Eye Health America and Verséa Ophthalmics, Inc. Enter Into a Preferred Partnership to Support Management of Ocular Surface Disease and Ocular Surgery

Barchart · 10/16 13:12

Eye Health America (EHA), a prominent ophthalmic provider backed by private equity and dedicated to offering exceptional strategic and operational support to practice groups and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in the Southeast, has announced a preferred partnership supply agreement with Verséa Ophthalmics, Inc. Based in Tampa, FL, Verséa Ophthalmics specializes in comprehensive ocular point-of-care diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Under this new agreement, Verséa will supply its innovative human amniotic membrane product and cutting-edge tear-based point-of-care (T-POC) Quantitative Testing Platform.

Verséa Ophthalmics will provide its BIOVANCE® and BIOVANCE® 3L Ocular as the preferred dehydrated human amniotic membrane tissue products used within EHA practices and ASCs to support the treatment of ocular surface disease and ocular surgical applications. In addition, EHA will pilot Verséa’s POC testing platform in select offices prior to a staged expansion groupwide.

BIOVANCE® and BIOVANCE® 3L Ocular, which are single-layer and three-layer (3L) allografts, respectively, are intended for use as a biological membrane covering that provides an extracellular matrix. BIOVANCE® 3L Ocular is acellular and consists of three layers of amniotic basement membrane that supports treatment of advanced ocular surface disease. As a barrier membrane, BIOVANCE® 3L Ocular is intended to protect the underlying tissue and preserve tissue plane boundaries. Applications include corneal and conjunctival-related injuries or defects such as corneal epithelial defects, pterygium repair, fornix reconstruction, and other procedures, many of which are relevant to EHA practices and their eye care professional teams.

The T-POC Quantitative Testing platform, is used in the diagnosis and management of patients suffering from ocular surface disease (OSD). Currently the platform includes total Immunoglobulin E (IgE), which is a key biomarker associated with ocular allergies (OA), and lactoferrin, which is a biomarker for aqueous deficient dry eye. Dry eye disease (DED) and OA are very prevalent diseases of the ocular surface and their symptoms often overlap and may mimic each other. Unlike other available clinical assays, T-POC testing generates a numerical value that enables clinicians to differentially diagnose a patient’s condition and to inform the prescribing decision. If the test is repeated after initiation of therapy, it may allow for confirmation of a desired therapeutic response.

“We are delighted to establish this new partnership with Verséa Ophthalmics which will allow our eye care professionals to utilize the T-POC Quantitative Testing Platform and BIOVANCE® and BIOVANCE® 3L Ocular products to deliver more targeted diagnostic and therapeutic solutions to improve patient care for their ocular surface disease patients and for patients undergoing ocular surgery,” said John Swencki, Co-CEO. “I am confident that Verséa Ophthalmics will be an outstanding partner to EHA practices and surgery centers to provide the best options for the patients our clinics and ASCs serve.”

“Our preferred partnership supply agreement with EHA allows us to deliver a novel point-of-care testing platform to inform treatment decisions and a unique decellularized, ringless, advanced placental-sourced tissue product line to more patients suffering from ocular surface diseases or undergoing ocular surgery. As a corneal specialist myself, I know how important it is to specifically identify and treat underlying disease and have witnessed first-hand how innovative tissue-based ocular therapeutic interventions can improve patient outcomes for ocular surface diseases and ocular surgery,” said Rob Sambursky, M.D., President, Verséa Ophthalmics, Inc.

Terms of the agreement are not disclosed.

About Verséa Ophthalmics, Inc.

Verséa Ophthalmics, Inc. is a division of Verséa Health, Inc., a diversified life-science company committed to delivering innovative, high-value diagnostic and therapeutic solutions to improve health care quality and access. It is specialized in the sale and distribution of innovative solutions for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of ocular surface diseases and surgical wound healing. To learn more, visit: www.versea.com/ophthalmics.

About Eye Health America

Eye Health America (EHA) is a leading eyecare provider focused on partnering with culturally aligned ophthalmology practices, optometry practices and ambulatory surgery centers across the Southeast U.S. to provide superior strategic, financial, and operational support for best-in-class eye care. Member practices include Clemson Eye, Piedmont Surgery Center, EHA Surgery Center Seneca, The Surgery & Laser Center, Carolinas Centers for Sight, Florence Surgery and Laser Center, Southeast Retina Center, Augusta Retina Laser Surgicare, The Eye Associates, The Eye Associates Surgery Center, EHA Surgery Center Sarasota, Eye Centers of Florida, Surgicare Center, Updegraff Laser Vision, Tampa Bay Eye Surgery Center, West Georgia Eye Care Center, Eye Surgery Center of West Georgia, and many other top eyecare providers. They offer full-service, integrated eye care from routine eye exams, contact lenses, and glasses to medical ophthalmology and surgery including refractive cataract surgery, cornea, retina, glaucoma, LASIK, pediatrics, and oculoplastics.