By Staff
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 12:27 AM
>NEW YORK—Beginning its next chapter, armed with the investment and health care perspectives from its new financial partner at
Goldman Sachs,
MyEyeDr. (MED) is viewing the future as one which will amplify its efforts to put the patient experience front and center. Its leadership team is poised to employ technology in a range of ways, from those that streamline and make patient service more actionable, to an approach that further develops professional paths for its optometrists and raises vision care’s profile and awareness among patients and other provider groups in the health care field.
By Staff
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 12:24 AM
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The
Department of Justice (DOJ) announced January 15 that it will not challenge a proposal by the
American Optometric Association to expand its group purchasing organization’s (GPO) activities to include the purchase of optometric products for resale to consumers, specifically eyeglass lenses, frames, and contact lenses. According to a
statement issued by the DOJ, the proposed expansion of the AOA’s purchasing activities, conducted through a program known as
AOAExcel, is “unlikely to produce anticompetitive effects.” Moreover, the expansion could produce discounts for the Association’s members and ultimately lead to lower prices for optometric products for consumers, the DOJ said.
By Staff
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 12:21 AM
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.—The theme at
De Rigo REM’s 2020 National Sales meeting, which took place at the West Drift Marriott from Jan 9–11, was “One Company, One Team, One Message,” emphasized by De Rigo REM North America’s president and CEO Alessandro Baronti. Over the course of the three-day event, the De Rigo REM team and guests were walked through the company’s upcoming product releases, merchandising and sales strategy exercises and a teambuilding workshop led by leadership coach Robb Braun.
By Staff
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 12:18 AM
SARATOGA, Calif.—
Mojo Vision, a Silicon Valley-based startup, announced last week that it is building a new type of smart contact lens called Mojo Lens. The company describes Mojo Lens as “a contact lens with a built-in display that gives people the useful and timely information they want without forcing them to look down at a screen or losing focus on the people and the world around them.” Mojo calls this eyes-up experience “Invisible Computing, a platform that enables information to be instantaneous, unobtrusive and available hands-free, and will allow people to interact with each other more freely and genuinely.”
By Staff
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 12:15 AM
NEW YORK—
Vision Source has announced a mobile vision clinic tour of 13 major U.S. cities in 2020 to raise awareness for the importance of an annual comprehensive eye exam. Along the tour, Vision Source doctors and staff will provide free exams and corrective eyewear to families across the country who do not have access to vision care. The tour began in Charlotte, North Carolina last week and will also travel to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington D.C. Locally licensed doctors within the Vision Source network will staff the events, which will be equipped to support all aspects of a comprehensive eye exam.
By Staff
Friday, January 17, 2020 12:27 AM
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—
The Vision Council announced Thursday that the U.S. and China have signed a phase one trade deal that requires structural reforms to China’s economic and trade regimes. The agreement also will lead to a modification of a portion of the existing Section 301 China tariffs. This modification is “a point of interest” to association members who import Chinese-origin product, The Vision Council noted. The overall reforms will be seen in the areas of intellectual property, forced technology transfers, financial services, agriculture, and currency and financial exchanges. In addition, China has agreed to purchase substantial quantities of U.S. origin goods and services in the coming years.
By Staff
Friday, January 17, 2020 12:24 AM
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—
BrightBenefits, a new employee benefits company formed last year, announced several new additions to its executive leadership team. Under the leadership of president Danny Bentley, and along with Tim Carney, executive vice president and chief sales officer, these additions will help further establish the company in the dental and vision insurance industries and strategically position it in the marketplace, the company said. Jennifer Hill, Brynn Ray and Jena Wendel are the new executives who will bring a range of experience to their new roles. VMail reported about the establishment of BrightBenefits
late last year. BrightBenefits, a national dental and vision insurance business, is a strategic partnership between National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) and Insurance Capital Group (ICG). NGL and ICG, through its Federal Life Group, Inc. affiliate, have jointly developed and launched BrightBenefits. Policies will be issued by NGL and by Commercial Travelers Insurance Company.
