the potential for an enormous benefit to families struggling to have children if the technique proves successful.

Age-related decline in fertility remains an intractable problem in our field, especially as women are delaying childbearing, said Amato, who is the principal investigator for the grant award.

The technique holds promise for helping families to have genetically related children, a cohort that includes women unable to produce viable eggs because of age or other causes, including previous treatment for cancer. It also raises the possibility of men in same-sex relationships having children genetically related to both partners.

The skin cell can come from somebody who doesnt have any eggs themselves, Amato said. The biggest implication is for female, age-related infertility. It can also come from women with premature ovarian insufficiency due to cancer treatment or genetic conditions, or from men who would be able to produce a genetically related child with a male partner.

The award from Open Philanthropy will enable OHSU researchers to develop the technique in early human embryos using eggs and sperm from research donors. As with other groundbreaking research at OHSU including a gene-editing discovery that generated worldwide attention in 2017 none of the early embryos will be allowed to develop past the early blastocyst stage.

Researchers will build on a study in mice published this January in the journal Communications Biology.

The study demonstrated that it is possible to produce normal eggs by transplanting skin-cell nuclei into donor eggs from which the nuclei have been removed. Known as somatic cell nuclear transfer, the technique was famously used in 1997 to clone a sheep in Scotland named Dolly. In contrast to a direct clone of one parent, the mouse study published earlier this year required OHSU and collaborating scientists to cut the donor DNA in half and then fertilize the resulting egg with sperm to generate a viable embryo with chromosomes from both parents.

The process involves implanting the skin cell nuclei into a donor egg, and then allowing the egg to discard half its skin cell chromosomes a process similar to meiosis, when cells divide to produce sperm or egg cells. This results in a haploid egg with a single set of chromosomes with precisely half the chromosomes of the diploid skin cell with two sets of chromosomes. At just the right phase of the cell cycle, the new egg is combined with sperm chromosomes through in vitro fertilization.

An embryo then develops with the correct diploid number of chromosomes from each parent.

We had to show in the mouse that this hypothesis works, Mitalipov said. Open Philanthropy saw the implications for fertility with a new way of looking into this. The key is inducing haploidy.

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Is This Company In A Special Position Even As The COVID-19 Pandemic Affects Cell-Based Therapy Industry? – Benzinga

August 11th, 2022 1:56 am

According toGrand View Research, the global cell therapy market was valued at $7.8 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.5% between 2021 and 2028.

The rising number of clinical studies for cell-based therapies and investments in the industry may have a symbiotic relationship. The industry is seeing a snowballing number of ongoingclinical trialswith funding from governments and private agencies.

Theres an arguably thin line between cell and gene therapy. Cell therapy is the transfer of intact, live cells into a patient to help lessen or cure a disease, according to theAmerican Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT). The cells may originate from the patient (autologous cells) or a donor (allogeneic cells).

Gene therapy involves the transfer of genetic material, usually in a carrier or vector, and the uptake of the gene into the appropriate cells of the body. Some protocols use both gene therapy and cell therapy.

Companies are using thebuilding blocks of lifeand advanced technologies to improve the treatment of human diseases and disorders such as cancer, providing an alternative to traditionally relied-on drugs and surgical treatments.

Cell therapy companies like Longeveron Inc. LGVN, Biogen Inc. BIIB, Alzamend Neuro Inc. ALZN and Solid Biosciences Inc. SLDB, as a result, have gained attention for their progress in using living cells to treat previously incurable diseases and disorders.

COVID-19 has reportedly causedsignificant disruptionto the cell and gene therapy industry. The pandemic has exacerbated the woes of an industry thats had its fair share of challenges with the supply of materials and the manufacturing and logistics processes.

General investments also slowed for the industry as governments shifted focus to saving lives and reviving economies. But things are starting to pick up now that the pandemic is on a downward trend.

Regulatory bodies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been urged to be more flexible in their approval timelines to make therapies affordable. Discussions continue around access and ensuring these therapies are affordable, reimbursable and profitable for the biopharmaceutical companies that develop them.

Academic and industry collaborations are expected to continue to expand and grow with noticeable impacts on the approval of products. Partnerships among academia, global pharmaceutical companies and small biotechs are expected to continue to shape the cell and gene therapy industry.

Longeveron, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, is one example of a company in the industry that has seemingly done well even during the pandemic. The company reports developing cellular therapies for investigation in chronic aging-related and certain life-threatening conditions.

The companys lead investigational product is Lomecel-B, a cell-based therapy product, derived from culture-expanded medicinal signaling cells sourced from the bone marrow of young, healthy adult donors.

Longeveron believes using the same cells that promote formation of new blood vessels, enhance cell survival and proliferation, inhibit cell death, and modulate immune system function may result in safe and effective therapies for some of the most difficult disorders associated with aging and some medical disorders.

Longeveron is sponsoring Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials in the following indications: Aging frailty, Alzheimers disease, metabolic syndrome, acute respiratory distress syndrome and hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

The companys mission is to advance Lomecel-B and other cell-based product candidates into pivotal Phase 3 trials to achieve regulatory approvals, subsequent commercialization and broad use by the healthcare community.

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New Discovered Adipokines Associated with the Pathogenesis of Obesity | DMSO – Dove Medical Press

August 11th, 2022 1:55 am

Introduction

Obesity has become a global epidemic, which is spiraling out of control. With the prevalence of obesity, obesity-related problems such as T2DM, are also rapidly increasing. To discover the pathophysiological mechanisms between obesity and T2DM becomes particularly important for preventing and alleviating obesity related diabetes. Studies have found that adipose tissue can not only store fat, but also be an endocrine organ,1 secreting a variety of bioactive factors, collectively known as adipokines. As early as 1987, adipose tissue was identified as a main site for metabolism of sex steroids2 and production of adipsin,3 an endocrine factor that is markedly down-regulated in rodent obesity. The subsequent identification and characterization of leptin4 in 1994 firmly established adipose tissue as an endocrine organ. Adipokines secreted by adipose tissue have been identified that either promote inflammatory responses or contribute to the resolution of inflammation. An imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines leads to obesity-linked metabolic dysfunction.5 Restoring the balance would be the method for treating obesity and its complications. Our review focuses on describing a few newly discovered adipokines in chronological order of being identified as an adipokine. Their functions in metabolism have been proved in past studies, but some are disputable or the specific action pathway is still unclear. A summary of researches progress so far seems necessary to provide the basis for further exploration on their potentials as biomarkers for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis in obesity and T2DM (Table 1).

Table 1 Newly Discovered Adipokines Effect on the Pathogenesis of Obesity and T2DM

The upregulated adipokines in the state of obesity and insulin resistance (IR) generally have pro-inflammatory effects, leading to the form of a chronic inflammatory state and contributing to metabolic dysfunction.

Follistatin like 1 (FSTL1) was originally cloned from an osteoblast cell line as transforming growth factor- (TGF-) stimulated clone 36 (TSC-36) in 1993.6 Later, it was reported as a pro-inflammatory molecule in 2006, which led to severe paw swelling and arthritis in mouse paws.7 FSTL1 expression was increased in adipose tissues of obese mice.8 During the switch from chow diet to high fat diet (HFD), FSTL1 deletion mice gained less body weight, fat mass, and glucose level than the control group. FSTL1 promoted adipogenesis by inhibiting the conversion of PPAR to p-PPAR through the integrin/FAK/ERK signaling pathway,9 and could activate NFB and JNK signaling pathways, critical in obesity-induced inflammation and IR, in adipocytes and macrophages.8 Insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of both Akt and IRS-1 was markedly reduced by FSTL1 treatment, which impaired insulin signal transduction in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.8 Further, FSTL1 expression in adipose tissue10 and circulation11 rose dramatically in response to acute physical activity in rodents.

Serum levels of FSTL1 were significantly higher in patients with overweight/obese8,10 or newly diagnosed T2DM10 than in control subjects. Furthermore, a positive correlation between FSTL1 levels and body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2-hour postglucose load blood glucose (2h-BG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and HOMA-IR was observed. On the other hand, morbid and super obesity were potentially associated with a decline in plasma FSTL1 levels.12 In the intervention study, acute physical activity was found to significantly increase the circulating FSTL1 concentration in young, healthy participants.10,13

Together, FSTL1 is a potential mediator of adipogenesis, inflammation and IR. Prospective cohort studies are warranted to gain more evidence of the causality between FSTL1 and metabolic disorders. In addition, adenovirus mediated overexpression of FSTL1 or blocking its actions through neutralizing antibodies in animals will directly elucidate the role of FSTL1 in the pathogenesis.

Wingless-type inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1, also known as CCN4), a target gene of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway and a member of the CCN family of extracellular matrix proteins,14,15 has been confirmed as a proinflammatory adipokine in 2015.16 HFD-fed mice demonstrated upregulated WISP1 expression in epididymal adipose tissue.16 Knockdown of WISP1 in HFD-fed mice significantly attenuated hepatic steatosis and skeletal muscle IR via reversing inflammation-associated JNK phosphorylation. Treatment with WISP1 significantly increased lipogenesis-associated gene expression and TG accumulation in hepatocytes and suppressed insulin signaling in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells, which was abrogated after NFB-, JNK-, and TLR4-knockdown.17 In vitro studies on primary human skeletal muscle cells (hSkMCs) and murine AML12 hepatocytes also showed that recombinant WISP1 directly impaired insulin action by inhibiting the Akt signaling pathway.18 Meanwhile, WISP1 promoted endogenous and transplanted adult mice pancreatic cell proliferation depending on Akt signaling, exhibiting potential therapeutic use to prevent or delay the appearance of diabetes.19

WISP1 mRNA expression was elevated in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) rather than in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in human subjects, correlated positively with fasting insulin and negatively with insulin sensitivity. Reduction of WISP1 mRNA expression in SAT was observed after the weight loss with a low-calorie diet.16 Both mRNA expression in VAT and serum levels of WISP1 were increased in obese men.18 Patients with T2DM had higher levels of circulating WISP1, associated with central abdominal fat mass.20 A conflicting study reported no difference in WISP1 concentrations between individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and with T2DM but revealing the positive correlations between circulating WISP1 with BMI, body fat percentage, TG, hip circumference and fatty liver index.21

More prospective clinical studies would be valuable to establish the causal relationship of WISP1 on obesity and T2DM. Further cell or molecule studies are needed to precisely determine the role of this promising adipokine in the pathogenesis of diseases.

Asprosin, the C-terminal cleavage product of profibrillin, was found as a novel adipokine in patients with Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome (NPS) in 2016.22 It performs two critical fasting-related functions (hepatic glucose production and appetite stimulation) using the same cAMP second messenger system, although using different spatiotemporal mechanisms at two distinct organs. Upon secretion by white adipose, Asprosin travels to the liver, stimulating the release of glucose by binding to the OLFR734 receptor.22,23 It also crosses the blood-brain barrier to hypothalamus, where it stimulates appetite by activating orexigenic AgRP neurons and inhibiting anorexigenic POMC neurons.24 Animal experiments demonstrated that Asprosin could induce islet cell inflammation, dysfunction and apoptosis through TLR4/JNK-mediated signaling25 and promote cell apoptosis by inhibiting the autophagy of cell via AMPKmTOR pathway.26 The administration of Asprosin increased blood glucose level in healthy mice while there was no change in diabetic ones.27 On the other hand, intraperitoneal injection of Asprosin-specific monoclonal antibody could drop plasma Asprosin levels, lower appetite and body weight and reduce blood glucose in mouse models.22,28 Asprosin-neutralizing antibody is a kind of dual-effect pharmacologic therapy that targets at both overnutrition and hyperglycemia.

Decreased levels of plasma Asprosin have been observed in NPS patients associated with reduced appetite and extreme leanness22,24 and in anorexia patients,29 whereas pathological increase in circulating Asprosin is related to obesity30,31 and T2DM.3234 Asprosin is also expressed in human placenta and elevated in the plasma of pregnant women with gestational diabetes (GDM) and their offspring.35 The postprandial Asprosin level is apparently lower than the fasting in individuals with NGT, but not in T2DM patients. In another word, the alteration of meal-related circadian oscillation of Asprosin may be affected by T2DM.36,37 Clinical trials have explored the influences of diet, exercise, drugs and surgery on circulating Asprosin. A trial showed that rapid coffee consumption led to lower energy, fat intake and circulatory Asprosin. Rapid caffeine metabolizers were more likely to benefit from the consumption of more than two cups of coffee per day (15cpw) by reducing their BMI.38 An 8-week Nordic Walking training at maximal fat oxidation intensity decreased the concentration of Asprosin in the blood as well as visceral obesity in young women with metabolic disorders.39 Blood samples of 10 men and 10 women who performed a single 20-s bicycle sprint were collected before exercise, in the 3s, 15s, 30s, and 60s of recovery, and 24h after competition. Whereas the single anaerobic effort induced an increase in Asprosin secretion only in women.40 Metformin or SGLT2 inhibitors treatment could lower circulating Asprosin levels in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM.41,42 Blood Asprosin levels decreased significantly 6 months after bariatric surgery, and Asprosin concentrations before bariatric surgery were associated with the weight reduction magnitude.31

Despite advances in the understanding of Asprosins function, the reproducibility of some data produced in this field is waiting for proof. The secretion and action mechanism and the regulating factors are unclear.

In addition to the pro-inflammatory adipokines described above, adipose tissues also secrete a number of anti-inflammatory factors, which have shown beneficial effects on adiposity and insulin action.

Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5) is an anti-inflammatory adipokine discovered in 2010.43 Its expression was reduced in white adipose tissue of obese HFD mice. SFRP5-deficient mice fed with HFD exhibited elevated F4/80 and CD68, macrophage-mediated inflammation markers, in epididymal adipose tissue and impaired glucose clearance and insulin sensitivity compared with the wildtype mice, which was significantly improved after two weeks intravenous injection of SFRP5. In vitro, upregulation expression of SFRP5 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes prevented the inflammatory and insulin-resistant state by binding with Wnt5a and neutralizing JNK activation in macrophages and adipocytes via paracrine and autocrine mechanisms.43 However, a report provided contradictory findings that elevated hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance was observed by overexpressing SFRP5 in obese, prediabetic mice. Conversely, anti-SFRP5 monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy improved these phenotypes in vivo.44 In addition, SFRP5 was downregulated in pancreatic islets from obese rodents and humans, correlated with activated canonical Wnt signaling, promoting proliferation in primary islet cells and in the cell line INS1E. Its expression in cells could be positively modulated by IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) secreted from visceral adipose tissue.45

In human studies, individuals with obesity,4648 T2DM,4750 metabolic syndrome (Mets),51 or Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)47 generally exhibited lower SFRP5 levels in blood than normal controls. Circulating SFRP5 levels were positively associated with insulin sensitivity, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and adiponectin, but negatively with BMI, WHR, HbA1c, FBG, 2h-BG and HOMA-IR. Another study showed that increasing concentrations of SFRP5 were independently and significantly associated with T2DM.52 After treated with metformin53 for 3 months, serum SFRP5 of PCOS patients significantly increased than that before administration. 16 weeks treatment with liraglutide47 rose plasma SFRP5 levels and reduced HOMA-IR and BMI moderately, suggesting increases in insulin secretion and sensitivity and decreases in weight.

SFRP5 is an adipokine which acts as an inhibitor of Wnt signaling pathway. It has been suggested to exert anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing effects, however, contradictory data has also been reported. Prospective studies will improve our understanding of its functions in metabolism. Further exploration of the biological mechanisms may pave the way for SFRP5 to serve as a potential novel treatment option for obesity and T2DM.

Meteorin-Like (Metrnl/Subfatin) was identified as a novel adipokine in 2014, dramatically expressed in subcutaneous fat of both rodents and humans.54 It can be induced in muscle after exercise and adipose tissue upon cold exposure, and is present in the blood. Increasing circulating levels of Metrnl stimulated energy expenditure and the gene expression associated with anti-inflammatory cytokines and improved glucose tolerance in obese/diabetic mice.55 An intraperitoneal injection of recombinant Metrnl improved glucose tolerance in mice with HFD-induced obesity or T2DM via a Ca2+-CAMKK2-AMPK-HDAC5-GLUT4-p38-TBC1D1 signaling pathway.56 Metrnl could also ameliorate cell function by inhibiting apoptosis and promoting proliferation of it through activating the Wnt/-catenin pathway in T2DM mice.57 Global Metrnl knockout increased blood TG by 14% and decreased TC by 16% and HDL-C by 24%, reflecting Metrnl s beneficial aspect on the regulation of lipid metabolism.58

The clinical evidences regarding its circulating levels in obesity and T2DM are conflicting. Some studies showed less circulatory Metrnl levels in obese or T2DM patients compared with the control group,5962 correlated with higher FBG, 2h-BG, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a). Others demonstrated either an increase6365 or no significant change.66,67 Clinical trials have revealed that the weight loss via low calorie diet (LCD), combined training (CT) or bariatric surgery (BS) could rise Metrnl levels, in correlation to the improvement in glucose and lipid homeostasis. In LCD and BS patients, serum Metrnl concentrations significantly increased after 3 months, but returned to baseline after 12 months.68 Besides, another study reported remarkably enhanced circulatory Metrnl levels 12 months after BS.69 CT for 16 weeks increased brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenic activity as well as serum Metrnl levels.70 Metformin treatment did not increase the serum Metrnl levels after 12weeks.60

Although Metrnl has shown emerging effects in obesity, T2DM and dyslipidemia, there are conflicts in the clinical results. Besides, a myriad of work still needs to be done to explore its structure-function relationship and regulatory mechanism with various signaling pathways in related diseases.

Neuregulin-4 (NRG4), a member of the ErbB ligand family, was firstly described in 1999.71 Then it was identified as a previously unknown BAT-enriched secreted factor attenuating hepatic lipogenic signaling and preserving glucose and lipid homeostasis in obesity in 2014.72 NRG4-deficient mice upon HFD gained more body weight, higher plasma TG concentrations, pronounced hepatic steatosis and exacerbated glucose intolerance and insulin resistance compared with controls.72 Similarly, mice with ErbB4 deletion developed into Mets when fed with a medium-fat diet (MFD).73 On the contrary, transgenic expression of NRG4 resulted in the prevention of HFD-induced adiposity and fatty liver, and the improvement of insulin sensitivity.72,74,75 In vitro experiments, NRG4 gave a pronounced effect on insulin secretion in the rat insulinoma cell line.76 The promotion of adipocyte browning by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was accompanied by an elevation of NRG4 expression via the PPARG pathway. NRG4 directly prevented lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells.77 Collectively, these findings provided the evidence in support of the potential health benefits of NRG4 in managing obesity and obesity-associated diseases. On the other hand, NRG4 knockdown in liver attenuated hepatic gluconeogenesis via suppressing PEPCK, G6Pase and PGC-1 expression in diabetic mice, reminding that NRG4 specific-silencing in liver will provide a potential therapeutic strategy for T2DM.78

Several observational studies have showed that circulating NRG4 concentrations were inversely associated with the risk of obesity,79 T2DM72,80 or Mets.81,82 Subjects with lower NRG4 levels had higher FBG, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, TC, TG, and hs-CRP. Controversially, other researchers found that serum NRG4 level was elevated in T2DM.8385 Serum NRG4 increased significantly in response to a 3-week -3 polyunsaturated fatty acids dietary protocol.86 Plasma levels of NRG4 were improved in three training protocols: high-intensity interval training (HIIT), circuit resistance training (CRT), and moderate intensity continuous training (MICT) compared with the control group. What is more, the increase was greater in HIIT and CRT compared with the MICT.87 After 24 weeks, metformin therapy resulted in a significant increase of NRG4 levels compared with the baseline and the placebo group.88

The phenotype of mice with either a gain or loss of NRG4 function suggestthat reduced NRG4 may be causally linked to obesity-related impaired glucose metabolism. Prospective cohort studies are warranted to gain more evidence in humans. In addition, the exact mechanisms of how NRG4 exerts these beneficial effects are not entirely clear.

In 2004, a small secretory protein family was found in humans and mice, which is composed of five highly homologous genes, called TAFA1-5. TAFA mRNAs are highly expressed in specific brain regions, but rarely in other tissues.89 In 2018, researchers found that family with sequence similarity 19 member A5 (FAM19A5/TAFA5) was a new type of protective factor, highly expressed in human and mouse adipose tissue. It significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells and the proliferation of carotid intima after balloon injury via the binding receptor S1PR2 in mice. HFD could induce the downregulation of FAM19A5 expression in adipose tissue.90

Plasma FAM19A5 in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver was significantly lower than that in the control group, and there was a significant negative correlation between FAM19A5 and BMI, visceral fat, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, liver hardness and carotid intima-media thickness.91 The latest research showed that serum FAM19A5 levels were apparently decreased in the obese children compared with healthy controls. Negative correlations were detected between FAM19A5 and BMI as well as FBG and fasting insulin.92 Inversely, it was found that serum FAM19A5 concentrations in T2DM patients were higher than that in non-diabetic subjects, and positively correlated with WC, WHR, FBG and HbA1c.93

What we can see is that FAM19A5 is so novel that there are few researches about it. Whether and how FAM19A5 participates in obesity, IR and T2DM are waiting for our attention in the future.

Taken together, adipokines act as the promising candidates which have been shown to possess properties of mediating glycolipid metabolism. Generally, overexpression of pro-inflammatory adipokines or lack of anti-inflammatory adipokines in rodent experiments are causally linked to the occurrence and development of obesity and T2DM. The pro-inflammatory adipokines increase whereas the anti-inflammatory adipokines decrease in obese rodents and humans, associated with corresponding metabolic indicators of adiposity and T2DM. It is worth discussing that, as previously reviewed,94 adipokines, such as, IFN- and IL-10, can be raised in T2D patients, but not generally favor pro-inflammation. The impaired Th1/Th2 ratios were implicated with a delicate balance existing within diverse metabolic conditions. Consistent with this view, our review provides controversial human studies about the four anti-inflammatory adipokines, proving that their circulating levels are abnormally elevated in patients with T2DM. Based on this point, maybe we should pay more attention to the relationship between the balance of multiple adipokines and metabolic diseases in the future, rather than just focusing on one factor. There is still a lot waiting to be explored. For example, some contradictory data need to be corroborated in large sample sizes. Clinical cohort studies to demonstrate the causal relationship between adipokines and metabolic diseases are required to carry out. Few preclinical studies about the pathophysiological molecular mechanisms by which adipokines act have been conducted. There will be a long way to go before adipokines can be put into clinical trials and applied in humans.

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

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Slimvance Reviews – Does This Fat Burner Really Work? – Outlook India

August 11th, 2022 1:55 am

Have you seen all the glossy slimvance reviews? We did too. So we decided to decipher how this hyped fat burner really works,

We recently bumped into some Slimvance reviews that call it the next best thing in fat burners. We were intrigued because almost every day, a new fat burner comes along and promises to help you lose body weight without having to diet or exercise.

It's time we started to take an objective look at it without getting swayed by fancy marketing claims, isn't it?

Slimvance, on the face of it, looks like a promising product. After all, it is from a well-known company, Bodydynamix, and comes an aggressive marketing team behind it. There are Slimvance reviews all over the internet, some of which look too glossy.

They are also on social media. Facebook seems to be one of their preferred playgrounds.

The question is whether you should believe the hype and give this fat burner a try or not. Is Slimvance really as effective as it claims to be? We take an in-depth look at it in this Slimvance review.

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What is Slimvance?

Slimvance is a range of fat burners from Bodydynamix that's aimed to fill the void in the industry forno-stimulant weight loss supplements. And it's a large one too.

After all, almost all fat burners have some form of stimulant in them. Caffeine is the most common one but there are others like synephrine and yohimbine as well.

While these can work for athletes and seasoned fitness buffs, the average joe looking to lose a few pounds before an upcoming holiday may find it too hot to handle with the constant jitters and tremors.

Slimvance does away with all of these and instead relies on three natural ingredients for its fat-burning properties - Slimvance Core Slimming Complex. We will talk more about this in the ingredients.

But when you log on to the official website, you are greeted with a claim that Slimvance can help you lose up to 6-times more weight than what you can do with a healthy diet and exercise.

Now that's a claim we have seen before and it's one that we tend to treat with a lot of skepticism. But if Bodydynamix can back this up with some solid evidence, Slimvance could very well be the next best thing in fat burners - stimulant-free or otherwise.

Of course, the onus is on us to find out if that's the case. So without further ado, let's take an in-depth look at this fat burner starting with the claims.

What are the different products in the Slimvance range?

The Slimvance range comprises four products.

Bodydynamix Slimvance XP - Bodydynamics Slimvance XP is the flagship product in the range and claims to help you lower your BMI in just four weeks. It's supposed to be athermogenic fat burner. Hence they call it the Metabolism Igniter.

Bodydynamix Slimvance Core Slimming Complex - As implied by the name, this is their fat burner that supposedly targets the core area or belly fat. They claim that you can achieve transformational weight loss in 16 weeks with this.

Bodydynamix core slimming complex stick packs - This is the same as the above-mentioned fat burner but in a convenient stick pack.

How does Slimvance work? Claims

Slimvance makes some tall claims about its weight loss benefits for what it brings to the table. We are not new to exaggerated claims from the health and wellness industry. So we take all these with a grain of salt.

6-Times more body weight

The first claim is that it can help you lose up to 6-times more weight than just diet and exercise. That's a huge claim. We would have been impressed if it was double or even triple the amount. But six times?

To run some math, if you cut7500 caloriesfrom your diet a week, you lose 1 lb of fat in healthy weight loss. Do they mean that they can increase this to 6 lbs. a week? Even if you calculate the total fat mass you lose over a 6-12 month period, you can notice instantly why Slimvance seems inflated.

Burning belly fat and waist fat

We all have our problem areas that seem to cling to body fat no matter what we do. For most of us, it's the stubborn belly and waist fat.

Slimvance claims that it can help you target these problem areas and lose more body fat than dieting and exercising alone. It does this by supposedly activating your body's natural ability to burn fat which can stem fat tissue growth.

Again, we cannot help but be skeptical about these claims. But we will put that aside for now and what else they claim.

Lowering BMI in four weeks

One of the claims made by Bodydynamix for Slimvance XP is that it can help you lower your BMI in four weeks. This is the flagship product in their range and claims to be a thermogenic fat burner.

A reduction in BMI is a broad phrase and can simply imply a reduction in weight. But we are not sure if that's what they mean here.

If they do mean a reduction in weight, the question is how much? Even a drop of 1-2 BMI points is considered significant for asupplement that can promote weight loss. So it will be interesting to see what the ingredients are.

Slimvance ingredients

As we mentioned earlier, Slimvance uses a 3-ingredient formula for its fat-burning properties - Core Slimming Complex.

This includes:

Turmeric

Turmeric, also called the Golden spice has been used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. It is a powerful antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties.

There is some evidence to show that it can help with weight loss. A study done on rats showed that those given curcuminoids (found in turmeric) were able to lose more weight than the control group.

However, the study was done on rats and the sample size was small. So we need more research to say for certain if turmeric can help with weight loss in humans. As of now, it can be a beneficial ingredient. But with inconclusive research, we cannot vouch for it.

Moringa

Moringa Olifera or simply Moringa is a tree that is native to India. It is also known as the Drumstick tree. Every part of the tree - leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds - can be used for medicinal purposes.

It has been traditionally used to treat various ailments like anemia, diarrhea, and indigestion. It is considered to be one of the most nutritious natural foods in the world.

Moringa leaves are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It also has a high protein content. Studies have shown that it can help reduce inflammation and boost immunity.

There is some evidence to show that Moringa can help with weight loss as well. But it's clearly not enough to make any significant claims.

Curry Leaves

Curry Leaves or Murraya Koenigii is a plant that is native to India. It is commonly used as an ingredient in Indian curries.

Curry leaves are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They have traditionally been used for their medicinal properties.

Curry leaves are known toboost metabolismand aid in digestion. They are also thought to help regulate blood sugar levels. But considering that this is one of the three primary ingredients that's intended to help you lose weight, the research is lacking.

A study done on rats showed that curry leaves can help reduce weight gain and improve insulin sensitivity. But the sample size was small and more research is needed to confirm these findings in humans.

Does Slimvance work?

Based on our detailed Slimvance review, we do not think that Slimvance will help you lose a significant amount of weight.

The ingredients are not strong enough on their own to make any claims about weight loss. And the research that has been done is mostly inconclusive to back up these claims.

