The National Eye Institute has awarded a $6.1 million grant to Pennsylvania College of Optometry to study the effectiveness of two clinical approaches to convergence insufficiency. The Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial (CITT) will compare the effectiveness of home-based pencil push-up therapy and office-based vision therapy.

Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc. announced that it will acquire Laser Diagnostic Technologies, Inc. (LDT). The companies plan to close the merger before the end of the year.

Phase III data from Eli Lilly indicate that an investigational compound, ruboxistaurin, may reduce vision loss from diabetic macular edema (DME). Diabetic patients with central macular involvement who took 32mg of ruboxistaurin daily had higher average visual acuity than patients who took a placebo71 letters correct vs. 60 letters. Also, patients in the treated group had less progression of DME than patients in the placebo group20% vs. 31%.

In other diabetes news, a study from England, published in the November Archives of Ophthalmology, found that patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension who kept their blood pressure very tightly controlled had fewer diabetic-related eye disorders.