LumiThera and Optos Announce Collaboration to Commercialize the Valeda™ Light Delivery System for Treating Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Europe

LumiThera Inc., a commercial-stage medical device company focused on developing photobiomodulation (PBM) therapies for ocular disorders and disease, announced a distribution agreement with Optos Plc, a division of Nikon, Inc., Japan to exclusively distribute the Valeda™ Light Delivery System for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 12 European countries. Optos is recognized as the leading provider of ultra-widefield retinal imaging devices to eyecare professionals for improved patient eye care. The announcement follows the recent CE Mark Certification for the European Union (EU) for the treatment of dry AMD utilizing LumiThera’s Valeda™ Light Delivery System.

“The Distribution agreement with Optos allows LumiThera to begin commercialization throughout Europe and establishes a collaboration with a partner in the retinal imaging area,” stated Clark Tedford, Ph.D., LumiThera President and CEO. “Optos is a global leader in ultra-widefield retinal imaging technologies and we are honored to be working with them to open up a new age in the treatment of AMD.”

“Optos is pleased to add the Valeda™ Light Delivery System to our product range and to further support eye care professionals to diagnose and manage retinal diseases. This arrangement allows our customers to visualize AMD in the far periphery with color and autofluorescence ultra-widefield retinal imaging and provide a PBM treatment for dry AMD. This is very important for the patients who have this complicated, degenerative disease,” stated Robert Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer, Optos.

LumiThera recently sponsored a symposium on PBM in ocular disease and presented final data from the LIGHTSITE I study at the Euretina conference in September 2018 and has a multi-center trial in Europe planned to begin in the near term to further support clinical, anatomical, and patient benefits with the Valeda™ Light Delivery System. The therapy consists of a series of light-based treatments to the retinal cells, resulting in improved energy production and addressing inflammation, ischemia and metabolic dysfunction that contribute to the disease.

View the press release on Lumithera website at www.lumithera.com

Disclosure: I am an investor in Lumithera a) because it successfully treats an unmet medical need, (dry AMD) b) I think it will be the first billion dollar photobiomodulation company.