Bausch & Lomb Invests in AcuFocus

Bausch & Lomb announced today it has made an equity investment in and secured an exclusive option to purchase AcuFocus Inc., an Irvine, Calif., company that is developing corneal inlay technology for the treatment of presbyopia. The announcement was made at Hawaiian Eye 2007, a meeting of ophthalmic surgeons being held this week in Kauai, Hawaii; it is sponsored by Alcon Laboratories Inc., Allergan, Bausch & Lomb, EagleVision, Genentech, Pfizer Ophthalmics and Refractec Inc.

The AcuFocus ACI 7000 is designed to treat presbyopia, a normal result of aging that reduces the ability of the eye to focus on near objects. Traditionally, most people with presbyopia have had to use reading glasses to improve their near vision. The AcuFocus corneal inlay is designed to treat presbyopia in all patients, including those who have had cataract surgery, and to reduce their dependence on reading glasses.

The inlay is implanted in the cornea under a lasik flap in an outpatient procedure. The device incorporates technology that increases the patient’s depth of field, thereby improving near vision, the manufacturer said, and is designed to maintain normal corneal physiology and corneal health. The procedure does not involve tissue removal and does not permanently alter the cornea, so pre-implant vision can be restored if the inlay is removed, AcuFocus said.

Clinical studies have reportedly demonstrated that the ACI 7000 improves near vision in patients who previously didn’t require vision correction (emmetropes) and in those who have had lasik surgery. Trials are being conducted to study the ACI 7000 in patients with intraocular lenses.

Daniel S. Durrie, MD, a clinical professor and director of refractive surgery services at the University of Kansas Medical Center and principal investigator in AcuFocus clinical studies, said, “Current surgical presbyopic solutions involve compromises that can negatively affect the quality of vision for many patients. The ACI 7000 corneal inlay is designed to remove those compromises through a safe and simple procedure. Moreover, preclinical studies performed outside of the US show excellent early results and high patient satisfaction.”

Ed Peterson, president and CEO of AcuFocus, said, “With Bausch & Lomb’s investment, we can accelerate and broaden our efforts to bring this exciting technology to refractive surgeons and their patients.”

For more informatin, visit: www.bausch.com