Another year down has brought—per usual—quite the run of newsworthy topics in the eyecare space. From FDA approvals and product launches to the federal agency’s crackdown on unapproved new drugs and misbranded product violations, it’s been a memorable 12 months.
Out of all these updates, though, which caught the eye (pun intended) of our readers the most?
We give you: Our top 10 Glance-ified news coverage.
Let’s start with #10.
The story: Newton (formerly Neurolens) celebrates new Sequel lens technology
- Published: Sept. 18
- Player involved: Newton (though you may know them by their former name: Neurolens)
Your rundown: The innovation company debuted its first lens technology product since announcing a rebrand: Sequel, designed as an alternative for progressive wearers in targeting symptoms associated with digital eye strain and computer vision syndrome.
- Its unique component: Each of its four lens designs features the new Convergence Boost Lens Technology, which improves visual comfort and clarity by enabling the eyes to remain in their most natural position
In this story: Hear from one early adopter optometrist on what sets this lens apart from the Neurolens—including not requiring any specialized measurement devices.
Moving on to #9…
The story: Astronauts’ vision weakens on extended space missions
- Published: Jan. 31
- Players involved:
- Researchers from Maisonneuve Rosemont Hospital Research Center in Quebec, Canada
- Canadian Space Agency
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) investigators
Your rundown: Clinical research demonstrated that long-duration space missions significantly alter astronauts’ ocular biomechanics, contributing to spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS).
- Case in point: In microgravity, fluid shifts toward the head lead to changes such as optic disc edema, globe flattening, and refractive error shifts—affecting 40–70% of ISS astronauts.
The takeaway: Investigators found notable post-flight decreases after 6 to 12 months of exposure to low levels of gravity in three key ocular biomechanics, suggesting they may serve as biomarkers to identify astronauts at risk for SANS during long-duration missions.
#8
The story: TFOS releases DEWS III Diagnostic Methodology report
- Published: June 5
- Player involved: Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS)
Your rundown: TFOS began its rollout of the Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS) III report in late May, starting with updates made to the Diagnostic Methodology section.
- About DEWS III: The newest report incorporates advances in epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical trial design, and factors such as sex, gender, and hormones—and introduces a revised definition of DED, emphasizing it as a symptomatic disease involving loss of homeostasis of the tear film and/or ocular surface.
Other updates to know about: The introduction of Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI)-6, a shorter, standardized symptom questionnaire recommended as the first step in diagnosis to reduce variability seen with previous tools.
- Specifically, this updated diagnostic algorithm now includes the OSDI-6, tear breakup time or osmolarity measurements, and ocular surface staining criteria.
See here (and here) for more coverage on DEWS III.
Now lucky #7.
The story: Congress approves physician-level pay scale for VA optometrists
- Published: Jan. 7
- Players involved: Optometrists (in the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA])
Your rundown: At the start of 2025, Congress passed a bipartisan reform bill granting optometrists (ODs) at the VA long-awaited physician-level pay recognition after years of pay disparity.
- Take note: Since the Veterans Health Administration Optometry Services was created in 1976, OD had remained on the outdated General Schedule (GS) pay scale—with a pay cap hovering far below that of the private sector in many regions.
The new legislation: Dubbed the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 8371) moved the VA’s 1,000+ ODs onto the physician-level pay scale used for physicians, dentists, and podiatrists.
And #6?
The story: Dompe receives FDA priority voucher for NAION intranasal therapy
- Published: Oct. 22
- Players involved:
- Dompé
- FDA
Your rundown: Dompé was selected as one of only nine recipients—and the sole ophthalmic company—to participate in the FDA’s new Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) pilot program
This program: Kicked off in 2025 to expedite the development and review of prescription drugs and biological products that have significant potential to address critical U.S. national priorities.
- How: By reducing the standard review from up to 12 months to as little as 1–2 months (among other advantages)
And in the case of Dompé: The company is developing an intranasal NGF formulation designed to preserve or improve visual function in non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a condition with no approved treatments. Read up on it here.
- The end-game: To submit a Biologics License Application (BLA) in the near future.
#5.
The story: New OCTA CPT code goes into effect
- Published: Jan. 16
- Players involved:
- Centers for Medicaid
- American Medical Association
Your rundown: The Centers for Medicaid's 2025 Medicare Fee Schedule introduced a major update for eyecare providers beginning Jan. 1: a new Category I CPT code (92137) specifically for optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).
