Bausch + Lomb launched a reformulated version of its PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula eye vitamins at the 2013 American Society of Retina Specialists Annual Meeting in late August. This reformulated version was updated to match the latest nutritional supplement recommendations from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2). A daily dose of the revised PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula provides 500mg vitamin C, 400IU vitamin E, 10mg lutein, 2mg zeaxanthin, 80mg zinc and 2mg copper. The most notable change from the original 2010 formulation was the elimination of 1,000mg of omega-3 fatty acids.

Oral beta-carotene supplementation improves visual function in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), according to a study in August’s JAMA Ophthalmology. Israeli researchers found that 34.5% of patients treated with beta-carotene exhibited a significant improvement in dark-adapted maximal b-wave amplitude compared to zero patients treated with a placebo. Beta-carotene may represent a new therapeutic approach for some patients with RP, the investigators concluded.

The FDA has approved Tivicay (dolutegravir, GlaxoSmithKline), a once-daily drug for the most common form of HIV. Classified as an integrase inhibitor, Tivicay blocks the virus from entering healthy cells. The drug is indicated to treat infected adults as a first-line therapy, or may be prescribed to established HIV patients who have previously tried other agents. Additionally, Tivicay may be prescribed to HIV+ children ages 12 and older.