Here are our thoughts.

Slimvance uses a proprietary blend

The biggest issue we have with Slimvance is that it uses a proprietary blend. This means that the exact amount of each ingredient is not disclosed.

All we know is that the Core Slimming Complex contains 450 mg of the three ingredients, which is not enough to make any significant impact.

Proprietary blends are often used to hide the ineffective or low doses of ingredients. So we would have liked to see more transparency from the company.

The research is inconclusive

As we mentioned earlier, the majority of the research that has been done on the Slimvance ingredients is either inconclusive or done on animals.

There is some evidence to show that Moringa and Curry leaves can help with weight loss. But the sample sizes are small and more research is needed to confirm these findings in humans.

As for Turmeric, there is not enough evidence to show that it can help with weight loss in humans, on its own. Maybe if it was blended with caffeine and other potent ingredients, it could have a more significant impact on your weight loss journey.

Slimvance is not a very strong

We are all for low stimulant fat burners. But the three primary ingredients in Slimvance are not very strong on their own. And considering that they are only present in small doses, we do not think that Slimvance will help you lose weight.

Slimvance Cost

Slimvance's range is priced at approximately $59.99 for a 1-month supply.

This puts it on the higher end of the spectrum, considering that it's not very strong and there are other fat burners on the market that are more effective, contain clinically proven ingredients and cost almost the same or even less.

Slimvance Reviews - Our thoughts

All in all, we do not think that Slimvance is an effective weight loss supplement. The ingredients are not strong enough on their own to make any claims about weight loss. And the research that has been done is mostly inconclusive to back up these claims.

So, if you're looking for a fat burner that can help you lose weight sustainably, we can recommend three top options instead.

#1 - Leanbean - No Stimulant Weight loss supplement

You do not need copious amounts of stimulants for body weight loss andLeanbeanis the prime example of that. It is a natural weight loss supplement that works great for women.

The thermogenic effects are very mild, but it does not cause any jitters or tremors, which is the case with many other non-stimulant fat burners. In fact, Leanbean works primarily by helping you control calories.

Why Leanbean is better than Slimvance

Every popular weight loss supplement talks about burning more calories. But what about the number of calories that you consume in the first place? If you are not able to control your calorie intake, then all the fat burning in the world will not help.

This is where Leanbean shines.

Curb calories without stress

Leanbean contains Glucomannan, which is adietary fiberthat swells in your stomach and makes you feel full. This means that you will not be reaching out for unhealthy snacks between meals. In other words, it reduces stress eating.

There'schromium too, which is a mineral that helps to regulate blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are balanced, you will not have cravings for sugary snacks.

Breaks down stored fat

If your diet in the past has been sketchy, then Leanbean has Choline, which is an essential nutrient for fat metabolism. So, not only does it help you control calories, but it also helps you break down stored body fat.

Leanbean is very popular with fitness models and athletes because it gets the job done without using any stimulants. This makes it ideal for people who are sensitive to caffeine or have a heart condition.

Stay energetic even with fewer calories

Leanbean's final ingredient is Vitamin B6, which is essential for energy production. So, even if you are taking in fewer calories, you will not feel fatigued during the day.

This makes it easier to hit the gym and stay active, both of which are critical for sustainable weight loss.

Leanbean Cost

Here's what's surprising. Despite having such high-quality ingredients and being so popular, Leanbean is very affordable.

A month's supply will cost you only $59.99. So, it is the same price as Slimvance. But it's clearly a lot more effective. You can buy a three month pack and get the fourth month's supply for free.

Click here for the Lowest Price on Leanbean

Conclusion - Is Leanbean Effective?

Leanbean is our top recommendation for a non-stimulant weight loss supplement because it helps you control calories without using any stimulants. It is also very popular and very affordable.

If you are looking for an alternative to Slimvance, then Leanbean is the way to go.

#2 - PhenQ - The all-in-one weight loss solution

PhenQis a weight loss supplement that takes a different approach from most other products. It is not just a thermogenic or a fat burner. It is an all-in-one solution that helps you with every aspect of weight loss.

The reason PhenQ is so popular is because it works on multiple fronts to help you lose weight.

Why PhenQ is better than Slimvance

You cannot rely on one working mechanism to help you with weight loss. Weight loss is a complex process and each one of us faces unique challenges. That's why PhenQ has been designed to tick off the most common boxes.

See the original post here:
Slimvance Reviews - Does This Fat Burner Really Work? - Outlook India

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Occlusion of a Vortex Vein After Treatment With Half-Fluence Photodynamic Therapy Combined With Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection for Pachychoroid…

August 11th, 2022 1:54 am

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment option for pachychoroid diseases such as central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV),polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), and peripapillary pachychoroid syndrome (PPS). On the other hand, morphological changes of choroidal vessels in the irradiated field after PDT have also been discussed, with occlusion of choriocapillaris and stenosis of choroidal middle and large vessels being reported. Here, we report a case of vortex vein occlusion after half-fluence PDT (HF-PDT) combined with an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agent for PNV. In this case, HF-PDT achieved complete occlusion of PNV; in addition, a vortex vein that flowed in PNV but was located outside the PDT irradiation field was fully occluded three months post-treatment. At the occluded site of the vortex vein, indocyanine green video angiography revealed pulsation downstream of the vortex vein. Such occlusion of a largevessel by HF-PDT has not been reported previously. Occlusion could be induced by two factors: the potentiality of PDT and risk factors for thromboembolism, such as older age, smoking, and arrhythmia. Further studies are required to determine the mechanisms of these large vessel occlusions.

Pachychoroid disease is a disease concept that describes a phenotype characterized by an attenuation of the choriocapillaris overlying dilated choroidal veinsand is associated with retinal pigment epithelial dysfunction and neovascularization [1]. Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), pachychoroid pigment epitheliopathy (PPE), pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV), polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), focal choroidal excavation (FCE), and peripapillary pachychoroid syndrome (PPS) reside within the pachychoroid disease spectrum [1].

PNV is characterized by type 1 macular neovascularization (MNV) in eyes with pachychoroid features. To distinguish PNV from neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), the current diagnostic criteria for PNV can be summarized as (1) the presence of pachychoroid features and (2) the absence of drusen [2].

Currently, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy is the gold standard for nAMD, and its efficacy for PNV has been reported [3-5]. However, more extensive injections of anti-VEGF compared to PCV may be required to treat PNV. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is one of the treatment options for not only CSCbut also nAMD; PDT therapy can regress MNV and reduce vascular permeability of the choriocapillaris and choroidal thickness, which can contribute to the absorption of retinal fluid [6]. PDT combined with anti-VEGF agents appears to be a more potent tool for PCV treatment. The endovascular valve edge-to-edge repair study (EVEREST) II trial [7] revealed that the combination therapy of PDT and ranibizumab for PCV was superior to ranibizumab alone with respect to improvement of visual acuity and frequencies of polyp-regression. Recently, half-fluence PDT (HF-PDT) combined with anti-VEGF agents was also applied to patients with PNV to stabilize MNV and the choroid [8].

After PDT treatment, a circumscribed occlusion of the choriocapillaris was identified in the area where PDT was exposed using indocyanine green angiography (IA) [9]. In this study, eyes were surgically removed seven days after PDT, and a histological study of the PDT exposedarea also revealed an occluded choriocapillaris filled with emboli, which was accompanied by deformed erythrocytes, degranulated platelets, and fibrin. These results suggest that the essential effect of PDT is the clogging of capillary vessels in the choroid.

In this case presentation, we present an unusual case in which a large vortex vein was occluded after HF-PDT with aflibercept intravitreal injection in a patient with PNV.

An 89-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of impaired vision in the right eye. He had a medical history of arrhythmia (not medicated)and benign prostatic hyperplasia. His smoking history was 12 cigarettes per day for 30 years (from the age of 20 to 50 years). Best-corrected visual acuity was 20/32 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed serous retinal detachment accompanied by flat retinal pigment epithelial detachment in the right macula, in addition to a thickened choroid-associated dilatation of outer choroidal vessels in the same eye (Figure1B). OCT angiography (OCTA) revealed choroidal neovascularization beneath the pigment epithelial detachment (Figure 1C). IA also identified choroidal neovascularization in the same area as OCTA, and dilated vortex veins adjacent to the CNV were detected (Figure 1D). Choroidal vascular hyperpermeability was observed in the late stage of IA. We diagnosed PNV and performed reduced fluence PDT (RF-PDT) with intravitreal aflibercept injection. Three months after treatment, the serous retinal detachment disappeared, and choroidal thickening decreased (Figure2A). The CNV was successfully regressed and reduced in both IA and OCTA. IA was used to detect a circumscribed hypofluorescent area where HF-PDT was applied (Figure 2B, 2C).

Three months post-treatment, IA also revealed occlusion of a vortex vein that branched in the inferior posterior region, outside the irradiated area (Figure 3A, 3B). A complete interruption in the vortex vein was observed without a downstream flow of the vessel in a movie of the IA (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) (Video1). Interestingly, pulsation of the vortex vein at this portion was also detected, and the blood seemed to stream inversely when compared to the bloodstream at the initial visit. Fourteen months post-treatment, the IA movie revealed complete occlusion of the vortex vein, with no recanalization and no pulsation (Figure3C).

Fortunately, no recurrence of MNV developed, the patient did not complain of any changes in vision during the follow-up period, and his final visual acuity remained unchanged at 20/32.

This case suggests that PDT can cause not only clotting of capillary vesselsbut also occlusion of large choroidal vessels.

Vascular occlusion at the level of the choroidal capillary plate after PDT has been reported previously [9,10]; however, occlusion of large vessels, as observed in this study, has not been reported before.

Previous studies have identified that verteporfin is essentially taken up by abnormal neovascularization, leading to selective cytotoxicity of vascular endothelial cells through the production of oxidative radicals. This reactivity can cause regression of neovascularization and resolution of the leakage from the neovascular membrane [11-13].

On the other hand, PDT also affected normal choroidal vessels, specifically both normal choriocapillaris and middle and large choroidal vessels [10,14,15]. As mentioned in the introduction, the circumscribed hypofluorescent area where the PDT had been exposed was detected in IA after PDT treatment, and the area contained both normal and abnormal choroidal vessels [9]. OCT image analysis revealed thinning of the choroid after PDT treatment [16], and the vascular density in both the choriocapillaris and the middle layer of the choroid significantly decreased after the treatment. Moreover, the maximum vessel diameter in the outer choroidal layer in the area exposed to PDT was significantly reduced but not occluded [9]. In this case, occlusion of the large vortex vein outside the irradiated area could have been induced by three factors: the potentiality of PDT, the existenceofa vessel branch traversing the irradiated area, which could have caused thromboembolism to the distal part,and risk factors for thromboembolism, such as older age, smoking, and arrhythmia [17].

On the other hand, indocyanine green angiography in the early phase showed hyperfluorescent plaque overlying a large caliber choroidal vessel in Figure1D, which possibly corresponded toan anastomotic vessel connecting the upper and lower vortex veins [18].In this case, the superior and inferior vortex veins were asymmetric. They seemed to be connected by anastomosis at the horizontal watershed zone. The superior vortex vein had a larger diameter, and the inferior vortex vein had a thinnerdiameter. Thus, thesuperior vortex vein should be responsiblefor compensatoryvenous flow before treatment. After treatment, blood flow seemed to return upward in a V-shape due to the trunk occlusion. The trunk of the inferior vortex vein couldbe no longer needed and considered to have been occluded by disuse.

With the detection of the occlusive vortex vein, a pulsation was detected downstream of the occlusive portion in the IA. Pulsation of the retinal artery was previously reported in cases with central retinal vein occlusion, and the authors concluded that pulsation meant a delay in the retinal bloodstream. In pachychoroid spectrum diseases, pulsation in the choroidal large vasculature has also been detected in treatment-nave cases [19]. These results suggest that choroidal overload might be associated with the disturbance of choroidal circulation. In this case, the backflow of the vortex vein downstream of the occlusive portion may have led to turbulent flow in this area.

To the best of our knowledge, we report a first case in which a vortex vein located outside the irradiated area was occluded after HF-PDT combined with intravitreal aflibercept. At the occluded site of the vortex vein, indocyanine green video angiography revealed pulsation downstream of the vortex vein. Pulsation on IA can be used as a biomarker to suggest an overload of choroidal circulation.

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Occlusion of a Vortex Vein After Treatment With Half-Fluence Photodynamic Therapy Combined With Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection for Pachychoroid...

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Teen declared blind regains sights with free advanced treatment in Bengaluru – The Hindu

August 11th, 2022 1:54 am

A 16-year-old boy hailing from Kalaburagi, who was declared blind and was provided a blind certificate, has now got the gift of vision through a free advanced surgery and treatment at a private hospital in Bengaluru.

The boy, Ganesh (name changed), had been complaining ofprogressive worsening of vision in both eyes since he was aged three. However, owing to financial constraints, his family could not get him timely treatment.

He came to Sankara Eye Hospital in the city through the hospitals Gift of Vision initiative. On examination, the boy was diagnosed with severe retinal detachment complications with numerous retinal angiomas and associated scarring, specific for a condition known as Von-Hippel Lindau disease (VHL).

VHL is a hereditary condition associated with tumours arising in multiple organs mainly in the brain, spinal cord and retina. This genetic disorder has a high risk of getting transmitted to the children. Following a detailed discussion with the family members, doctors learnt that theboys grandmother was the only surviving member of the family. The boys parents and two siblings had succumbed to the disease a few years back. VHL as a disease can be catastrophic not only to the patient but also to the entire family.

After having made the diagnosis, a team of doctors under the supervision ofMahesh Shanmugam, Head Ocular Oncology and Vitreoretinal diseases, atthe hospital successfully performed the surgery free of cost. Through the surgery, the doctors fixed the complicated retinal detachment and also treated the multiple tumours with laser therapy to prevent them from causing any further damage to the eye. The boy was able to see within two weeks after the surgery and is now leading a near normal life.

