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Carl Zeiss Meditec to distribute Notal Vision macular degeneration diagnostic device from Globes April 28, 2003 Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc. announced today that it has signed an agreement with Tel Aviv-based Notal Vision Ltd. for worldwide distribution rights for a novel new perimetry device for the detection and management of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Carl Zeiss Meditec plans to introduce the product in the United States this fall and in Europe and Asia sometime afterwards. Notal Vision Ltd. is a venture capital funded start-up company based in Tel Aviv, Israel. The company's founders are two ophthalmologists, Dr. Yair Alster, M.D. and Dr. Barak Azmon, M.D. AMD affects more than eight million Americans, making it the most common cause of severe, irreversible vision loss among people age 50 and older in the United States. In a clinical study filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the new device was shown to be more than twice as likely to detect the presence of AMD than the current standard diagnostic. The impressive results have led researchers to believe that treatment for AMD could be initiated earlier than is currently possible. The current standard for detecting changes in the retina from AMD is the Amsler grid, which is simply a pattern of intersecting straight lines that form perfect squares. The patient focuses on a large dot in the middle of the grid and notes any areas where the lines appear to be broken, blurry or wavy. Patients are tested over a period of time to detect changes in their vision. However, one of the problems with the Amsler grid is that the results are based solely on a patient's perception which often does not detect physical abnormalities on the retina caused by AMD. In addition, the self-test nature of the Amsler grid may miss subtle changes in the patient's sight, potentially causing critical delays in the start of therapy. The new technology, developed by Notal Vision, employs a concept known as hyperacuity to painlessly and non-invasively detect the retinal lesions from AMD that can lead to loss of central vision. "Our collaboration with Notal Vision is an important step in providing clinicians and patients around the world with a much-needed, non-invasive and highly sensitive diagnostic test for AMD," said Jim Taylor, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc. "We are excited about the opportunity to further enable clinicians and patients to better manage this debilitating disease." Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc. is the wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, a publicly traded company on the German stock exchange |
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