Ellex teams with US on laser deal

A new deal with US firm Lumenis will allow South Australian company Ellex Medical Lasers to design, develop and manufacture a range of lasers to treat secondary cataracts and glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a condition that causes pressure build-up in the eye, leading to blindness. This disease affects almost 10 per cent of the elderly population of the developed world and is currently managed by drug therapy that has patient side effects and therapy compliance problems, Ellex said.

Ellex managing director Peter Rowland said the company's ongoing with collaboration with Lumenis gave the US company confidence to hand over design and production responsibility.

"The move into glaucoma treatment is an extremely important one for Ellex and we are pleased to be collaborating with Lumenis on this new range of products," Rowland said.

Ellex will develop the new range of laser systems in its new manufacturing and development facility in Adelaide.

Ellex's core cataract treatment product range was extended last year into retinal therapy with the launch of its Integre Photocoagulator laser. The new product range will add glaucoma to the company's treatment portfolio.

"Our collaboration with Lumenis allows us early market entry," Rowland said.

Open angle glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 40 and affects more than 50 million people worldwide. It is a progressive degenerative disease in which the optic nerve is slowly destroyed and, if left unchecked, can result in total blindness. The current accepted treatment for glaucoma is to lower intraocular pressure with prescription pharmaceuticals that represent a $4.25 billion annual market.