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Teen declared blind regains sights with free advanced treatment in Bengaluru - The Hindu

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Trabeculectomy: Does It Have a Future? – Cureus

August 11th, 2022 1:54 am

In this new eraof the renaissance ofnon-penetrating glaucoma surgeries, newer implants, and shunt procedures, the role of trabeculectomy (TRAB) as the gold standard of glaucoma procedures is ambivalent. Even though many practitioners claim that TRAB will not survive in the near future, it still remains the first choice for most glaucoma surgeons. in cases with advanced damage, rapid progression despite maximal medical therapy, and in patients where the target intraocular pressure (IOP) required is very low. 'Trabeculectomy' procedure reported by Cairns in 1968 has undergone various modifications to increase outflow and achieve long-term success [1]. But the main issues with TRAB include short and long-term complications like hypotony, hypotonic maculopathy, wipe-out phenomenon, bleb leaks, cataracts, choroidal effusion, and hemorrhage [2]. These complications are accelerated with the concomitant use of anti-fibrotic, but without them, the chances of short-term failure are also relatively high [3,4].The advent of novel minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS) and non-penetrating surgeries (NPGS) have paved the path for lesser complicated yet effective ways of controlling IOP [5-8]. This review article summarizes the evolution and modifications of TRAB and its comparison of efficacy with neoteric shunt procedures while trying to answer whether TRAB has a future in the modern surgical world.

Glaucoma surgery now encompasses a variety of surgeries apart from conventional trabeculectomy (Figure 1).

Trabeculectomy underwent significant changes from an initial sclerotomy toan anterior sclerotomy, latera sclerectoiridectomy in 1906 orlimbal trephination andiridencleisis to provide a permanent fistula by using iris as a wick between the anterior chamber and the subconjunctival space [2]. This was modifiedwith a peripheral iridectomy and thermal sclerostomy (1958), or posterior lip sclerectomybefore guarded filtration surgeries were introduced to offset the catastrophic complications with full-thickness procedures[2,8,9].

Cairns JE initially described trabeculectomy in 1968 [1] that was later modified by Watson in 1970 [10,11]. Over the years, it has undergone modifications and supplementations to improve long-term success and reduce complications. Cairns described TRAB as a bypass procedure of making a deep scleral flap with excision of a small segment of the canal of Schlemm with trabecular tissue, Removal of the trabecular barrier at that point thus allowed an alternative resistance-free pathway. Few clinicians consider the namea misnomer, as cutting mainly the Schlemm's canal and adjoining corneal tissue will also serve the purpose, and clearing the trabecular tissue alone is not mandatory [11].But the initial procedure was associated with complications of a full-thickness procedure and had high rates of failure [3,4,10-12].

Early trabeculectomy filtering procedures were associated with a high rate of complications like hypotony, hypotonic maculopathy, choroidal detachment, suprachoroidal hemorrhage, bleb-related infections, and endophthalmitis [12-18]. Early cases of bleb leaks, shallow anterior chamber, and hypotony can be resolved with the use of large bandage contact lenses, pressure patching, symblepharon rings, and the Simmons shell. However, a flat anterior chamber with lens-corneal touch requires immediate surgical intervention to prevent rapid cataract development and irreversible corneal endothelial damage [12-14]. Initial studies have reported hypotony and choroidal detachment as late as 2-26 months following primary uncomplicated surgery that warrants a repeat surgery [14,15]. These complications forced surgeons to search for newer surgeries or ways to increase the safety profile while not compromising on the surgical success of trabeculectomy.

Watson and Barnett later modified this procedure by making a 5 x 5 mm partial-thickness flap and making a corneoscleral window for the passage of aqueous humor [10]. The original TRAB technique described by Cairns never intended to make a drainage bleb, but later it was observed that cases with good bleb had a higher success rate. It was then that the focus shifted to considering TRAB as a filtration surgery, and more attention was focused on the surgical techniques, which facilitated the creation of diffuse drainage blebs [16-18]. In the late 1960s, in order to create a track between the subconjunctival space and the anterior chamber, various methods of ab-interno and ab-externo approaches were tried using pulsed Nd: YAG laser, carbon dioxide laser, and excimer laser [16-19]. However, higher failure rates with laser surgeries make TRAB the standard procedure of choice for ensuring long-term success [19]. Newer procedures with comparable IOP outcomes are still evolving and are yet to replace TRAB as the gold standard for preservation of visual function in early-moderate glaucoma and more so for advanced stages of glaucoma, where TRAB still remains the surgery of choice.

Antifibrotics to the Rescue

Increased use of anti-fibrotic agents like mitomycin C (MMC) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) along with TRAB started in the early 1990s to enhance the success rate, long-term survival rate, and decrease the progression of glaucoma [15,19-26]. In recent years, the use of MMC has significantly increased, while that of 5-FU has declined as a preferred practice pattern for primary TRAB [19-22]. A United Kingdom surveyrecently reported the use of anti-fibrotic agents in primary TRAB in 93% of their cases, of which63% used 5-FU and 97% used MMC[20]. Various doses and duration of MMC use have been tried to offset delayed complications like bleb thinning, bleb leaks, or endophthalmitis. The American Glaucoma Society survey in 2016, claimed the dosage of MMC as 0.4 mg/mL (ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 mg/mL) applied for 2 minutes (range 45s-3 minutes) for primary TRAB, as the most popular and safer method[20]. Considering the role of angiogenesis in TRAB failure by wound modulation, the use of anti-VEGF agents is being tried in place of antifibrotics in TRAB. Liu et al. [21] reviewed eight randomized control trials (RCT) on TRAB with bevacizumab and concluded that bevacizumab and MMC had similar efficacy in IOP reduction. However, bevacizumab has been associated with a higher risk of leaking bleb and encystation, withother major issues being cost-effectiveness and off-label use [22]. The most recent RCT on intracameral bevacizumab in TRAB showed comparable surgical efficacy and IOP reduction to MMC, but with an increased rate of bleb leaks [23]. Recently the use of Ologen collagen matrix has been found to effectively modulate fibrous tissue formation thus decreasing the chances of failure[24,25]. Few surgeons have also tried using a combination of Ologen and MMC, with encouraging results [25]. A five-year follow-up study comparing Ologen to MMC also showed comparable results in both efficacy and safety between the two groups [26]. However, the cost of the Ologen implant is a major limiting factor for developing countries.

How Trabeculectomy Lost the Battle

Though TRAB success rates improved with the use of antifibrotics, the rates of delayed complication rates also increased parallelly, which again questioned the efficacy of TRAB as a standard glaucoma filtering surgery [15-18,27-30]. Belyea et al. studied 385 eyes that underwent TRAB with antifibrotics (MMC and 5-FU) and found an incidence of late repetitive multifocal bleb leaks in 1.8% of the eyes [15]. The incidence was equal among the two antifibrotics according to their study. The median period of the presentation was 20 months post-surgery.Singh et al. [27] studied the complications associated with the use of 0.2 mg/ml of MMC in TRAB and reported late bleb leaks, scleral necrosis, and hypotonic maculopathy as the major complications. It is now understood that their use results in the formation of thin and avascular blebs even in the delayed postoperative period, paving way for the easier migration of pathogens across the bleb and increased chance of delayed-onset endophthalmitis and blebitis. Incidence of bleb relation infection with MMC TRAB procedures reduced from 5.7% to 1.2% after the 1990s, after the introduction of MMC into clinical practice [28]. A recent study by Vaziri et al. [29] reported the incidence of endophthalmitis post trabeculectomy to be 0.45 0.2% for confirmed cases and 1.3 0.34% for confirmed plus presumed cases. The most common microbiological flora isolated from eyes with bleb-related infections includes Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Corynebacterium, and Haemophilus influenza [30].

Safe TRABRe-emergence and Renewal

Since there was an increasing understanding of the causes of MMC-related bleb complications, safer techniques were now sought to prevent these delayed complications [15,18,30-31]. Khaw et al. [31]. designed a range of strategies commonly known as Moorfield's safe surgery techniques to improve the control of IOP as well as to preserve visual acuity by minimizing bleb-related complications and hypotony. Three major objectives in the adoption of the technique include:1) prevention of hypotony; 2) prevention of thin uncomfortable cystic blebs and 3) prevention of limbal leaks of aqueous. Various steps adopted to prevent hypotony include a fornix-based conjunctival flap, making a small sclerotomy punch, continuous intraoperative anterior chamber infusion to achieve optimal pressure titration and to prevent hypotony, posterior placement of the MMC loaded sponges ensuring posterior flow, avoidance of >3minutes of MMC application at any single time, and a thorough wash of the area after each application. To prevent cystic uncomfortable blebs, selection of a superior location under the eyelid, larger area of treatment, fornix-based flap to minimize posterior scarring, and posterior diversion of aqueous by altering scleral flap construction, are some useful measures for safer TRAB with lower complication rates. Adopting a corneal groove-closure technique also helps in preventing limbal leaks of aqueous. Adoption of these techniques reduced the delayed complication rates associated with MMC use and this ushered in a resurgence of TRAB in glaucoma until the advent of technologically assisted filtering procedures [31].

Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)

Those procedures wherein the trabecular meshwork (TM) is incised /excised under direct supervision using specialized instruments are called ab-Interno or microinvasive glaucoma surgery [32-38]. These include the usage of trabectome, kahook dual blade, microhook ab-interno trabeculectomy, gonioscopy assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT, Figure 2A), ab-interno goniotomy (Figure 2B), and ab-interno trabeculotomy 360 degrees. These are usually not associated with a bleb, require smaller incisions of entry, and are therefore not associated with bleb-related complications (Figures 1-2).A meta-analysis found the success rate of trabectome alone to be 46%, and when combined with phacoemulsification to increase to 85%, both achieving >30% IOP reduction [32]. With gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT), results have shown an IOP decrease of approximately 7.7 mmHg and 11.1 mmHg at 6 and 12 months, respectively. The number of anti-glaucoma medications (AGMs) reduced by 0.9 and 1.1 on average at 6 and 12 months [33].Similarly, trabeculotomy 360 procedures performed on patients with refractory primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) reported a 20% IOP reduction in 59% of patients, with the average number of anti-glaucoma medications dropping from 1.7 1.3 to 1.1 1.0 medications [34]. However, this had a 25% failure rate, with the majority requiring a second procedure within 12 months. Another study comparing ab-interno trabeculectomy with trabectome with ab-externo trabeculectomy found a lower success rate (22.4% Vs 76.1%), with 43.5 % requiring a second procedure for effective IOP control [35]. Even now, these procedures are used for moderate to early glaucoma, while TRAB remains the time-tested surgery for advanced glaucoma. Further, none of these procedures have been reported to offer long-term preservation of visual function better than TRAB or to be cost-effective for the patient in developing countries.

Non-penetrating glaucoma surgeries (NPGS)

Metanalysis comparing TRAB and non-penetrating glaucoma surgeries (NPGS) has concluded that TRAB results in much better control of IOP than NPGS [28-32].Though the complications rates with TRAB are higher, it is preferablein cases with advanced chronic glaucoma and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, where NPGS offers a lower success rate[32]. In 1964, Krasnov published his first report on a novel technique called "sinusotomy," which consisted of removing a lamellar band of the scleraand opening the Schlemm's canal over 120 [36]. He believed that the aqueous outflow resistance was mainly at the level of scleral aqueous drainage veins and not in the trabecular meshwork. Hence, no superficial scleral flap covered the sclerectomy in this technique. However, the sinusotomy procedure was eventually abandoned due to the difficult learning curve and less reduction in IOP compared with TRAB.

In 1989, Fyodorov and Kozlov described another technique called deep sclerectomy. In this procedure, careful scraping of the Schlemm's canal bed is done to remove a homogenous "external trabecular membrane" that allows aqueous humor to exit through the remaining inner trabecular layers [37]. Later in 1999, Stegmann et al. [38] reported 'viscocanalostomy' where a high molecular weight viscoelastic substance is injected into the opening of Schlemm's canal to enlarge the canal. This procedure allows the aqueous to bypass the juxtacanalicular trabecular meshwork and also drains the aqueous from the exposed Descemet's window. These surgeries were designed as a safer alternative to reduce complications of a full penetrating procedure while allowing filtration through the Schlemm's canal.

Micro-invasive glaucomaimplants, targeting the conventional outflow pathway, have emerged in the field of glaucoma over the last two decades to address an unmet need for better therapeutic options [32-45]. Various approaches have been adopted by these procedures to bring down the IOP by directly bypassing the trabecular meshwork, dilating the Schlemm's canal, and enhancing the uveoscleral outflow by assessing the suprachoroidal space and decreasing the aqueous production by ablating the ciliary body. One study reported a mean reduction of 7.0 4.0 mmHg withI-stent combined with phacoemulsification versusa mean IOP reduction of 5.4 3.7 mmHg with phacoemulsification alone, with 84% of the former eyes being medication free [39]. Another trialevaluated the safety and efficacy of CyPass stunt (ab-interno-supraciliary space shunt) and reported a higher reduction of IOP (77% vs 66%) in eyes that underwent stent implantation along with cataract surgery. Furthermore, 85% of eyes in the CyPass group were medication-free at two years [40]. However, the device was later withdrawn due to certain safety concerns over follow-up [41]. Gabbay and Ruben did a retrospective analysis on the safety of CyPass stents and reported few other adverse effects over a short follow-up like postoperative pressure sikes (28%), hyphema, vitreous hemorrhage, choroidal effusion, and retinal detachment [42].A hydrogel implant (XEN) is a newer FDA-approved implant that helps in shunting aqueous outflowinto the subconjunctival space. Studies have reported a >20% reductionin IOP in 75.4% of patients, with a decrease in an average number of AGMs from 3.5to 1.7 at 12 months postoperatively [43]. Studies comparing the latest XEN implant to conventional TRAB have claimed a higher and more efficacious IOP reduction with TRAB[44,45]. Though MIGS is now recognized as an alternative to TRAB, the major concerns include the steep learning curveand the varying safety profiles of different surgical procedures. Further, the cost-effectiveness, need for sophisticated machinery and instruments, and the need for frequent follow-up/additional surgeries, questions the actual effectiveness for visual function and the long-term applicability of these procedures worldwide.

