Ahead of Alcon completing its purchase of LumiThera, Inc., two of LumiThera’s ophthalmic diagnostic products have been spun off to be sold under the name of a newly-established company: OpZira Inc.
Let’s begin with this LumiThera purchase.
Alcon initially announced plans to acquire the global ophthalmic medical device company—and the Valeda Light Delivery System (LDS), its photobiomodulation (PBM) flagship product for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—over the summer.
Fast forward to this week: The companies officially closed on the deal, adding the PBM system to Alcon’s vitreoretinal surgical product portfolio.
And what about those two diagnostic products?
Per the acquisition agreement, the products would not be included. Instead, they’d be separated and sold to LumiThera’s shareholders prior to the transaction.
- As such: This spin-off led to the formation of OpZira, Inc.
What do we know about this company so far?
Established on Sept. 3 and headquartered in Middletown, Pennsylvania, OpZira is described as a “forward-thinking” ophthalmic medical device company.
- Plus, its president and CEO is a familiar face: Clark Tedford, PhD, former president, CEO, and co-founder of LumiThera.
Tedford noted that the new company OpZira was founded to “bridge the gap between groundbreaking research and practical clinical tools.”
- “Our mission is to give eye care professionals the technology they need to detect ocular diseases earlier and monitor them more effectively,” he stated.
Now circle back and tell me about these products.
We’ll start with the AdaptDx Pro, a wearable dark adaptometer featuring built-in artificial intelligence (AI)—including an AI technician—and advanced, precision eye-tracking technology that automatically aligns with patients’ eyes and monitors fixation.
- Refresh: Dark adaptation refers to a biological process in which the eyes (retina) gradually adjust to low-light levels after exposure to (bright) light in order to see better in the dark.
And its purpose?
The device is intended to make dark adaptation testing more accessible for eyecare providers (ECPs) by removing the need for a darkroom.
How: By measuring the time for retinal adaptation following exposure to an adapting light.
- And its design entails a lightweight, portable headset with custom eyecups that form a light-proof seal, creating a portable darkroom.
But take note: The AdaptDx has not been FDA-approved for use in the detection or diagnosis of any particular ocular disease (including AMD).
Noted. And the second product?
That would be the NOVA Vision Testing System, which analyzes the entire visual and neuro-visual pathway via two non-invasive diagnostic tests:
- Visual Evoked Potential (VEP): Measures the brain’s electrical response to visual stimuli and evaluates the visual pathway’s function from the eyes to the visual cortex within the brain
- Electroretinography (ERG): Measures the electrical activity of the retina in response to light stimuli and assesses photoreceptors’ (and other retinal cells’) function by detecting electrical signals based on the retina’s processing of light
- Diagnoses and monitors retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), AMD, and diabetic retinopathy
So are both already available in the United States?
According to OpZira, yes.
Both the AdaptDx and the NOVA system’s VEP testing module are available for commercial distribution across the country.
- However: The ERG module is currently only available outside of the United States (no word on when or if that will change).
For purchasing questions, contact the company.