Contact:
Karen Whelan, Public Relations & Practice Marketing Specialist
508-787-1461
kwhelan@optos.com
Optos Joins InfantSEE™ Family Tree
02.10.2006
MARLBOROUGH, MA, October 2, 2006 – Optos is pleased to announce it has been accepted into the InfantSEE™ Family Tree.
InfantSEE™ is a public health program developed to provide eye and vision care for infants nationwide created by the American Optometric Association and The Vision Care Institute of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
“We are pleased to participate in this important AOA initiative,” said Ian Stevens, General Manager, Optos North America. “Well-baby checks that include eye and vision health assessments are an integral part of an infant’s overall health and help to improve a child’s quality of life and the chance that eye conditions are found at an early age. The optomap® Retinal Exam will be helpful for infant assessments as it is quick and painless.”
Optos’ commitment to children stems from its origin. Douglas Anderson, founder of Optos, developed the technology that produces the optomap® Retinal Exam after his son lost sight in one eye due to an undetected retinal detachment. From its inception, the optomap® Retinal Exam has helped save the sight of many patients, including children, through the detection of symptomatic and asymptomatic pathologies.
As part of InfantSEE™, participating optometrists will provide a no-cost comprehensive eye assessment to infants, and now through the support of Optos may also use the optomap® Retinal Exam in the no-cost assessment process. The InfantSEE™ program is supported by Former President Jimmy Carter, who serves as the honorary chairman and spokesman.
“The American Optometric Association is proud to have Optos as a member of the InfantSEE™ Family Tree – Optos provides a terrific service in offering its optomap® Retinal Exam at no-cost and more importantly provides our participating doctors with enhanced clinical value,” stated Scott Jens, O.D., F.A.A.O. and AOA InfantSEE™ Committee Chairperson.
Public health research indicates that when infants are between the ages 6 to 12 months it is a crucial time for eye and vision development, including eye-body coordination and ability to judge distances. Eye problems are uncommon for infants at this stage; however, it is imperative to identify children who exhibit risk factors for vision conditions such as amblyopia, myopia, or hyperopia, as well as detection of potential eye health abnormalities. Early detection of these conditions will increase the likelihood of correcting the problem with proper treatment.
For more information on the InfantSEE™ program, log onto www.infantsee.org.
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 8.5 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.