TRAB Versus Lensectomy

Since cataract extraction alone was reported to cause IOP reduction, TRAB has been compared with cataract extraction alone in POAGand primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) [46-57]. Tham et al. [46] compared phacoemulsification (PHACO) alone to TRAB with MMC in medically uncontrolled angle-closure glaucoma without cataracts. Both groups resulted in significant and comparable IOP reduction at 24 months after surgery (IOP reduction of 34% for PHACO alone vs. 36% for TRAB+MMC, {P=0.76}). Nevertheless, TRAB+MMC-treated eyes required fewer AGMs than PHACO alone eyes.The same group studied the effect of combined phaco trabeculectomy (PT) to phacoemulsification alone (PHACO) and claimed that the former procedure is more effective than PHACO alone group in controlling IOP in medically uncontrolled chronic angle closure glaucoma eyes with coexisting cataract [47]. However, the PT group was associated with more surgical complications. An analogous study on POAG patients was done by Takihara et al. [49] and they concluded that TRAB with MMC in pseudophakic eyes post phacoemulsification is less successful compared with that in phakic eyes. However, no significant intergroup difference was noted in the number of postoperative antiglaucoma medications, surgical complications or in the number of laser suture lysis procedures.

TRAB Combined Cataract and Glaucoma Surgery

There had been numerous studies comparing TRAB with phaco trabeculectomy with anecdotal results(Table 1) [50-57].However, a recent metanalysis on phaco trabeculectomy (PT) versus TRAB (TRAB) with or without later phacoemulsification did not find a significant difference in IOP reduction between the two procedures. A total of 25 studies were included comprising2315 eyes that underwent PT and 2216 eyes that underwent TRAB, wherein, PT was associated with a lower risk of postoperative complications and better best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) compared to TRAB [50]. Li et al. also evaluated the effect of PT versus TRAB alone and concluded that the PT group had better outcomes when compared to TRAB. However, the sample size and the follow-up period were less in their study [51]. Contrary to this Lochhead et al. stated that TRAB was better with a significant difference in the IOP reduction and surgical success when compared to PT [52]. Chang et al. [53] compared the effect of PT with 5-FU to TRAB with 5-FU and found conflicting results wherein the surgical success rate was similar for both, with a greater mean IOP reduction in the latter. Choy BN asserted an equal IOP control with the TRAB group having more diffuse blebsand less incidence of failure [54]. Another study by Tan et al. gave contrasting results with a higher rate of complications in the TRAB group than in the PT group [55]. Lam and Wechsler found comparable IOP reduction in both eyes at 5 years with both procedures, though, the number of AGMs required postoperatively was higher in the PT group [56].

TRAB Versus Tube Surgery

Implants have revolutionized glaucoma surgery, especially in refractory cases [58-65]. A recent metanalysis comparing five systematic reviews on TRAB versus shunt surgeries concludedthat shunt surgeries might achieve greater qualified success than TRAB [58]. It is, however, not clear whether the aqueous shunts are superior to TRAB owing to the lack of sufficient evidence with regards to aspects like cost-effectiveness and long-term visual function preservation. Studies comparing TRAB versus tube surgeries and their outcomes are listed in Table 2. Another meta-analysis by HaiBo et al. comparing Ahmed glaucoma valve implant (AGV) to TRAB also reported no significant difference in IOP reduction between the two surgeries [59]. Similarly, Tseng et al. [60] conducted a Cochrane database systematic review on the safety and efficacy of aqueous shunts (both Ahmed and Baerveldt implants) in comparison with conventional TRAB and concluded there were not many differences between aqueous shunts and TRAB for glaucoma treatment. A systematic review by Hong et al. [61] on glaucoma drainage devices (GDDs, including Ahmed, Molteno, Baerveldt, Krupin) with a total of 52 studies and 2682 patients, concluded that GDD is more effective in refractory glaucoma. To summarize, TRAB with MMC seems to be equally effective as tube-shunt surgeries with preservation of long-term visual function being achievedby both surgeries, albeit with TRAB achieving it for a longer time [63].

TRAB Versus Laser Trabeculoplasty

Laser trabeculoplasty has been a well-established technique for lowering IOP in POAG and ocular hypertension patients over the last two decades [66-70]. Wise and Witter reported IOP reduction by 10 mm Hg in 40 patients with phakic eyes, using argon laser, with 65% of these eyes requiring AGMs to control IOP [66]. The Glaucoma Laser Trial Research Group compared argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) to antiglaucoma medicationand found better control in IOP with laser trabeculoplasty alone compared to a single AGM at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years [67]. Studies evaluating selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) and glaucoma surgery are lacking in the literature. The EMGT (Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial) study observed that a 1 mmHg reduction in IOP from baseline decreased the risk of progression by 10% [68]. The advanced glaucoma intervention study (AGIS) looked at the effect of ALT before or after TRAB and found no change in white individuals. Neither prior ALT nor prior TRAB had a statistically significant effect on the failure of other procedures [69]. For 168 patients with uncontrolled chronic glaucoma, Migdal and Hitchings conducted a prospective clinical study comparing laser trabeculoplasty, medical therapy, and surgery as the primary therapy and concluded that the surgical group had the lowest average intraocular pressures and was the most successful at managing IOP diurnal swings [70]. Whilst laser trabeculoplasty resulted in a smaller reduction in pressure, these individuals were more likely to have high-pressure spikes.

TRAB In POAG

The role of TRAB in primary open-angle glaucoma patients (POAG) is well-established, however, there had been few anecdotal reports from few studies on its IOP reduction rates and visual field progression rates [71-75]. A recent study by Mataki et al. [71] in POAG documented a visual field (VF) progression of 0.7 decibels (dB)/year with a mean IOP of 15.7 mmHg. Similarly in a US-based study, Iverson et al. [72] reported a VF progression rate of 1.1 dB/year pre-operatively that had a mean IOP of 13.5 mmHg. Caprioli et al. [73] also confirmed in their study that TRAB can improve or maintain long-term visual function, a resultthat has not been proved unequivocally with other newer or older glaucoma surgeries.

TRAB In PACG

TRAB is the most common procedure used to reduce the IOP in both acute primary-angle closure glaucoma and chronic primary-angle closure glaucoma that are unresponsive to medical and laser treatment [76-77]. The overall success rate of TRAB varies from 68% to 100% depending upon the race and population [77]. However, because of the complications associated with TRAB, including cataract development, this is now less preferred.Adding to this is the high incidence of malignant glaucoma in this group of patients.

TRAB in Pseudoexfolaition Glaucoma

Pseduoexfoliative glaucoma (XFG) is known to be more aggressive than other types of glaucoma with a high rate of intraoperative complications like vitreous loss, zonular damage, clinically significant choroidal detachment, and choroidal hemorrhage [78-81]. Popovic and Sjostrand [80] compared the efficacy of TRAB in XFG eyes and POAG eyes and reported comparable results in both with a marginally better outcome in XFG eyes. Contrary to this, a recent study by Li et al. proclaimed significantly lower long-term success rates at 3 years and 5 years of follow-up in XFG eyes than in POAG eyes, though the short-term success rates were similar [81]. Ehrnrooth et al. [78] compared 55 POAG eyes with 83 XFG eyes and found a significantly higher overall success rate for patients with POAG than XFG and reported that a higher preoperativeIOP>30 mm Hg in the early postoperative period having an adverse effect on the surgical success of TRAB in XFG. Another study by Gurlu et al. [79] found no significant difference in the long-term success of TRAB between the two groups whose clinical characteristics are otherwise similar.

TRAB in Normal Tension Glaucoma (NTG)

Several landmark trials and studies have reported the efficacy of TRAB in NTG [82-87]. Naito et al. studied the effectiveness of TRAB in NTG patients with IOP<15 mmHg and found a significant reduction in mean IOP (8.1 2.9 mmHg) and the number of AGMs (0.8 1.5) [86]. In the Collaborative Normal-Tension Glaucoma Treatment Study (CNTGS) [83,84], nearly half of the eyes had undergone surgery, with an average post-operative IOP of 10.6 mmHg. The EMGT study [82], suggested that ALT may have a limited function in the treatment of NTG. A recent study that evaluated the effectiveness and long-term outcomes of TRAB using Moorfields technique claimed to have more successful long-term outcomes along with better safety and visual acuity preservation [87].

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Trabeculectomy: Does It Have a Future? - Cureus

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Ocuphire Extends U.S. Patent Protection for Late-Stage Drug Candidate Nyxol for Reversal of Mydriasis by Five More Years into 2039 with New Patent…

August 11th, 2022 1:54 am

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. - Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: OCUP), a clinical-stage ophthalmic biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for the treatment of refractive and retinal eye disorders, announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 11,400,077. The patent provides added intellectual property protection for the company's late-stage product candidate, Nyxol (phentolamine mesylate), with claims directed to methods for treating mydriasis using phentolamine mesylate. The patent is eligible for listing in the U.S. FDA Orange Book and has a term extending into year 2039.

'We are very pleased with the issuance of this new patent for Nyxol, which extends our intellectual property protection in the U.S. by an additional five years into 2039,' said Mina Sooch, MBA, Founder and CEO of Ocuphire Pharma. 'Last year we were granted a new U.S. Patent for presbyopia extending our existing patent estate into year 2039 and now we are very pleased with the issuance of this new patent for Nyxol in reversal of mydriasis,' said Mina Sooch, MBA, President and CEO of Ocuphire Pharma. 'As we own the worldwide rights to Nyxol for all indications, this added protection will position us to maximize the commercial value of Nyxol for at least 15 years in reversal of mydriasis as we plan to submit an NDA to the FDA later this year. If approved, Nyxol could be launched in the second half of 2023.'

Nyxol Eye Drops Patent Estate

Ocuphire owns all of the worldwide rights to Nyxol for all indications. Ocuphire's patent estate for Nyxol includes patents and patent applications for phentolamine mesylate formulations and methods of using phentolamine mesylate. Ocuphire's patent estate for Nyxol contains nine issued U.S. patents, eight pending U.S. non-provisional patent applications, as well as issued patents in Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Mexico and pending patent applications in Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, and other foreign countries. Ocuphire's first set of U.S. and foreign patents expire in year 2034, while Ocuphire's second set of U.S. patents expire in year 2039. Patents, if granted based on Ocuphire's pending foreign patent applications, would expire in year 2039.

Reversal of Mydriasis Market Opportunity

An estimated 100 million eye dilations are conducted every year in the U.S. to examine the back of the eye either for routine check-ups, disease monitoring or surgical procedures across all eye care practice groups. Depending on the individual and the color of their eyes, the pharmacologically-induced dilation can last anywhere from 6 to 24 hours in adults. Dilated eyes have heightened sensitivity to light and an inability to focus on near objects, causing difficulty reading, working and driving. Currently, there are no approved or available treatment options to safely reverse mydriasis. If approved, Nyxol has the potential to be the only FDA-approved drug for the reversal of mydriasis, uniquely modulating the pupil by blocking or 'relaxing' the ?1 receptors found only on the iris dilator muscle. This mechanism is differentiated from other miotics in that Nyxol moderately reduces the pupil size without engaging the ciliary muscle, resulting in favorable safety and tolerability seen across 12 completed trials in 3 indications by avoiding accommodative ciliary spasm, associated headaches and browaches, narrow angle closure, or risk of retinal detachment.

About Ocuphire Pharma

Ocuphire is a publicly-traded (NASDAQ: OCUP), clinical-stage ophthalmic biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing small-molecule therapies for the treatment of refractive and retinal eye disorders. The Company's lead product candidate, Nyxol eye drops?(0.75% phentolamine ophthalmic solution), is a once-daily, preservative-free eye drop formulation of phentolamine mesylate, a non-selective alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist designed to reduce pupil size, and is being developed for several indications, including reversal of pharmacologically-induced mydriasis (RM), presbyopia and dim light or night vision disturbances (NVD), and has been studied in 12 completed clinical trials. Ocuphire has reported positive data from MIRA-2 and MIRA-3 registration trials and MIRA-4 pediatric safety trial for the treatment of RM. Ocuphire also reported positive topline data from the VEGA-1 Phase 2 trial of Nyxol for treatment of presbyopia, both Nyxol as a single agent and Nyxol with low dose pilocarpine ('LDP') 0.4% as adjunctive therapy. The Company recently reported positive topline results from LYNX-1 Phase 3 trial of Nyxol for NVD. Ocuphire's second product candidate, APX3330, is an oral tablet designed to inhibit angiogenesis and inflammation pathways relevant to retinal and choroidal vascular diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME) and has been studied in 11 Phase 1 and 2 trials. The Company announced in March the completion of enrollment in?the ZETA-1 Phase 2b clinical trial of APX3330 to treat DR/DME. Please visit?www.clinicaltrials.gov?to learn more about Ocuphire's ongoing APX3330 Phase 2b trial in DR/DME ZETA-1 (NCT04692688) and completed Nyxol trials: Phase 3 registration trial in NVD LYNX-1 (NCT04638660), Phase 3 registration trials in RM MIRA-2?(NCT04620213) and MIRA-3 (NCT05134974), MIRA-4 Phase 3 pediatric safety study (NCT05223478), and Phase 2 trial in presbyopia VEGA-1 (NCT04675151). As part of its strategy, Ocuphire will continue to explore opportunities to acquire additional ophthalmic assets and seek strategic partners for late-stage development, regulatory preparation, and commercialization of drugs in key global markets. For more information, visit?www.ocuphire.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, the success and timing of planned regulatory filings, the timing of planned commercialization of Nyxol in RM, the market for RM, business strategy, pre-commercialization activities, our ability to protect our intellectual property rights, and the potential for and success of commercialization of Ocuphire's product candidates, including Nyxol. These forward-looking statements are based upon Ocuphire's current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation: (i) the success and timing of regulatory submissions and pre-clinical and clinical trials, including enrollment and data readouts; (ii) regulatory requirements or developments; (iii) changes to clinical trial designs and regulatory pathways; (iv) changes in capital resource requirements; (v) risks related to the inability of Ocuphire to obtain sufficient additional capital to continue to advance its product candidates and its preclinical programs; (vi) legislative, regulatory, political and economic developments, (vii) changes in market opportunities, (viii) the effects of COVID-19 on clinical programs and business operations, (ix) the success and timing of commercialization of any of Ocuphire's product candidates and (x) the maintenance of Ocuphire's intellectual property rights. The foregoing review of important factors that could cause actual events to differ from expectations should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with statements that are included herein and elsewhere, including the risk factors detailed in documents that have been and may be filed by Ocuphire from time to time with the SEC. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Ocuphire undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

Contact:

Corporate

Mina Sooch

President & CEO

Ocuphire Pharma, Inc.

E: ir@ocuphire.com

WEB: http://www.ocuphire.com

Investors

Corey Davis, Ph.D.

