VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies Announces Presentations at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Annual Meeting

    SARATOGA, Calif., April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- VisionCare Ophthalmic
 Technologies, Inc., a developer of advanced visual prosthetic devices for
 the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), announced today
 two presentations on its platform technology are scheduled at the upcoming
 annual symposium of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
 (ASCRS) April 27 - May 2, 2007, in San Diego. Podium presentations are
 scheduled at the San Diego Convention Center as follows:
     Sunday, April 29
     Session: ASCRS Paper Session 2-A: RETINA ARMD, CME, ROP
     Location: RM 24 C
     8:12 AM
     Two-Year Results of an Implantable Telescope in Patients with End-Stage
 Macular Degeneration
     R. Doyle Stulting, MD, PhD, Emory Eye Center, Emory University, Atlanta
     8:22 AM
     Surgical Placement of an Implantable Telescope in Patients with
 End-Stage ARMD
     Kathryn Colby, MD, PhD, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard
 Medical School, Boston
     At ASCRS, VisionCare is located in Booth #2940 at the San Diego
 Convention Center.
     About the Telescope Prosthetic Device
     The investigational Implantable Miniature Telescope (IMT(TM) by Dr.
 Isaac Lipshitz) is designed to be a permanent solution for moderate to
 profound vision loss due to advanced, end-stage forms of AMD that have no
 current surgical or medical treatment options. Smaller than a pea, the
 telescope prosthetic device is implanted in one eye in an outpatient
 surgical procedure. In the implanted eye, the device renders enlarged
 central vision images over a wide area of the retina to improve central
 vision, while the non-operated eye provides peripheral vision for mobility
 and orientation.
     The prospective, multicenter IMT002 Phase II/III trial was designed to
 evaluate the safety and efficacy of VisionCare's investigational medical
 device in individuals with moderate to profound bilateral central vision
 impairment associated with end-stage AMD. The trial enrolled over 200
 patients at 28 leading medical universities and ophthalmic centers across
 the country. VisionCare has filed a Premarket Approval (PMA) application
 amendment for the telescope prosthesis. The submission seeks marketing
 approval for the treatment of central vision loss due to advanced,
 irreversible forms of AMD. To date, no additional clinical investigations
 have been requested. Assuming no significant additional analyses or
 clinical data are required, the Company projects regulatory approval in the
 second half of 2007.
     About Macular Degeneration
     Macular degeneration is a disorder of the central retina, or macula,
 which is responsible for detailed vision that controls important functional
 visual activities like reading, recognizing faces, and watching television.
 According to the National Eye Institute over 1.7 million Americans over age
 50 suffer mild to profound vision loss from advanced AMD, which frequently
 culminates as end-stage AMD (visual impairment due to untreatable advanced
 AMD). Patients affected in both eyes often experience a loss of
 independence, social interaction, and have difficulty with activities of
 daily living requiring detailed vision. Approximately half of the
 individuals living with advanced AMD are affected in both eyes.
     About VisionCare
     VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Saratoga, CA
 is a privately-held company focused on development, manufacturing, and
 marketing of visual prosthetic devices. The Implantable Miniature Telescope
 was invented by company founders, Isaac Lipshitz, M.D., and Yossi Gross.
 Information on VisionCare can be found at www.visioncareinc.net.
 
 

SOURCE VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, Inc.