Optos Forms Primary Eye Care Advisory Council
18.07.2006
MARLBOROUGH, MA, July 18, 2006 – Optos is pleased to announce it has formed a Primary Eye Care Advisory Council to consult on strategy development relating to its core primary eye care market. The Advisory Council, which will be comprised of key eye care professionals representing a broad cross section of the profession, will consult on various issues such as customer relationships and satisfaction levels, marketing and operational processes.
“The formation of the Primary Eye Care Advisory Council is important as Optos continues to grow its presence in this core market and as primary eye care faces various challenges that will shape the future of the industry, such as changing demographics, consumer trends, increasing movement in point of care and the impact of technology,” said Ian Stevens, General Manager, Optos North America.
Members of the Primary Eye Care Advisory Council include: David Nelson, O.D., Chair, past President of the American Optometric Association, Eye Contact, Vision Source, Madison, WI; William Jones, O.D., FAAO, author, lecturer, private practice, peripheral retinal specialist, Albuquerque, NM; Jerome Sherman, O.D., FAAO, author, lecturer, distinguished professor, private practice, New York, NY; Tom Lewis, O.D., president, Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Philadelphia, PA; Gregg Ossip, O.D., Ossip Optometry, Five Plus Corporate Optometry, Indianapolis, IN; and Donald Digby, M.D., Digby & Associates, Ophthalmology, primary and secondary care, Greensboro, NC.
“Optos is experiencing widespread utilization of the optomap® Retinal Exam in primary eyecare around the world,” said David Nelson, OD. “Technologic change in many health care fields is evolving rapidly, and these changes are very profound in eyecare. The Primary Eye Care Advisory Council is the next step and is designed to further the significant efforts in integrating the optomap® Retinal Exam into eyecare practices and supporting efforts to Discover, Diagnose and Determine.”
The Primary Eye Care Advisory Council will meet twice a year, and recently had its first meeting in Las Vegas, NV during Optometry’s Meeting™ in Las Vegas NV on June 21, 2006. In addition to providing strategic counsel, members will also help Optos strengthen its relationships within the primary eye care market via lectures, articles, web presentations and other similar efforts.
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.
The Company has recently gained regulatory clearance (CE and FDA 510(k)) to market a second device - P200MA. The P200MA is aimed at the specialist ophthalmic and medical as opposed to the primary care market. It is designed to produce an angiographic retinal image called optomap® fa that supports medical procedures by providing enhanced diagnostic, monitoring and treatment capabilities. 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 estimates that its P200 device is targeting a recurring US$2 billion market opportunity. Approximately 8.0 million optomap® Retinal Exams have been conducted in the Company’s existing markets, currently the US, Canada, UK and Germany, to date. Optos had revenues of US$48.4 million in 2005, its last full financial year and as at 31 March 2006 had approximately 220 employees serving more than 2,250 customers. Optos plc is headquartered in Dunfermline, Scotland and was admitted to the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange on 15 February 2006 trading under the symbol OPTS.