Abdominal cramps should be considered an adverse effect of Travatan (travoprost, Alcon), according to a case study in Januarys American Journal of Ophthalmology. Flu-like symptoms (abdominal cramps, malaise and URI) were reported in 4% of patients participating in clinical trials of travoprost but seldom reported postmarketing, the authors state.

Jack E. Terry, O.D., Ph.D., has been named the new executive director of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO), which is moving its offices from Bethesda, Md., to Charlotte, N.C. The executive director, Norman E. Wallis, Ph.D., O.D., will step down after 25 years in office.

Researchers have identified a protein that plays a key role in the early stages of allergic response, says a report in the online Journal of Clinical Investigation. Macrophage inflammatory protein-1a (MIP-1a), found in the conjunctiva, plays a critical role in the first 24 hours of an allergic response. The researchers say their results suggest that drugs that block MIP-1a from binding to its receptors may help in the treatment of ocular and other kinds of allergies.