Early stage opthalmalogical device maker Clerio Vision said today it launched a first-in-human trial of its Liric non-invasive vision correction system and associated procedure, and that it already enrolled and treated five subjects in the study.
The system uses femtosecond laser technology developed by Gerard Mourou and Donna Strickland at the University of Rochester intended to change the refractive index of corneal tissue to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia.
“In addition to being able to offer a noninvasive vision correction alternative to patients concerned about surgery, we are optimistic that Liric may offer an improved safety profile for a procedure that already has excellent outcomes,” Dr. Scott MacRae of the University of Rochester’s Flaum Eye Institute, who was the first to perform the laser induced refractive index change procedure, said in a prepared statement.
“Not since the advent of excimer laser have I been this excited about a new laser vision correction technology. I absolutely believe that the Liric procedure can revolutionize ophthalmology and the way we treat prescriptions without any pain or weakening of the eye. It was an honor to be a part of the original team that performed these inaugural procedures and be a part of history,” Dr. Jeffery Machat of the TLC Laser Eye Centers said in a press release.
The study, being performed in El Salvador, aims to explore the safety and efficacy of the system to correct optics in a nonsurgical fashion, the Rochester, N.Y.-based company said.
“We are excited to announce that we have now treated the first five partially-sighted subjects in our first-in-human study,” CEO J. Totterman said in prepared remarks.
In January 2016, still stealthy Clerio Vision reported raising $3.2 million in a round of equity financing to support its novel surgical treatment for individuals with refractive error.