- Why this is important: For the last 10 years (when OCTA was first commercialized), the noninvasive imaging technique had been billed under the same code as standard retinal OCT (92134) or its two other expanded codes.
So with this new code: Both traditional OCT and OCTA of the retina must be performed and interpreted on the same day and cannot be billed alongside two other OCT codes (92133 or 92134).
- However: OCTA is allowed to be reported separately when performed during the same visit as three other imaging techniques (see them here).
- And check out how reimbursement for this new code compares to similar codes (OCT and fluorescein angiography included).
#4.
FDA issues Scope Health warning letter over OPTASE ophthalmic products
- Published: Aug. 28
- Players involved:
- Scope Health Inc.
- FDA
Your rundown: The FDA issued a warning letter to Scope Health Inc. in July 2025 after determining that seven OPTASE-branded ophthalmic products were being marketed as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs without meeting federal regulatory requirements. Among the issues:
- The agency found the products to be both unapproved new drugs and misbranded under multiple sections of the Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act
- Several of these products were also determined to lack the required OTC monograph (M018) and contained active ingredients not permitted for ophthalmic demulcent or emollient products—despite those ingredients being labeled as “inactive.”
The aftermath: Scope Health confirmed its response to the agency’s letter that included addressing all points raised” to resolve the situation—as well as emphasized to Glance that the FDA did not raise safety issues and that OPTASE product shipments would continue uninterrupted.
#3
How could new tariffs impact the optical industry?
- Published: March 13
- Player involved:
- The Vision Council
- The United States government
Your rundown: We’re backtracking to the beginning of this year’s ongoing tariff war, when The Vision Council (TVC) hosted a webinar—the first of what would be many over the rest of the year—to offer a warning and preview of the potential impact tariff hikes would have on the optical industry.
- A specific focus: Cost and supply-chain challenge—particularly on Chinese-origin optical products and production (which were hit with steep tariffs) and other impacted goods from Canada and Mexico.
- Of concern: The costs for frames, lenses, readers, goggles, and other optical goods, prompting companies to reassess sourcing and pricing strategies.
To ease the uncertainty: TVC offered members resources to navigate the shifting trade landscape via real-time data tracking and simulation tools, while also making clear its active engagement with policymakers and advocacy for tariff relief.
- And since that first webinar, we’ve continued to cover the latest developments on tariffs (see here and here for those, as well as here for TVC’s call for optical products to be exempted from future tariffs).
#2
VIZZ presbyopia eye drops launch in the US
- Published: Oct. 1
- Player involved: LENZ Therapeutics
Your rundown: Two months following its FDA approval, VIZZ (aceclidine ophthalmic solution) 1.44% made its commercial debut to the U.S. market.
What to know about VIZZ: Starting with its groundbreaking status as the world’s first and only aceclidine-based eye drop approved and indicated for the treatment of presbyopia.
- With a preservative-free formulation, it’s intended for single-use, daily administration.
- The active ingredient aceclidine enables a “pinhole” effect on vision improvement and myopic shift prevention (more details on its uniqueness here)
- And check out the supporting clinical data
At last … now #1.
FDA sends warning letters to three eye drop manufacturers
- Published: Aug. 21
- Players involved:
- Théa Pharma, Inc.
- Covalent Medical (under Focus Vitamins)
- Revitalize Energy, Inc.
Your rundown: July was a busy month for the FDA, as it also issued warning letters to three manufacturers—Théa Pharma, Covalent Medical, and Revitalize Energy.
The reason: The federal agency found their over-the-counter (OTC) eye drop products to be unapproved new drugs and misbranded under the FD&C Act.
- Among the issues identified with these products:
- Failure to meet requirements of the OTC ophthalmic monograph (M018), including inconsistent labeling claims
- Not being regarded as generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE)
- A lack of required federal applications (and therefore could not be legally sold in interstate commerce)
The aftermath: While Théa and Revitalize both confirmed that they had submitted responses to the FDA—along with an emphasis on compliance and actions taken to remedy the issues—Covalent Medical never returned Glance’s request for comment.
Lots of news .... anything else we should take away from the last 12 months?
We can’t forget about the year’s plethora of FDA approvals and commercial product launches.