The end of presbyopia

[rbaker]

Very interesting article in today’s issue of Mass High Tech. Is this finally the end of the “heartbreak of presbyopia?”

Dick
www.aerovisiontech.com



Cambridge eyecare entrepreneur scouts familiar territory south of the border

06/20/2005 08:07 AM

By Dyke Hendrickson

Not many startups look to Mexico City for initial funding but Osio Corp. has launched with a unique game plan.

Its principals are from Mexico, and soon they will be calling on deep-pocketed investors there with hopes of getting the nascent company off the ground. “Mexico doesn’t have venture money exactly,” said Alberto Osio, a founder of the Cambridge vision-enhancement company, “but there are people there with money, and they would be acting as angels.

“We need to raise money so that we can move toward approval from the Food and Drug Administration. And we don’t think it’s that far off.”

Osio schooled in Mexico and is a MBA student at MIT’s SloanSchool. Osio Corp. was a finalist in the recent Harvard Biotechnology Club business plan competition. His experience includes six years of international management experience with Hormel Foods and Grupo Herdez (Mexico’s largest food company) in Mexico, United States and China.

Another asset he possesses is a close link to an eminent scientist — his father. Chief scientific officer is Dr. Alberto Osio Sancho, a surgeon in Mexico City. Osio Sancho is an experienced practitioner in the field of refractive and cataract surgery and the inventor of the company’s technology. Company officials say he is recognized internationally as a pioneer in refractive surgery.

Which is good, because Osio Corp. is focusing on eye care.

It is targeting presbyopia, a common condition that degrades the eye’s ability to focus on close objects. It is prevalent among those nearing middle-age whose diminishing sight requires them to consider glasses, especially for reading. Osio’s patent-pending Topical Presbyopia Procedure purports to be a safe, non-invasive and effective procedure available to treat presbyopes using a combination of personalized contact lenses, specially formulated eye drops and specification software. Under Dr. Osio’s direction, close to 150 individuals in controlled trials using the TOPP technology have been treated successfully.

The next stage of development will be to raise money and start trials. To that end, the company is looking to add members to its management team.

Company officials say its competitive advantage lies in the capability to correct presbyopia without invasive surgery or recurring eyeglasses or contact lens costs. Osio has patented its TOPP treatment method. And the new company is targeting a large economic opportunity.

Almost 70 million Baby Boomers require some optical aids, according to national figures. Osio officials say these people are under-served because they are not “perfect candidates” for surgery, and might not want to continue to wear contacts or reading glasses.

Jonathan Fleming, managing partner at Oxford Bioscience Partners, said he is impressed with the fledgling enterprise. “I like the spirit and ambition of the company,” said Fleming, who met Alberto Osio while he (Fleming) was teaching an entrepreneurship course at MIT. “Its members have showed initiative, and they’ve got good people involved, including Alberto’s father, who showed that this technology works.

“They are focusing on a condition that is a problem for many people. One of their challenges after developing the product is to find customers who will choose that option and pay the price point that Osio eventually sets.
“It’s a crowded marketplace but there is a need.”

Osio offers a solution in which TOPP reshapes the cornea to change the focal distance of light entering the eye using personalized contact lenses as a corneal shape pattern and specially formulated eye drops as a catalytic agent. The TOPP course of treatment can be prescribed by an optometrist. It is completed within two weeks, depending on the patient and level of correction required.

Robert Langer, the award-winning MIT professor and inventor, said their technology has potential. “I know them a little,” he said, “and they seem smart, nice.” adding that the company is pursuing a large economic target.



Citation: http://www.masshightech.com/displaya...p?art_ID=68948

[rbaker]

Some additional info and a contact.

Osio Corporation
Contact: Alberto Osio
alosio@sloan.mit.edu
Osio Corp's patent pending Topical Presbyopia Procedure (TOPP) is the only safe, non-invasive and effective procedure available to treat presbyopes or "short arms disease" (up-close vision loss) using an ingenious combination of personalized contact lenses, specially formulated eye drops and integrating specification software. TOPP has already completed the discovery phase and controlled trials with 150 successful treatments under the supervision of its inventor. The next stage of development will be to pursue United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval before launching commercially to every optical retail outlets (i.e. Lens Crafters) and eye clinics across the US.

[Myoptic33]

This sounds very interesting for my mom, a contact lense wearer. My sister still seems to have very good accomodation abilities and she can read no problem with her full power contacts, lucky her! Shes only 17 so this might be a factor too. I am much older, being 23 I cant accomodate half as good as she can. With full power contacts, anything less than about 40cm starts blurring, worse the closer I move in. This means I have to read with my arms extended to put stuff at least half meter away to make reading less an effort. For this reason and the fact contacts also dry my eyes I hardly wear them and when I do, its the weak ones for close range like reading, eating and watching my pet goldfish :p With glasses I can just take em off and move up 9-12 inches close up to read with my -5 pescription. I dont see much of a point in that for me unless I wear full power contacts where itll be a hassle to remove em everytime I read or enjoy a meal or have to carry readers with me.

[chip anderson]

If you are 23, or even 33 and have "normal eyes" your contacts are way too strong. Have the doctor refract over your contacts with your eyes dilated. Bet he finds something wrong. You should not have trouble accomodating until 40 and most females don't admit it until 42 or 43. No one at 17 or 23 should have this problem unless they have had congenital catarac surgery or some other unusual problem.


Chip

Yea, Steve you can delete this for unqualified medical (optometric) advice but give her a chance to read it first.

[Joann Raytar]

Chip, in short, you basically advised Myoptic33 to see a doctor so your good on this one. Just as long as no one takes the subject further.

[Myoptic33]

yea I should do that. However glasses are almost as bad with my -5 glasses making nearby things blurry. I went to one of the glasses stores and they had reading glasses and a chart telling you what strength you need. I stood the 14 inches away they instruct you to and the finer print was readable but blurry. Then I put reading glasses over my glasses and the fine print instantly became very sharp and in focus. At least with glasses I just take em off then I can read just fine from my natural focal point.


However I wont need reading glasses as long as I dont wear contacts(which I dont, no point in it)and as long as I dont get surgury. My mild presbyopia is one reason for keeping my myopia. Some people have it much worse and they cant read at all with their full power glasses, I can if I hold it arm length away and still can if I move it closer but it gets blurrier and blurrier. To say, my arms are still long enough but its just much easier to take my glasses and read up close. I also want reduced power minus glasses to read fine from 12-16 inches