Lesson From a Monster Truck Glow Party

HOT TOPIC

Phase 2b Results of Drug-Eluting CL for OAG Announced

MediPrint Ophthalmics has completed the phase 2b SIGHT-2 study for its proprietary drug-eluting contact lens, LLT-BMT1, in patients with open-angle glaucoma. This active-controlled, randomized, dose-finding, multi-center study evaluated the safety and efficacy of LL-BMT1 in 28 patients diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma versus a control group on bimatoprost 0.01% ophthalmic solution. (Participants wore the LLT-BMT1 drug-eluting contact lens, which was “printed” with bimatoprost using MediPrint’s proprietary 3D printing technology for 3 weeks.)

Each group achieved a sustained reduction of about 30% from baseline IOP. An evaluation of dry eye and end-of-day comfort with the contact lens showed significant improvements in both. No treatment-emergent severe adverse events were reported, and the lenses were well tolerated. Plans for phase 3 testing are now underway.

My Two Cents

I have many questions. Is it a good idea for patients to wear a lens continuously? What material is the lens made of? Are we talking about a hydrogel lens or a silicone hydrogel lens? Regardless, it’s lovely that there continues to be ongoing research on new treatments for the blinding disease of glaucoma. Drug-eluting contact lenses would offer our patients—especially those who are noncompliant—yet another option in their continued quest to protect their vision. I hope these lenses will be able to contain the patient’s refractive prescription as well, thus offering a two-for-one benefit!

OUTSIDE THE LANE

Daddy Longlegs Found to Have Two Extra Pairs of Vestigial Eyes

Daddy longlegs, or harvestmen, are arachnids from the order Opiliones, with an evolutionary history spanning more than 400 million years. Recently, researchers Guilherme Gainett and Prashant Sharma from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that these creatures possess two additional pairs of vestigial eyes.

These eyes, detected through the presence of opsins (light-sensitive proteins) in daddy longleg embryos, are remnants from their evolutionary past. One pair is located laterally on the head, and the other is median, in front of the eyes that develop in adults. These eyes do not fully develop but are hypothesized to help embryos discern light and darkness, as they could remain connected to the visual processing part of the brain.

This discovery provides new insights into the evolutionary history of daddy longlegs and their sensory adaptations. It also highlights the complexity of arachnid visual systems and the role of vestigial structures in understanding evolutionary processes. (Read more here.)

My Two Cents

It’s always fascinating to hear a discovery has been made about a creature or substance that many of us have encountered hundreds of times in our lives. As technology continues to improve, I’m sure discoveries such as these vestigial eyes will be uncovered in creatures we thought we knew everything about!

CAN YOU RELATE

Last weekend, I took my 5-year-old son, Brooks, to the Hot Wheels Monster Truck Glow Party in New Orleans. He had been looking forward to this event for weeks, and we prepped for it with nightly viewings of YouTube videos of the monster trucks and various Hot Wheels animated series found on the seemingly endless streaming services that I subscribe to. The truck he was most excited to see in person was TigerShark. This odd monster truck hybrid—half tiger, half shark—is bright orange (Brooks’ favorite color), undoubtedly the reason why he’s so pro TigerShark. When we arrived and paid for overpriced parking, stopped by the gift shop, bought an overpriced miniature TigerShark truck, and finally sat down in our overpriced front row seats, we noticed all the trucks were out in the arena, showing off their stellar design. He was beyond excited, screaming at the top of his lungs, because he finally got to see his favorite truck in person!

When the event finally started, all the drivers made their way to their respective monster trucks and revved their engines while showing off their glow-in-the-dark color schemes (it was a glow party, remember). There was a problem, though. One of the eight monster trucks in the arena couldn’t seem to turn their vehicle on. Which one? You guessed it—TigerShark. Brooks was inconsolable when it became clear that his favorite truck wouldn’t be taking part in at least the first event. He was devastated that his truck, in his words, was “dead and gone to heaven.”

As the hours-long event wore on, TigerShark sat on the edge of the arena as the other trucks raced, smashed, and flew through the air, putting on a great show. However, not a single announcement concerning TigerShark was ever made. None of the fans in attendance were alerted that the truck wouldn’t be racing, and the only information we got was the occasional worker trying to rev the engine.

What’s with the monster truck story, you ask? It got me thinking about my clinic. When we’re running behind because of an emergency patient, being short-staffed, or just one of those days where things go wrong, it’s always best to alert our patients and their caregivers about what’s happening. Those of us who aren’t part of “the show” want to have information shared with us to calm any anxiety and to understand that things are moving along. I felt like a patient in my waiting room watching chaos unfold and wondering why I haven’t been called back to see the doctor yet, even though it’s 45 minutes past my appointment time and no one has taken the time to check in with me.

Had we been given an update that TigerShark was out of commission for the day, that would have reduced our anxiety levels significantly; instead, we were left to wonder whether we would see him in action. Don’t do this to your patients/customers. If there’s a problem, fill them in with any amount of information possible. They’ll appreciate your honesty, and most of them will understand. As my grandfather said, “Don’t make a 1-day story a 2-day story.” Address the issue, and it’ll pass rather than be ignored.