Bausch + Lomb Announces Research Partnership with Cirle

MADISON, N.J. and MIAMI, Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bausch + Lomb, the global eye health company, announces a new research partnership with Cirle, Inc., a medical technology incubator, based in Miami, Fla.

The partnership brings together the experience and expertise of some of the world's leading eye health experts and medical researchers and Bausch + Lomb's global business and commercial capabilities. As a result, the two organizations will be better positioned to explore novel, early stage technologies and develop them into breakthrough innovations that fill previously unmet needs for the eye health community and the patients they serve. 

"Bausch + Lomb is committed to helping people see better to live better, and delivering meaningful innovation is critical to achieving this goal," said Cal Roberts, M.D., Bausch + Lomb's chief medical officer. "As practicing physicians who also are some of the top minds in ophthalmology, the experts at Cirle will bring the kind of perspective to the table that will further help us discover and introduce therapies that can truly impact global eye health."

"Bausch + Lomb and the research teams at Cirle share a passion for innovation and a deep commitment to helping patients," said Richard Awdeh, M.D., Cirle founder and chief executive officer. "Having the support of an organization that shares this common vision offers access to world-class marketing and commercial resources, breaking down barriers to innovation and helping us expand and progress our research in ways we could not have pursued alone."

The partnership with Bausch + Lomb's Pharmaceutical business will encompass a wide variety of cutting edge research projects including new compounds and technologies, and may ultimately be extended across Bausch + Lomb's Surgical and Vision Care divisions to include devices as well. Cirle has engaged leading eye health experts and engineers to contribute to this collaboration, in addition to working with the technology licensing group at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine's Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Dr. Awdeh is an assistant professor of ophthalmology and pathology and director of technology transfer at Bascom Palmer.

"The faculty at Bascom Palmer relentlessly pursues life-changing therapies. This partnership is a testimonial to the value of partnering between best-in-class organizations, including Bascom Palmer and Bausch + Lomb," said Jack Lord, M.D., chief operating officer and vice president for medical administration at the University of Miami Health System and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Cirle is currently building a small, high-performance team of biomedical and chemical engineers, along with staff scientists, to pursue research and product development initiatives, including key efforts stemming from this collaboration. For more information, please email [email protected].

About Cirle
Established in 2010, Cirle is a medical technology incubator based in Miami, Fla., focused on curing diseases that lead to blindness through the use of translational medical research and innovative technologies. The company develops and acquires early stage technologies and creates best-in-class partnerships for each of its projects. Cirle is currently focused exclusively on eye care-related technologies and has engaged leading eye health experts, engineers, and researchers, in addition to working with the technology licensing group at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine's Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. For the past nine years, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Bascom Palmer Eye Institute as the nation's number one ophthalmology program.

About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb is one of the best-known and most respected healthcare companies in the world. Its core businesses include contact lenses and lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments, and ophthalmic pharmaceuticals. Founded in 1853, the company is headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., and employs more than 11,000 people worldwide. Its products are available in more than 100 countries. More information is available at www.bausch.com.

Cirle News Media Contacts:
Anne Graf
(786) 866-2872
[email protected]
www.cirle.com

Bausch + Lomb News Media Contacts:
Elizabeth Harness Murphy
Global Communications, Bausch + Lomb
(585) 338-8528
[email protected] 

SOURCE Bausch + Lomb