Kansas City, Missouri-based Vital Tears has named Joseph Tauber, MD, an internationally recognized ocular surface disease (OSD) specialist, as chief medical officer (CMO).
Refresh me on Vital Tears.
Founded in 2015, Vital Tears is a leading provider of autologous serum eye drops (ASEDs)—also known as “serum tears.”
Co-founded by Stephens Instruments, an ophthalmic device manufacturer, and nonprofit Saving Sight, which processes all Vital Tears orders, the company was launched in response to “corneal specialists’ call for a more convenient method of providing patients with serum tears.”
What makes them unique?
Per the company, Vital Tears are:
- Preservative free
- Custom-made for patients
- Formulated using validated safety procedures
- Microfiltered to remove pathogens
Details on how the tears process works can be found here (for patients) and here (for eyecare providers).
Talk about ASEDs for a moment.
ASEDs were first used in 1975 to treat chemical burns in the eye. Formulated from a serum of blood combined with sterile saline, the resulting solution is “a lubricating fluid rich in certain nutrients and growth factors that may be missing in very dry eyes,” including:
- Fibronectin
- Vitamin A
- Ascorbic acid
- Neurotrophins
- Immunoglobulins
- Epidermal growth factor
Note: “Autologous” refers to the serum being derived from the human body.
Aside from dry eyes, what are ASEDs used to treat?
Severe dry eye disease (DED) as well as a number of corneal conditions, such as recurrent corneal erosion; neurotrophic keratitis; corneal neuropathic pain; and persistent epithelial defects, to name a few.
Click here for an all-you-need-to-know guide on ASEDs.
Alrighty, now tell me about Dr. Tauber.
Founder of Tauber Eye Center in Kansas City, Missouri, Dr. Tauber is a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in anterior segment surgery; corneal transplantation; corneal and external disease treatment; as well as laser vision correction procedures.
Go on …
His experience also extends to:
- Serving as principal investigator of dozens of clinical research programs, including for:
- Serving as principal investigator in 125+ research studies for high-risk corneal transplantation; inflammation and allergic eye diseases; corneal infectious diseases; and dry eye
- Operating as one of the first surgeons (in 1989) in the United States to perform laser vision correction procedures
See here for more details on his accolades and memberships.
So what will his role entail at Vital Tears?
Dr. Tauber will be leading the company’s research and development initiatives, providing physician education and training, as well as acting as the primary medical liaison between Vital Tears and the medical community.
He will also support the company’s market access initiatives to expand insurance coverage for serum tears across the United States.
And what does the company have to say about him?
According to Vital Tears President Rajan Shukla, Dr. Tauber’s extensive background in cornea and OSD and his commitment to patient care “align perfectly with Vital Tears’ mission to enhance our patients’ quality of life through the delivery of life-changing treatments.”