IOptima has signed another agreement to commercialize IOPTIMATE for the treatment of glaucoma in Brazil

IOptima from Bio-Lite Group continues commercialization: signed another agreement to commercialize IOPTIMATE for the treatment of glaucoma, in Brazil

The "Ay Optima" company from the "Bio-Lite" group is advancing another step in the commercialization phase. After the agreements signed for the marketing and distribution of the IOPTIMATE system in India and China, a cooperation agreement was signed for the distribution and commercialization of the non-invasive technology for the treatment of glaucoma in Brazil.

The agreement was signed with the FBM Farma company, which is a leader in Brazil in the production, marketing and distribution of medical devices and drugs with an annual turnover of over 350 million dollars, and a wide deployment in the ophthalmic field.

As part of the commercial cooperation that will begin in early 2010, a commercial pilot will be conducted in the coming months to examine the marketing aspects of the IOPTIMATE technology in Brazil, by placing the IOPTIMATE system in a number of leading eye surgery centers.

According to the agreement between the parties, the Brazilian company will bear the full cost of the system in the commercial phase and will place the systems in the leading medical centers and they will be operated both within the pilot and in the commercial phase according to a business model based on payment for the actual use - Pay-per-Use. The income received from the use will be divided equally between the two parties.

"I Optima" sees the Brazilian market as a strategic target for implementing IOPTIMATE, both due to the size of the market, being a country with over 200 million inhabitants, and due to the steep economic growth in the country and the improved ability to finance medical treatments today. Certainly in a disease that, in the absence of proper treatment, leads to blindness. The cost of drug treatment in Brazil is estimated at over 500 dollars a year and involves problems of efficiency and compliance. As you know, the surgical treatment involves many side effects, while the non-invasive surgical treatment using the IOPTIMATE is safe, effective and the amount of side effects is significantly less. The cost of the operation of "Eye Optima" is lower than the cost of drug treatment for a year.

Dr. Yehoshua Degani, CEO of "Eye Optima", said: "We are very happy about the cooperation with FMB Farma, which is a professional group with exceptional operative capabilities in the field of ophthalmology. The cooperation with them allows us to start the commercialization phase and its operation based on a business model that will reflect the best value for the technology we have developed."

According to him: "There are about 1.5 million glaucoma patients living in Brazil today and the vast majority are not treated optimally, because the costs of chronic drug treatment are very high, and the side effects of the existing surgical treatments are many and severe.
The "i-Optima" solution for the treatment of glaucoma using a non-invasive laser will provide a safe, simple and effective treatment that will serve the needs of the market well. Therefore, in the estimation of both parties, with the implementation of the treatment in Brazil, the glaucoma treatment market may grow by hundreds of percent."

Dr. Ami Eyal, CEO of "Bio-Lite" adds: "We are continuing another step in the process of moving from a research-development and clinic oriented company to a commercialization oriented company. The collaboration with FBM Farma, and especially in the pay-as-you-go business model, reflects FBM's confidence in the "Aye Optima" product and we hope that it will be the first swallow for additional commercialization agreements based on this business model, in Latin America and other markets." Dr. Eyal added that "as we reported yesterday, the first systems of "Aye Optima" will reach centers in India within about a month and are expected to start generating revenue. We estimate that the systems that will be sent to Brazil may generate profits towards the middle of this year."

About IOPtima
The company IOPtima Ltd. focuses on the development and commercialization of innovative technologies for the treatment of glaucoma. The company developed "IOPTIMATE" - an innovative, non-invasive system based on carbon dioxide laser technology for the treatment of glaucoma. The company believes that the "IOPTIMATE" system has considerable advantages over traditional treatments for glaucoma: easy and simple use, higher efficiency, lower risk for the patient, fewer side effects and lower costs. The availability of a safe surgical procedure is expected to increase the number of surgeries.
The "IOPTIMATE" technology has a CE certificate, which allows the marketing of the product in Europe and other countries. In the near future, "Aye Optima" will begin marketing the product in central European countries. In addition, it is in dialogue with the FDA in preparation for trials and approval of the product in the USA.

"I-Optima" has an approved patent in the United States, Europe and Japan based on the basic concept of the technology it developed for the treatment of glaucoma, and it has submitted applications for registration of additional patents in various countries.

"Ay Optima" is a subsidiary of "Bio-Light" - Bio-Light Science Investments Management and Holdings Ltd. which specializes in biomedical technologies.
"Bio-Lite" is traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the registration TASE: BOLT.