LifeSci Advisors

E: cdavis@lifesciadvisors.com

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Ocuphire Extends U.S. Patent Protection for Late-Stage Drug Candidate Nyxol for Reversal of Mydriasis by Five More Years into 2039 with New Patent...

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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Incidence and Characteristics o | OPTH – Dove Medical Press

August 11th, 2022 1:54 am

1Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester, UK; 2Centre for Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

Correspondence: Andrew Walkden, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Oxford Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M13 9WL, UK, Tel +44 161-276-1234, Email [emailprotected]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to drastic changes to the daily lives of those living in the United Kingdom. We hypothesized that the effect of the imposed lockdown on both behaviour and social interaction has the potential to influence the characteristics of microbial keratitis presenting locally to Manchester Royal Eye Hospital a major tertiary eye centre in the UK.Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-note review of all positive corneal scrape cultures identified by our local microbiology laboratory during the year since the announcement of lockdown measures in the UK (23 March 2020 to 23 March 2021). Culture results were compared with previously collated, published baseline data from prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (2004 2019). Statistical analysis was undertaken, predominantly looking at the incidence of microbial keratitis and the variety of cultured pathogens.Results: A total of 6243 corneal scrape results were reviewed. Comparison of data between the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown did not show a significant change in the incidence of culture-positive microbial keratitis: mean annual positive samples during 2004 2019 were 128 (35%) vs 91 (29%) during lockdown (P=0.096). No statistically significant shifts in the incidence of organism subtypes fungi, acanthamoeba, Gram-positive bacteria, or Gram negative bacteria were identified (P=0.196, 1, 0.366, and 0.087, respectively).Conclusion: Contrary to our hypothesis, our results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic did not alter the incidence or characteristics of microbial keratitis presenting to Manchester Royal Eye Hospital in the year following the implementation of lockdown measures in the UK.

Microbial keratitis is a condition encountered across the world that can lead to irreversible sight loss.1 The incidence of the condition and causative microbes have been shown to have geographic and seasonal variation as a result of differing risk factors across regions.2,3 Previously identified risk factors include socioeconomic status, contact lens wear and hygiene practices, trauma, recent surgery, and a compromised ocular surface.4,5 Environmental factors, such as humidity, climate, and pathogenic environments, have also been shown to play a role.69

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves and with the near-global enforcement of measures to curb the spread of the SARS-COV-2 virus, the behaviours and activities of the general population have drastically changed. Lockdown measures and social distancing were introduced in the UK on 23 March 2020 with the aim of reducing contact between humans and to limit transmission of the virus. This strategy is widely accepted by multiple international bodies to be the most effective strategy in limiting virus transmission.10

One of the most significant measures in place to deter the spread of this airborne virus is the use of face masks to limit and capture the spread of infective respiratory droplets. In the earlier stages of the pandemic, it was hypothesized that face masks may redirect expiratory airflow upwards towards the eyes, resulting in dispersion of oral flora onto the ocular surface and increasing the risk of post-intravitreal injection endophthalmitis. Patel et al recently published a large multicentre retrospective study of 505,968 intravitreal injections performed in the US that did not suggest that patient face-mask use influenced the rate of presumed acute-onset bacterial endophthalmitis (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.511.19; P=0.097), but in fact reduced the rate of culture-positive endophthalmitis (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.220.99; P=0.041).11 As the incidence of oral florarelated endophthalmitis is overall an extremely rare event, despite this studys large sample, the authors concluded that the study was underpowered and unable to demonstrate an effect of patient mask use on the incidence of oral floraassociated endophthalmitis.11 Consequently, an association between mask use and oral florarelated endophthalmitis and other ocular infections, such as microbial keratitis, remains unestablished.

Beyond mask use, we also hypothesized that other behavioural factors related to the pandemic may have played a role in affecting patients ocular surfaces and their exposure to pathogens. These included: infection-prevention measures, social distancing, social isolation, handwashing, disinfection protocols, widespread use of alcohol hand gels, change in lifestyle, indoor living, less traffic-related pollution, less contact lens wear at home, and increased screen time whilst working from home. The aim of this study was to assess what impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the incidence and characteristics of microbial keratitis presenting to Manchester Royal Eye hospital a major tertiary eye hospital in the UK.

Using the NHS Health Research Authority decision tool for ethics approval, this study was deemed not to require any ethics approval, as it employed anonymous unidentifiable retrospective patient data that was not generalisable and the study protocol did not involve any deviation from the expected standard of patient care.

Data were collected in the form of all corneal scrape specimens sampled in the year from the UK commencing its first national lockdown (23 March 2020). This period will be referred to as lockdown in the remainder of the text. Data were retrieved using our microbiology laboratorys established electronic database, and included date of the scrape with culture results and antimicrobial sensitivities. Equivalent data for 20042019 were also retrieved to use as our comparison control. Scrape data were categorised according to organism subtypes: fungi, acanthamoeba, and Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0 and 2, two-sample t, and MannWhitney U tests between pre-COVID and post-COVID groups where applicable. P0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The methodology for corneal scrape specimen sampling was standardised as per departmental policy. This policy, as well as the microbiological methods utilised for organism identification and antibiotic-sensitivity testing at Manchester Royal Eye hospital, was described by Tan et al in 2017.12

A total of 6243 scrape results were included in this study. During the lockdown period, 312 scrapes were sent for analysis, with 91 (29%) producing a positive culture result. This is comparable with pre-lockdown figures of an average of 364 scrapes per annum with a culture-positive result of 128 (35%, P=0.096 using 2 testing (Table 1). We did note that there was a suggestion that the rate of positive scrape results was reduced, perhaps alluding to a decreased infection rate overall; however, these results did not achieve statistical significance. As such, the null hypothesis remains true, i.e., the incidence of microbial keratitis was not significantly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic or measures implemented during the lockdown period. Table 2 shows the raw-data trends of scrape organisms grown from 2004 to the lockdown period. Table 3 compares the mean number of organism subtypes prior to lockdown and also during the lockdown period.

Table 1 Cross-tabulation of scrape positivity for pre-lockdown vs lockdown

Table 2 Data trends of scrape organisms 20042019 and for lockdown (2020)

Table 3 Mean number of keratitis subtypes prior to lockdown with number of cases during lockdown

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant national lockdown on the incidence and microbiological characteristics of microbial keratitis presenting to a major tertiary eye hospital in Manchester in the UK. Research in the early stages of the pandemic focused on identifying the systemic implications of a new virus. Whilst the literature suggests that dry eyes, conjunctivitis, keratitis and vein/cavernous sinus thrombosis, and other ocular pathology may be associated with COVID-19 infection, overall ocular morbidity from this viral infection is accepted to be minimal.1319

With the awareness of changing antimicrobial trends and contact lens usage, the authors have previously discussed the importance of understanding local pathogenic variations, with other units also examining their own data.3,12,2025 Large-scale societal and behavioural changes, such as social distancing and mask wearing, have the potential to have profound effects on certain diseases and can aid our understanding of disease pathogenesis. Our knowledge of the SARS-COV-2 virus is increasing as we see and treat more cases of the disease. However, the longer-term effects of the virus are likely to be more subtle, both in terms of any future morbidity from the disease itself but also the implications of trying to manage future waves of the pandemic, with long-term mask usage likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

With the widespread introduction of infection-prevention protocols and the enforced usage of personal protective equipment, reports regarding the increased incidence of dry-eye symptoms started to emerge from the literature.13,2629 It has been postulated that personal protective equipment and mask use may lead to a compromised tear film as a result of increased evaporation or even mechanical processes that lead to malposition of the eyelids, e.g., mask tape leading to ectropion, in addition to altered airflow surrounding the periocular area.26,29 A compromised tear film is known to result in reduced precorneal tear-film corneal coverage and epithelial microbreaks, which can increase the risk of ocular infections due to a reduction in the innate host ability of pathogen clearance when in contact with the ocular surface.26,30 Exacerbations in dermatological conditions in health-care workers and the general population have also been reported.31 Rosacea and other facial manifestations of dermatological disease are known to influence the ocular surface.32 The above theories led us to our hypothesis that COVID-19 or associated change in behaviours in our local population may have influenced the local incidence and characteristics of microbial keratitis.

Tan et al conducted a 12-year analysis of microbial keratitis presenting to Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.12 To the authors knowledge, this is the largest study of microbial keratitis trends in the UK to date.2225 Using an expanded dataset, we did not find any particular deviation from the baseline incidence of organisms when compared with those encountered during the lockdown period. We do however note that there are potential flaws with our statistical methodology, although conclusions may still be drawn from the results. This is in part due to the necessity to compare an average of 16 years worth of data with that of only 1 year of lockdown data. As this was a real-world study, examining a real world pandemic scenario, this is impossible to avoid. It is thus important to continue to examine the microbial trends, as continued mask wearing and social distancing may well play an evolving role into the future. As such, when comparing the statistical means from the pre-lockdown data to the results of the lockdown period, one does note that the values for the lockdown dataset are lower in numbers for all cases, particularly notable for the fungal keratitis subset. This may thus be unmasking an inherent and unavoidable type 2 error, which could only be corrected were the pandemic to continue in its current form for several years longer which, hopefully for everyone involved, will not happen.

Another limitation of this study was the inability to directly identify any causative factors that may influence the incidence and characteristics of microbial keratitis. One accepted limitation of our large sample is the lack of patient demographic data. The primary aim of this paper was to look at the causative pathogens of the microbial infections, rather than specific patient demographics. This has been done in detail for specific pathogens in other publications.21 Further to this, we note that the COVID-19 status of patients producing positive culture results was not assessed. Given the COVID-19 protocols at our hospital, only patients admitted for severe keratitis received a COVID-19 PCR test. We encouraged as many patients as possible to be treated on an outpatient basis, resulting in these patients not having their COVID-19 status assessed. These data are thus unobtainable. Whilst all our inpatients were screened as negative for COVID-19 (n=13), the selection bias of screening out milder presentations of keratitis does not allow for any further reliable and generalizable conclusions. Multiple factors may influence the annual incidence of microbial keratitis, and thus we opted to use a 16-year (as far as our electronic microbiological records extend) control period to allow for any expected annual confounding factors that may have influenced trends in keratitis rates.12

Lockdown measures in the UK were linked with a marked decrease in emergency department presentations.33 This effect was also identified in our own eye emergency department.34 This raised the concern that patients requiring urgent treatment for ocular conditions, such as microbial keratitis, may not seek appropriate urgent care.35 Sight-threatening conditions, such as retinal detachment, were found to be reduced compared to pre-lockdown figures.34 We are somewhat reassured that there was no significant fluctuation in the number of corneal scrape samples, suggesting that the number of presentations of microbial keratitis has not reduced dramatically, although the painful nature of the condition is likely to play a part in ensuring patients present to ophthalmic services, which may well be the determining factor for why patients present to the emergency department ahead of other painless forms of sight loss. A non-significant decrease in the incidence of samples for microbial keratitis may suggest that patients with milder infections have been able to access and receive treatment by other health-care providers specifically set up as part of the NHS response to the pandemic.36 Another potentially confounding factor may be that measures introduced in order to reduce patientdoctor contact time may have resulted in some less severe cases not receiving microbiological sampling. However, despite this, the standard protocol within our unit is to sample any ulcer with an associated infiltrate >1 mm in size. This may have inherently screened out more mild cases that were not sampled.

With all of the aforementioned being considered, our dataset would suggest that the use of widespread infection-prevention measures have not had a negative impact on our local populations corneal health. Whilst the results are not generalizable, these findings could be used to inform infection-control measures and protocols for patients with microbial keratitis presenting to similar tertiary ophthalmic services in the UK. Our local arrangements for the delivery of emergency eye care for microbial keratitis, infection-prevention practices, and encouraging changes in behaviour of our local population do not appear to have significantly affected the incidence or characteristics of microbial keratitis. We would encourage other units to assess their local incidence and characteristics of microbial keratitis so that the full impact of infection-prevention protocols on ocular health can be ascertained.

In conclusion, this retrospective study reviewed and compared all corneal scrapes undertaken at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital between 2004 and until 1 year following the enforcement of lockdown measures in the UK. We analysed the rates of culture-positive cases of infectious keratitis and characterised infections into subgroups. Overall, no statistically significant differences were identified in the incidence of microbial keratitis or the rates of causative pathogens. We did note that there was perhaps a small trend towards a reduced incidence of cases, in particular in the fungal subgroup. However, given data limitations and multiple confounding variables, the significance of this is uncertain. It is our hope that these findings may be useful in informing ophthalmic health-care providers assessing and treating patients with microbial keratitis in their own local populations and that it adds to an emerging body of evidence as we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

No funding was received for this work from any sources.

None of the authors has any competing interests or affiliations.

1. Green MD, Apel AJ, Naduvilath T, Stapleton FJ. Clinical outcomes of keratitis. Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2007;35(5):421426. doi:10.1111/j.1442-9071.2007.01511.x

2. Shah A, Sachdev A, Coggon D, Hossain P. Geographic variations in microbial keratitis: an analysis of the peer-reviewed literature. Br J Ophthalmol. 2011;95(6):762767. doi:10.1136/bjo.2009.169607

3. Walkden A, Fullwood C, Tan SZ, et al. Association between season, temperature and causative organism in microbial keratitis in the UK. Cornea. 2018;37(12):15551560. doi:10.1097/ICO.0000000000001748

4. Green M, Apel A, Stapleton F. Risk factors and causative organisms in microbial keratitis. Cornea. 2008;27(1):2227. doi:10.1097/ICO.0b013e318156caf2

5. Keay L, Edwards K, Naduvilath T, et al. Microbial keratitis predisposing factors and morbidity. Ophthalmology. 2006;113(1):109116. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2005.08.013

6. Houang E, Lam D, Fan D, Seal D. Microbial keratitis in Hong Kong: relationship to climate, environment and contact-lens disinfection. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2001;95(4):361367. doi:10.1016/S0035-9203(01)90180-4

7. Green M, Apel A, Stapleton F. A longitudinal study of trends in keratitis in Australia. Cornea. 2008;27(1):3339. doi:10.1097/ICO.0b013e318156cb1f

8. Ni N, Nam EM, Hammersmith KM, et al. Seasonal, geographic, and antimicrobial resistance patterns in microbial keratitis: 4-year experience in eastern Pennsylvania. Cornea. 2015;34(3):296302. doi:10.1097/ICO.0000000000000352

9. Lin CC, Lalitha P, Srinivasan M, et al. Seasonal trends of microbial keratitis in south India. Cornea. 2012;31(10):11231127. doi:10.1097/ICO.0b013e31825694d3

10. HM Government. Social distancing review: report. HM Government; 2021.

11. Patel SN, Tang PH, Storey PP, et al. The influence of universal face mask use on endophthalmitis risk after intravitreal anti-VEGF injections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ophthalmology. 2021;18:45.