By Staff
Friday, January 17, 2020 12:21 AM
LONDON—
Mondottica International announced that its founder and CEO, Michael Jardine, has stepped down from his CEO role effective January 1, 2020. The CEO role has been immediately assumed by Tony Pessok, chief commercial officer, who joined the Group from Perry Ellis International earlier last year, as
VMail reported. Jardine will continue as a substantial shareholder and member of the board of directors with the title of founder and honorary chairman. He will continue to work from his office at Mondottica’s headquarters in Hong Kong. Stated Jardine, “We started Mondottica two decades ago and there is a nice symmetry in handing over the reins on the cusp of the new decade to come. We have accomplished much in 20 years and I am now excited to see the new C-Suite bring it to an even greater level in the future.”
By Staff
Friday, January 17, 2020 12:18 AM
DUBLIN—
Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), a global pharmaceutical company with more than 70 years of heritage in eyecare, announced a partnership with Von Miller, a former Super Bowl MVP, Denver Broncos linebacker and advocate for healthy vision, to shine a light on the millions of people living with glaucoma. As an ambassador for the
“My Glaucoma” campaign, Miller will address the misunderstandings and impact of glaucoma and encourage those with the disease, and their caregivers, to take early action, according to the announcement this week. This includes going to the doctor regularly and taking medications as prescribed.
By Staff
Friday, January 17, 2020 12:15 AM
NEW YORK—Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday there will be no
VMAIL issued on Monday, Jan. 20, 2020.
VMAIL is scheduled to resume its regular schedule on Tuesday, Jan. 21. To catch up on all the week’s news, look for
VMAIL Weekend coming your way this Saturday, Jan. 18, with all of its regular features including Today’s Read and ICYMI. And on Monday, Jan. 20, look for
Vision Monday’s January digital edition on
VisionMonday.com.
By Staff
Thursday, January 16, 2020 12:24 AM
NEW YORK—Luxottica Wholesale N.A. said it is investing in the evolution of its independent optical sales division, which accounts for the largest component of the company’s overall sales force. The independent optical sales division is made up of approximately 300 salespeople who serve ECPs throughout North America with Luxottica’s brands. "These changes will strengthen Luxottica’s consultative approach to ECPs by putting greater focus on brands and customer support," a company spokesperson told
VMAIL, adding, "the evolution is designed to empower Luxottica’s talent and rally them together as part of one family. The primary change will be a greater focus on brands."
By Staff
Thursday, January 16, 2020 12:21 AM
SAN RAMON, Calif.—
CooperVision, which is preparing for the March 2020 U.S. launch of
MiSight 1 day contact lenses, has kicked off the new year by announcing this week the details of its comprehensive myopia management approach. An initial group of eyecare professionals (ECPs) gathered in Miami on Jan. 7-8 to learn about the “Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program” and to prepare to prescribe the MiSight 1 day lens to patients. CooperVision’s MiSight 1 day lens is the first and only product approved by the Food and Drug Administration for slowing the progression of myopia when initially prescribed for children 8-12 years old, as
VMAIL reported.
By Staff
Thursday, January 16, 2020 12:18 AM
LAKE FOREST, Calif.—
Staar Surgical has gained CE Mark approval for use of its
ICL as a supplemental or “piggyback” lens in post-cataract IOL surgery patients (pseudophakics).
By Staff
Thursday, January 16, 2020 12:15 AM
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—
Eversight has announced that two new members and a new chair have been named to its board of directors, effective Jan. 1, 2020. Eversight is a nonprofit organization with a mission to restore sight and prevent blindness through the healing power of donation, transplantation and research. Joining the Eversight board of directors are Carolyn Welsh, vice president & chief clinical officer, NJ Sharing Network, and Mahmoud N. Ghazzi, MD, Ph.D, MPH, an experienced researcher and biopharmaceutical consultant.
By Staff
Wednesday, January 15, 2020 12:24 AM
LAKE FOREST, Calif.—
Staar Surgical (NASDAQ: STAA) said yesterday that it expects fourth quarter and fiscal year net sales for the year ended Jan. 3, 2020 to increase approximately 25 percent and 21 percent over the prior year periods, respectively. Total net sales for the fourth quarter and fiscal year are expected to be approximately $38.9 million and $150.2 million, respectively, as compared to the company’s outlook for $37.6 million and $149.0 million most recently provided on Nov. 8, 2019.