FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Columbia, MD (July 1, 2013)—Vasoptic Medical, Inc., a Maryland-based medical device company, today announced that the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) Program will support an early feasibility clinical study to be conducted in collaboration with the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).
The MIPS grant will support the development of Vasoptic Medical’s imaging technology, which can be used for the rapid and inexpensive assessment of the functional state of the retina. The company is initially focused on the early detection of diabetic retinopathy—a condition that afflicts nearly 1 in 3 diabetic patients and, if unmanaged, leads to severe vision impairment and blindness. The technology has the potential to facilitate diagnosis and management of other vision impairing diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, and may also be useful in the diagnosis of other systemic diseases with vascular manifestations.
“The MIPS program accelerates technology commercialization in Maryland by funding collaborative research and development projects between local companies and faculty in the University System of Maryland,” said Dr. Martha Connolly, Director of MIPS. “After a thorough assessment of the proposed clinical research and technology commercialization plan, we are pleased to support the collaboration between UMB and Vasoptic Medical with a grant of $94,960.”
The research, conducted under the leadership of Dr. Osamah Saeedi, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, will allow Vasoptic Medical to evaluate the use of its technology in human subjects for the first time. “It’s a great opportunity to work with Dr. Saeedi and the University of Maryland in an effort to achieve this significant milestone in the development and commercialization of our technology,” said M. Jason Brooke, CEO of Vasoptic Medical. “We are excited for this and future collaborations with Dr. Saeedi and the University as we work toward improving the lives of millions of diabetic patients in Maryland, the United States, and around the globe.”
“We look forward to collaborating with the Vasoptic team on this clinical research and thank the MIPS program for supporting us,” Dr. Saeedi said.
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About Vasoptic Medical, Inc.
Vasoptic Medical, Inc. is an early-stage, medical device company with a mission to advance healthcare through innovation in medical diagnostics. Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Vasoptic Medical is committed to creating and delivering value to the patient and the healthcare system.
For more information, please visit www.VasopticMedical.com or contact:
Jason Brooke, MSE, JD
CEO and General Counsel
Tel: 410.730.1896