2 minute read
Industry News
Inaugural Sustainable Exhibitor Award
Johnson & Johnson Vision was awarded the inaugural ESCRS Sustainable Exhibitor Award at the annual ESCRS Congress in Milan. The award recognises the company’s “outstanding efforts in innovative booth design and communication leading up to and during the conference.”
Johnson & Johnson Vision produced a series of videos providing an overview of its sustainability efforts and progress to date. Half of its booth in the exhibit hall was made from recycled or recyclable sources, and the company plans to use 90% of the booth again. The company also purchased offset to account for 100% of predicted CO2 emissions from the energy used at booth and team travel.
“This was a great surprise. The team is passionate about sustainability in Europe. This was the culmination of two years of work reviewing how we construct our booth as well as looking at how we manufacture our products, what we can do better, what can we do to protect the Earth,” said Erin McEachren, Regional Vice President, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision. www.jnjvisionpro.com
Haag-Streit announced the winners of the “Haag-Streit Slit Lamp Imaging Competition”. First place has been awarded to Utpal Sarkar from Disha Eye Hospitals Barrackpore in Kolkata, India. His winning image, taken with a Haag-Streit BX 900 slit lamp imaging system, shows a case of spherophakia. Second place has been awarded to Rob Hancock from Wirral University Teaching Hospitals in Wirral, United Kingdom. His image, also taken on a Haag-Streit BX 900 slit lamp, displays a patient with Ocular Albinism and has been captured with iris transillumination technique. Third place has been awarded to Kathleen Warren from Duke Eye Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States. Her winning image displays a case of epithelial ingrowth, taken with a Haag-Streit BX 900 slit lamp. The winning images can be seen at www.haag-streit.com.
ROLF SCHWIND STEPS DOWN
Rolf Schwind, long-time CEO of SCHWIND eye-tech-solutions GmbH, has withdrawn from active leadership of the company and joined the Advisory Board. In that capacity, he will continue to actively contribute to the growth of SCHWIND with his more than 40 years of extensive experience in the ophthalmology industry. During his tenure, the company shipped its first eye laser (1992), developed the AMARIS refractive laser platform, and, most recently, expanded the product portfolio into an entire refractive suite with the latest laser model, the SCHWIND ATOS femtosecond laser. The previous COO, Domenic von Planta, has taken on the responsibilities of CEO. www.eye-tech-solutions.com
ALCON TO ACQUIRE AERIE PHARMACEUTICALS
Alcon announced it would acquire US ophthalmic drug company Aerie Pharmaceuticals in a merger. Aerie Pharmaceuticals is best known for Rocklatan® (netarsudil and latanoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.02%/0.005% and Rhopressa® (netarsudil ophthalmic solution) 0.02% eyedrops used primarily for glaucoma treatment. The company also has a pipeline of interesting drugs, including AR-15512, a Phase 3 product candidate for dry eye disease. Alcon also recently expanded its eyedrop portfolio to include exclusive US commercialisation rights to Simbrinza® from Novartis, and Eysuvis® and Inveltys® from Kala Pharmaceuticals. www.alcon.com