12. Tan SZ, Walkden A, Au L, et al. Twelve-year analysis of microbial keratitis trends at a UK tertiary hospital. Eye. 2017;31(8):12291236. doi:10.1038/eye.2017.55

13. Chen L, Deng C, Chen X, et al. Ocular manifestations and clinical characteristics of 535 cases of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a cross-sectional study. Acta Ophthalmol. 2020;98(8):e951e959. doi:10.1111/aos.14472

14. Nasiri N, Sharifi H, Bazrafshan A, Noori A, Karamouzian M, Sharifi A. Ocular manifestations of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Ophthalmic Vis Res. 2021;16(1):103112. doi:10.18502/jovr.v16i1.8256

15. Siedlecki J, Brantl V, Schworm B, et al. COVID-19: ophthalmological aspects of the SARS-CoV 2 global pandemic. Klin Monbl Augenheilkd. 2020;237(5):675680. doi:10.1055/a-1164-9381

16. Bertoli F, Veritti D, Danese C, et al. Ocular findings in COVID-19 patients: a review of direct manifestations and indirect effects on the eye. J Ophthalmol. 2020;2020:e4827304. doi:10.1155/2020/4827304

17. Douglas KAA, Douglas VP, Moschos MM. Ocular manifestations of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2): a critical review of current literature. In Vivo (Brooklyn). 2020;34(3 Suppl):16191628. doi:10.21873/invivo.11952

18. Sen M, Honavar SG, Sharma N, Sachdev MS. COVID-19 and eye: a review of ophthalmic manifestations of COVID-19. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2021;69(3):488509. doi:10.4103/ijo.IJO_297_21

19. Hu K, Patel J, Swiston C, Patel BC. Ophthalmic Manifestations of Coronavirus (COVID-19). StatPearls Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021.

20. Griffin B, Walkden A, Okonkwo A, Au L, Brahma A, Carley F. Microbial keratitis in corneal transplants: a 12-year analysis. Clin Ophthalmol. 2020;14:35913597. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S275067

21. Zafar H, Tan SZ, Walkden A, et al. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of moraxella keratitis. Cornea. 2018;37(12):15511554. doi:10.1097/ICO.0000000000001749

22. Ting DSJ, Settle C, Morgan SJ, Baylis O, Ghosh S. A 10-year analysis of microbiological profiles of microbial keratitis: the North East England Study. Eye. 2018;32(8):14161417. doi:10.1038/s41433-018-0085-4

23. Tavassoli S, Nayar G, Darcy K, et al. An 11-year analysis of microbial keratitis in the South West of England using brain-heart infusion broth. Eye. 2019;33(10):16191625. doi:10.1038/s41433-019-0463-6

24. Orlans HO, Hornby SJ, Bowler IC. In vitro antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacterial keratitis isolates in Oxford, UK: a 10-year review. Eye. 2011;25(4):489493. doi:10.1038/eye.2010.231

25. Henry CR, Flynn HW, Miller D, Forster RK, Alfonso EC. Infectious Keratitis progressing to endophthalmitis: a 15-year study of microbiology, associated factors, and clinical outcomes. Ophthalmology. 2012;119(12):24432449. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2012.06.030

26. Moshirfar M, West WB, Marx DP. Face mask-associated ocular irritation and dryness. Ophthalmol Ther. 2020;9(3):397400. doi:10.1007/s40123-020-00282-6

27. Hong N, Yu W, Xia J, Shen Y, Yap M, Han W. Evaluation of ocular symptoms and tropism of SARSCoV2 in patients confirmed with COVID19. Acta ophthalmologica. 2020;98(5):e649e655.

28. Wu P, Duan F, Luo C, et al. Characteristics of ocular findings of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei Province, China. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2020;138(5):575578. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.1291

29. Chadwick O, Lockington D. Addressing post-operative Mask-Associated Dry Eye (MADE). Eye. 2020;35(6):15431544. doi:10.1038/s41433-020-01280-5

30. Bhargava R. Contact lens use at the time of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic for healthcare workers. Indian J Med Res. 2020;151(5):392394. doi:10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1492_20

31. Damiani G, Gironi LC, Grada A, et al. COVID-19 related masks increase severity of both acne (maskne) and rosacea (mask rosacea): multi-center, real-life, telemedical, and observational prospective study. Dermatol Ther. 2021;34(2):e14848. doi:10.1111/dth.14848

32. Stone DU, Chodosh J. Ocular rosacea: an update on pathogenesis and therapy. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2004;15(6):499502. doi:10.1097/01.icu.0000143683.14738.76

33. Thornton J. Covid-19: a&E visits in England fall by 25% in week after lockdown. BMJ. 2020;369:m1401. doi:10.1136/bmj.m1401

34. Young JF, Harron KL, Bilal L, Richardson JAL, Dhawahir-Scala FE. The effect of lockdown due to COVID-19 on a large emergency eye department: the manchester experience. J Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2020;11(6):43.

35. Power B, Donnelly A, Murphy C, Fulcher T, Power W. Presentation of infectious keratitis to ED during COVID-19 lockdown. J Ophthalmol. 2021;2021:14. doi:10.1155/2021/5514055

36. Kanabar R, Craven W, Wilson H, et al. Evaluation of the manchester COVID-19 Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES). Eye. 2021;4:19.

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C2C Care Course The Preservation of Our Global Photographic Heritage: Here, There and Everywhere – aam-us.org

August 3rd, 2022 1:55 am

Participants will be introduced to the identification, degradation, and preservation of common photographic print materials, including the salted paper, albumen, silver gelatin, and chromogenic color processes. Ethical and other factors to consider in the preventative care of at-risk print materials will be outlined. We will address early direct positive processes the daguerreotype, ambrotype and tintype briefly. Well also discuss details pertaining to the manufacture, identification and preservation of gelatin dry plate and film-base negatives, along with basic considerations in the care of photographic albums. Well review preservation challenges related to large and diverse photographic collections with attention paid to the importance of proper environments and storage materials, emergency planning, and risk analysis. The value and significance of photography, global initiatives, and the pressing need to secure external funding and support through effective preservation advocacy will be emphasized throughout the webinar. Participants will receive a small selection of historic prints, to be returned at the conclusion of the webinar, for in-depth study. A listing of key publications and online resources will be provided. While each session will start with a webinar presentation, but we will include time for discussions with questions welcomed during or following each session using Zoom meeting.

The statements and opinions expressed by panelists, hosts, attendees, or other participants of this event are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of, nor are endorsed by, the American Alliance of Museums.

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Loneliness: Causes, Effects And Prevention Forbes Health – Forbes

August 3rd, 2022 1:55 am

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines loneliness as the affective and cognitive discomfort or uneasiness from being or perceiving oneself to be alone or otherwise solitary.

In other words, loneliness is the mental or emotional discomfort you may experience from either being alone or feeling as though you are alone. This feeling stems from your social needs not being met and/or an inability to get the social connection you desire.

Although loneliness and being alone are commonly confused, being alone doesnt necessarily mean someone is lonely. Loneliness is a feeling, while being alone is a situation or state of being, which is not inherently negative, says Nina Vasan, M.D., psychiatrist and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief medical officer at Real, an online mental wellness membership site.

You can feel lonely even when youre surrounded by other peoplesuch as a partner, family, co-workers or friends, continues Dr. Vasan.

Its also possible to be alone, but not feel lonely, she adds. For example, if youre by yourself but connecting to others through good communication or activities like volunteering, you dont feel lonely.

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Prevention and wellness is the new model, a leader from Henry Ford Health System says – Becker’s Hospital Review

August 3rd, 2022 1:55 am

Emily Moorhead is the chief operating officer of the central market at Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System.

Ms. Moorhead will serve on the panel "Building a Resilient, High-Reliability Organization With Accountable Leaders" at Becker's 10th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference on Nov. 7-10 in Chicago.

To learn more and register, click here.

Becker's Healthcare aims to foster peer-to-peer conversation between healthcare's brightest leaders and thinkers. In that vein, responses to our Speaker Series are published straight from interviewees. Here is what our speakers had to say.

Question: What is the smartest thing you've done in the last year to set your system up for success?

Emily Moorhead: The smartest thing I could've done was foster a culture of belonging and supporting leaders so they can best front-line support staff. After two or more years of living through COVID-19, the great resignation, staffing crises, supply shortages, and now high inflation rates, the financial challenges and staff burnout are prevalent throughout all departments in the care continuum. Leaders must pause, breathe and ensure that we care for one another. Strengthening our culture to create a strong foundation will be vital to preparing for a large amount of change that will be required to be successful in the future.

Q: What are you most excited about right now and what makes you nervous?

EM: Value-based care is exciting. We've talked about the evolution from fee-for-service to value-based care for over a decade. Moving the industry away from sick care and focusing on prevention gets me out of bed in the morning!

Q: How are you thinking about growth and investments for the next year or two?

EM: Growth is about meeting the broader community's needs, which means expanding virtual care platforms to areas not easily served in the past. Having a data-driven approach to anticipate upcoming provider shortages to be proactive about unmet care needs and how we can help fill the voids through provider access and create more streamlined care models. Investments in technology make it easier for people to access the care they need. We must reduce the friction patients experience when seeking care.

Prevention and wellness is the new model we as healthcare leaders need to evolve that thinking to be true healthcare partners to the communities we serve. We need to align care with the patient's preferences to make getting the preventative care they need easier. Examples include virtual visits with a specialist in the ED, during the primary care visit before leaving, or same-day appointments.

Q: What will healthcare executives need to be effective leaders for the next five years?

EM: I think leading through a large amount of change and evolution needed in our industry will be leaders' primary focus for the next several years. This will require some tough decisions but can be done in a way that fosters integrity, respect and kindness. At its core, leadership is about caring for everyone in our sphere of influence. That means making sure they feel safe, valued, and purposeful. Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection. Future health care leaders need to be more "heart grounded." Would our processes be the same if we were leading with our hearts? I'd argue they wouldn't; they'd be centered a little more closely around our patients, peers, and families. I think Simon Sinek says it best, "Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge."

Q: How are you building resilient and diverse teams?

EM: As it relates to diversity, we have an enterprise-wide DEIJ strategy that leads to the local committee work, including action plans related to intentional recruitment, unconscious bias training for all staff, governance members and providers, educational partnerships, the establishment of a voice of the community work group, and strategic planning efforts to improve access for under-represented communities.

Diversity makes us smarter, more innovative, and less married to the status quo. Diversity also offers the opportunity to see with new eyes. Diversity is broader than gender and race; we must tap into diverse experiences and cultures. The more varied the experiences around the table, the better the chance of change being successful and sustainable!

In terms of resiliency: fostering a culture of belonging, caring for one another and regular leadership check-ins. People stay in supportive, fun and collaborative environments, so fostering a strong culture is the foundation of a resilient team. But we must also be accountable for knowing when we are approaching burnout and need to unplug, rejuvenate and seek help.

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Getting Back to Employer Health and Wellness Programs – Cone Health

August 3rd, 2022 1:55 am

With more employees resuming pre-pandemic lives, employers have an opportunity to offer routine health and wellbeing services.

During the pandemic, employers focused on Covid mitigation, social distancing and remote work, shares Susan Kirks, RN BSN COHN, manager of Employee Health and Wellness. With more employees back in person, we have a great opportunity to help people get back on track, especially when it comes to preventative and routine healthcare.

According to the CDC, more than four in 10 U.S. adults avoided getting necessary medical care during the height of the pandemic. While many Americans are ready to resume routine medical visits, rising costs and inflation have them thinking twice.

With many employees looking for work flexibility and support, resuming or offering new occupational health services can be a win-win opportunity for employers offering:

Convenient onsite services: With Cone Health onsite providers, employers can offer initial baseline physicals and one-on-ones to help employees choose a primary care provider. According to the governments Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, having access to primary careis associated with positivehealthoutcomes. Primary care providers support preventative care, early diagnosis and treatment of disease and chronic disease management.

Screenings and vaccinations: Employers hosting mobile screening[HS1], flus shot clinics, or biometric screenings for cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure and BMI send a strong message that they care about employee health and wellbeing.

Listen and learn presentations: With Cone Healths new virtual sessions, employees can log in from work, home or on-the-go to join to hear from experts on a range of topics, including nutrition, preventative health and exercise.

Onsite training: Make sure supervisors and staff are prepared with CPR or first aid training. Whether you want a refresher course or first-time training, our providers are ready to assist you with your workplace needs.

To learn more about occupational health offerings, contact Jacqueline Heyward at (336) 832-7315.

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FACT SHEET: White House Summit on Building Lasting Eviction Prevention Reform – The White House

August 3rd, 2022 1:55 am

Today, the White House and U.S. Department of Treasury are hosting a White House Summit on Building Lasting Eviction Prevention Reform. As funds for Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) are beginning to wind down, the Summit will focus on the need for an all-out effort to build lasting reform including through the use of remaining American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds from ERA and State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) assistance. Having created a first-ever national infrastructure for eviction prevention, now is the time to ensure we build on this progress and prevent a return to an eviction system that allowed 3.6 million eviction filings a year, often for small amounts of funds and without any legal representation or eviction diversion options. The Summit will feature top Administration officials, Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Sherrod Brown, Eviction Lab Founder Matthew Desmond, and will include State Supreme Court Justices and national, state, and local leaders who have pioneered lasting reform approaches that can serve as national models (see Appendix).

The Biden-Harris Administration is also highlighting the most current data on the impact of the Emergency Rental Assistance available as of this moment.

The White House Summit Will Highlight Overall Progress of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and Top Models of Reform at the State and Local Court and Government Levels.

