Just 3 months after announcing new industry leader additions to its team, Ace Vision Group, Inc. (AVG) has named industry veteran Val Kolesnichenko, MD, as its chief scientific officer (CSO).
I need a refresher on this company.
Established in 2006 and with headquarters located in Boston, Massachusetts, AVG is a privately-held ophthalmic laser device company focused on developing laser-based therapeutic technologies to treat age-related eye diseases and restore the eye’s natural performance.
Its current product development: the VisioLite ophthalmic laser for presbyopia (more on that in a moment).
Now tell me about this new CSO.
With over 30 years of experience in clinical ophthalmology practice and industry, Dr. Kolesnitchenko most recently served as executive director of Global Scientific Affairs at Bausch + Lomb.
Prior to that, he also held leadership roles in the Medical Affairs area at Alcon.
Per AVG founder and CEO AnnMarie Hipsley, DPT, PhD, Dr. Kolesnitchenko’s experience also extends to working with cross-functional team members in order to facilitate clinical studies and advise on device regulatory and technical requirements.
So what will his focus be?
As CSO, he’ll be instrumental in the company’s preparations for medical device regulatory submissions—including that of the VisioLite laser device, the company’s flagship technology, according to Dr. Hipsley.
Explain that technology.
The VisioLite laser device—officially named the VisioLite Ophthalmic Laser System—is a proprietary technology used for AVG’s Laser Scleral Microporation (LSM) therapy.
Back in 2021, the company closed on $13.4 million of Series A funding to support its continued development.
Note: LSM is intended to restore the eye’s natural dynamic range of focus (DRoF), enabling the patient's vision to see clearly at all distances using the eye’s natural functionality, according to AVG.
Go on …
AVG is designing the VisioLite for LSM as the first in-office laser therapeutic for age-related vision loss associated with presbyopia.
Also note: Both technologies are currently being evaluated in clinical trials outside of the United States.