Optos plc
LONDON, UK, 1 May 2008 – Optos plc (LSE: OPTS), a leading medical technology company for the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of retinal imaging devices, is today announcing that its P200 device has supported a team of scientists led by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in a clinical trial where gene therapy has been used to safely restore vision in three young adults with a rare form of congenital blindness.
Subjects in the study had a form of retinal degeneration known as Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) which causes blindness by damaging the retina so it can no longer process light. The LCA2 form of the disease results from genetic defects in the RPE65 gene, causing an important enzyme to be missing in the visual cycle. This means that the vitamin A derivative used to create neural signals in response to light is not correctly formed in the retina and hence vision cannot occur properly. There is no established treatment. Although the patients have not achieved normal eyesight the preliminary results have set the stage for further studies.
Commenting on the support provided by Optos’ technology, Eric A. Pierce, MD, PhD, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said:
“Optos’ P200 has been used to collect wide-field views of the patient’s retina. This enables the context of the disease to be understood. Post therapy, progression of treated and untreated areas can be reviewed easily. Because this kind of lack of visual function is often associated with rapid eye movements or nystagmus, the speed of image collection enables a holistic view to be captured where other techniques fail.”
The results of the clinical trial were presented at annual meeting of The Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) being held 27 April - 1 May 2008 and have been published in New England Journal of Medicine.
Thomas W. Butts, Chief Executive Officer, Optos plc, said:
“We congratulate the team at CHOP on this remarkable step in restoring vision and are delighted to be associated with the work and to provide on-going imaging support."
< ENDS >
Enquiries
Optos plc
John McNeil, Company Secretary +44 (0)1383 843 337
Maitland
Neil Bennett +44 (0)20 7379 5151
Note to Editors
Optos plc is a leading and rapidly growing medical technology company for the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of devices that image the retina, the light-sensitive area at the back of the eye. Optos' platform technology is the Panoramic200 Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope device - known as the P200. In a quarter of a second the P200 device produces a high resolution image of up to 200 degrees or approximately 82 percent of the retina in a single capture. The image - branded the optomap® Retinal Exam - provides eye care practitioners with clinically useful information that facilitates the early detection of disorders and diseases evidenced in the retina, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Retinal imaging can also indicate evidence of non-eye or systemic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers. Optos' technology provides an unequalled combination of wide-field retinal imaging, speed and convenience for both practitioner and patient and can help save sight and save lives. Optos is incorporated in Scotland under the Companies Act 1985 with registered number SC139953. The Company maintains its Registered Office at Queensferry House, Carnegie Business Campus, Dunfermline, Scotland KY11 8GR United Kingdom.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates and projections about its industry, its beliefs and assumptions. Words such as 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'estimates,' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control, are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. The Company cautions shareholders and prospective shareholders not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the view of the Company only as of the date of this announcement. The forward-looking statements made in this announcement relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. The Company will not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions or updates to these forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or unanticipated events occurring after the date of this announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory authority.