The Summit will feature overall policy views from top Administration Officials, Matthew Desmond, President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition Diane Yentel, and Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee Sherrod Brown, as well as models of visionary court-led reform, presented by Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack, New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice C. Shannon Bacon, and New Orleans First City Court Chief Judge Veronica Henry. The Summit will also highlight top eviction prevention innovations in Chicago, IL, presented by Mayor Lori Lightfoot; Philadelphia, PA, presented by Councilmember Helen Gym (At Large); Cleveland, OH; Colorado; and Oregon.

The program will begin at 12:30 pm ET and is scheduled to conclude at 2:30pm ET.

The Urgent Need for Eviction System Reform

Visionary Court-Led Eviction System Reform

Innovations in State and Local Eviction Prevention

Charge to Invest Remaining American Rescue Plan Funds in Housing Stability

Congressional Efforts to Secure Housing Stability and Eviction Prevention

The Path Forward on Eviction Protections and Closing Remarks

APPENDIX: Eight Models of Top State and Local Innovations that Build on the Emergency Rental Assistance Infrastructure to Sustain Eviction Reform

Visionary Court-Led Eviction System Reform

Michigan: Adopting Long-Term Court-Based Eviction Diversion to Prevent Avoidable Evictions

Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack issued one of the earliest standing orders during the pandemic to pause the eviction process once a rental assistance application has been submitted. Building on these best practices, the Michigan Supreme Court has proposed a new statewide order permanently adopting the stay of eviction action when a tenant applies for assistance. The proposed order requires a mandatory pre-trial convening to ensure tenants have access to rights and resources and prevents default judgments. It also prohibits five-day eviction orders, offers remote hearings for tenants with barriers to accessing courts, and attaches detailed information about assistance to every summons, among other best practices. The state also dedicated ERA housing stability funds to increase tenant access to legal counsel, with Detroit legislatively adopting right to counsel in 2022.

New Mexico: Leveraging American Rescue Plan Funding and Collaborating with Landlords and Tenants to Design Sustainable Eviction Diversion Programs

New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice C. Shannon Bacon created a task force of tenant and landlord groups, ERA program administrators, housing programs and state and local officials to design and launch one of the longest, most successful court-ordered eviction diversion programs in the country, including a mandatory extension of the lease term where landlords accept rental assistance. The eviction diversion program includes increased access to legal representation, mediation, and financial navigators to provide holistic services to tenants at risk of eviction. Due to the success of the program in reducing evictions, the state will continue to fund the eviction diversion program with state funds initially made possible with American Rescue Plan funds.

New Orleans: Implementing Eviction Diversion and Right to Counsel to Secure Court-Based Reform

Chief Judge Veronica Henry developed the First and Second City Courts award-winning Eviction Diversion Program, a partnership between the City of New Orleans, First and Second City Courts, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center (LFHAC), Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative, and Parochial Offices of the Court. The program diverts eviction cases to on-site ERA administrators, Eviction Help Desks, the Right to Counsel Program, and other supportive services to prevent eviction and stabilize housing. New Orleans built on the diversion program by legislatively adopting the right to counsel for tenants facing eviction in 2022 and initially funding the intervention with $2 million in ERA funds.

State and Local Innovations in Eviction Prevention

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Mandating Pre-filing Eviction Diversion and Prohibiting Harmful Tenant Screening Practices

Philadelphia Councilmember Helen Gym (At Large) introduced thenations first city ordinancemandating pre-filing eviction diversion, which went into effect in August 2020. As a result, tenants at risk of eviction receive access to rental assistance and legal representation and tenants and landlords are required to participate in a free mediation session with the goal of resolution through an agreement. The diversion program has changed the culture to one where eviction litigation is a last resort. The city is committing long-term funding for rental assistance, a key component of diversion. In addition, Philadelphia adopted the Renters Access Act, which prohibits screening of tenants based on certain eviction filings and requireslandlords to tell tenants why they were rejected and provide an opportunity to correct errors.

Chicago, Illinois: Access to Legal Services for Tenants and Landlords and Early Eviction Resolution

In July 2022, Chicago dedicated $8 million in ERA housing stability funds to adopt a three-year Right to Counsel pilot. The city is collaborating with legal service providers Lawyers Committee for Better Housing, Legal Aid Chicago, and CARPLS to provide legal representation and increase housing stability. The program is expected to double the number of tenants who have access to attorneys, serving 2,000 to 3,000 tenants per year, and greatly reduce eviction orders. Chicago landlords and tenants have also benefited from the Cook County Early Resolution Program that diverts eviction cases to mediation and provides free legal aid to both tenants and unrepresented landlords. These programs have also effectively leveraged state law to seal pandemic-era eviction filing records for tenants, preventing the Scarlet E of eviction that results in a downward move and long-term hardship.

Cleveland, Ohio: Permanently Adopting Right to Counsel and Serving Tenants at Highest Risk of Eviction

The City of Clevelandwas among the first cities in the United States to legislatively adopt right to counsel, immediately prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, initially funding the program through a public-private partnership including the City of Cleveland, United Way and the Cleveland Foundation, among others. As private funds sunset, Cleveland has allocated Emergency Rental Assistance funds and is working to sustain right to counsel with long-term government support and additional American Rescue Plan funding, and amplifying its effectiveness through the development of an eviction diversion program that includes pre-filing mediation. To ensure services reach those with the greatest need, partners have combined data analysis with canvassing and door knocking. Zip code data on eviction rates and the lowest number of requests for assistance allows partners to identify and target outreach to the most marginalized, highest risk tenants.

Colorado: Partnering with Nonprofits to Provide Immediate Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance

In Colorado, the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project launched the Colorado Stability Fund, a unique revolving rental assistance fund capable of issuing quick, accurate ERA payments in less than 24 hours through a new partnership between the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project (CEDP), Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA), and Colorados Division of Housing (DOH). The Stability Fund is available to all Colorado renters and gives those facing eviction a single point of contact for housing stability services and integrates intake and navigation, rapid rental aid payments, eviction legal defense, and, when necessary, rehousing support. The initiative is strengthened by partnerships with legal aid organizations and organizations by and for Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) communities to ensure resources reach those at greatest risk of displacement with deference to cultural context. In Denver, the program works seamlessly with the right to counsel, adopted in 2021. To ensure continued eviction prevention, partners are working to sustain the program long-term with funds from the state and are expanding to other housing areas, including foreclosure.

Oregon: Community Partnerships to Provide Rapid Eviction Prevention to the Highest Risk Tenants

Oregon was one of the first states to supplement ERA funds with SLFRF and state funding. In addition, the state developed and funds the Eviction Prevention Rapid Response Program, a partnership between the Oregon Law Center and the Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) that serves as a critical element of the Eviction Defense Project. The program allows for rapid financial assistance to prevent eviction and homelessness, since legal aid can verify tenant eligibility and provide flexible funds to prevent evictions, including rental assistance, cleaning services, moving expenses, and more.OHCS also partners with community-based tenant organizations and nonprofits, including Unite Oregon, Bienestar, and the Springfield Eugene Tenants Association. During the height of the pandemic, these trusted community groups conduct outreach to community members at risk of eviction, including engaging in multi-lingualdoor knocking, and connecting their neighbors with resources to avoid eviction. As part of ongoing eviction prevention efforts, OHCS is also partnering with the Urban League of Portland, Immigrant and Refugee Organization (IRCO), and other community organizations statewide to conduct community outreach and provide critical eviction prevention services.

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Do ICDs Still Work in Primary Prevention Given Today’s HF Meds? – Medscape

August 3rd, 2022 1:55 am

Contemporary guidelines highly recommend patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) be on all four drug classes that together have shown clinical clout, including improved survival, in major randomized trials.

Although many such patients don't receive all four drug classes, the more that are prescribed to those with primary prevention implantable defibrillators (ICD), the better their odds of survival, a new analysis suggests.

The cohort study of almost 5000 patients with HFrEF and such devices saw their all-cause mortality risk improve stepwise with each additional prescription they were given toward the full quadruple drug combo at the core of modern HFrEF guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). The four classes are SGLT2 inhibitors, betablockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors.

That inverse relation between risk and number of GDMT meds held whether patients had solo-ICD or defibrillating cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT-D) implants; independently of device-implantation year and comorbidities; and regardless of HFrEF etiology.

"If anybody had doubts about really pushing forward as much of these guideline-directed medical therapies as the patient tolerates, these data confirm that by doing so, we definitely do better than with two medications or one medication," Samir Saba, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania, told theheart.org| Medscape Cardiology.

The analysis begs an old and challenging question: Do primary prevention ICDs confer clinically important survival gains over those provided by increasingly life-preserving recommended HFrEF medical therapy?

Given the study's incremental survival bumps with each added GDMT med, "one ought to consider whether ICD therapy can still have an impact on overall survival in this population," proposes a report published online July27 in JACC Clinical Electrophysiology, with Saba as senior author and Mehak Dhande, MD, also from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, as lead author.

In the adjusted analysis, the 2-year risk for death from any cause in HFrEF patients with primary prevention devices fell 36% in those with ICDs and 30% in those with CRT-D devices for each added prescribed GDMT drug, from none up to either three or four such agents (P< .001 in both cases).

Only so much can be made of nonrandomized study results, Saba observed in an interview. But they are enough to justify asking whether primary prevention ICDs are "still valuable" in HFrEF given today's GDMT. One interpretation of the study, the published report notes, is that contemporary GDMT improves HFrEF survival so much that it eclipses any such benefit from a primary prevention ICD.

Both defibrillators and the four core drug therapies boost survival in such cases, "so the fundamental question is, are they additive. Do we save more lives by having a defibrillator on top of the medications, or is it overlapping?" Saba asked. "We don't know the answer."

For now, at least, the findings could reassure clinicians as they consider whether to recommended a primary prevention ICD when there might be reasons not to, as long there is full GDMT on board, "especially what we today define as quadruple guideline-directed medical therapy."

Recently announced North American guidelines defining an HFrEF quadruple regimen prefer beyond a betablocker, MRA, and SGLT2 inhibitor that the selected RAS inhibitor be sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto, Novartis), with ACE inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) as a substitute, if needed.

Nearly identical European guidelines on HFrEF quad therapy, unveiled last year, include but do not necessarily prefer sacubitril/valsartan over ACE inhibitors as the RAS inhibitor of choice.

Primary prevention defibrillators entered practice at a time when expected background GDMT consisted of betablockers and either ACE inhibitors or ARBs, the current report notes. In practice, many patients receive the devices without both drug classes optimally on board. Moreover, many who otherwise meet guidelines for such ICDs won't tolerate the kind of maximally tolerated GDMT used in the major primary prevention device trials.

Yet current guidelines give such devices a classI recommendation, based on the highest level of evidence, in HFrEF patients who remain symptomatic despite quad GDMT, observed GreggC. Fonarow, MD, University of California Los Angeles Medical Center.

The current analysis "further reinforces the importance of providing all four foundational GDMTs" to all eligible HFrEF patients without contraindications who can tolerate them, he told theheart.org| Medscape Cardiology. Such quad therapy, he said, "is associated with incremental 1-year survival advantages" in patients with primary prevention devices. And in the major trials, "there were reductions in sudden deaths, as well as progressive heart failure deaths."

But the current study also suggests that in practice, "very few patients can actually get to all four drugs on GDMT," said Roderick Tung, MD, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix. Optimized GDMT in randomized trials probably represents the best-case scenario, he told theheart.org| Medscape Cardiology. "There is a difference between randomized data and real-world data, which is why we need both."

And it asserts that "the more GDMT you're on, the better you do," he said. "But does that obviate the need for an ICD? I think that's not clear," in part because of potential confounding in the analysis. For example, patients who can take all four agents tend to be less sick than those who cannot.

"The ones who can get up to four are preselected, because they're healthier," Tung said. "There are real limitations such as metabolic disturbances, acute kidney injury and cardiorenal syndrome, and hypotension that actually make it difficult to initiate and titrate these medications."

Indeed, the major primary prevention ICD trials usually excluded the sickest patients with the most comorbidities, Saba observed, which raises issues about their relevance to clinical practice. But his group's study controlled for many potential confounders by adjusting for, among other things, Elixhauser comorbidity score, ejection fraction, type of cardiomyopathy, and year of device implantation.

"We tried to level the playing field that way, to see if despite all of this adjustment the incremental number of heart failure medicines stills make a difference," Saba said. "And our results suggest that yes, they still do."

The analysis of patients with HFrEF involved 3210 with ICD-only implants and 1762 with CRT-D devices for primary prevention at a major medical center from 2010 to 2021. Of the total, 5% had not been prescribed any of the four GDMT agents, 20% had been prescribed only one, 52% were prescribed two, and 23% were prescribed three or four. Only 113 patients had been prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors, which have only recently been indicated for HFrEF.

Adjusted hazard ratios for death from any cause at 2years for each added GDMT drug (P< .001 in each case), were:

0.64 (95%CI, 0.56- 0.74) for ICD recipients

0.70 (95%CI, 0.58- 0.86) for those with a CRT-D device

0.70 (95%CI, 0.60- 0.81) for those with ischemic cardiomyopathy

0.61 (95%CI, 0.51- 0.73) for patients with nonischemic disease

The results "raise questions rather than answers," Saba said. "At some point, someone will need to take patients who are optimized on their heart failure medications and then randomize them to defibrillator versus no defibrillator to see whether there is still an additive impact."

Current best evidence suggests that primary prevention ICDs in patients with guideline-based indications confer benefits that far outweigh any risks. But if the major primary prevention ICD trials were to be repeated in patients on contemporary quad-therapy GDMT, Tung said, "would the benefit of ICD be attenuated? I think most of us believe it likely would."

Still, he said, a background of modern GDMT could potentially "optimize" such trials by attenuating mortality from heart failure progression and thereby expanding the proportion of deaths that are arrhythmic, "which the defibrillator can prevent."

Saba discloses receiving research support from Boston Scientific and Abbott; and serving on advisory boards for Medtronic and Boston Scientific. The other authors report they have no relevant relationships. Tung has disclosed receiving speaker fees from Abbott and Boston Scientific. Fonarow has reported receiving personal fees from Abbott, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Cytokinetics, Edwards, Janssen, Medtronic, Merck, and Novartis.

JJ Am Coll Cardiol EP. Published online July27, 2022. Abstract

Follow Steve Stiles on Twitter: @SteveStiles2. For more from theheart.org, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Read the rest here:
Do ICDs Still Work in Primary Prevention Given Today's HF Meds? - Medscape

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