• InVitria (Fort Collins, Colorado) has reported the commercial launch of two protease-free recombinant albumin products. InVitria claims that its Recombinant Albumin-DX and Recombinant Albumin-DX (Lipid-Free) perform better in diagnostics applications than both bovine serum albumin (BSA) and plasma-derived human serum albumin (pHSA). The company says that the advantages of Recombinant Albumin-DX include: Reduced non-specific binding and improve specificity; Improved consistency due to recombinant manufacturing; Improved stabilization of sensitive proteins and biomarkers; and Reduce occupational safety risk and regulatory burden of handling human or animal blood products.

• STAAR Surgical (Monrovia, California) reported the release of the Afinity Collamer aspheric single-piece new technology intraocular lens (NTIOL). NTIOLs are intraocular lenses (IOLs) designated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as providing new clinical benefits. The STAAR lens can be delivered into the eye through a 2.2 mm micro-incision using STAAR's new nanoPoint Injector System. The Collamer material is a lens material composed of collagen, a UV-absorbing chromophore, and a poly-HEMA based copolymer.