Apeliotus vision device in clinical trials

An effective device to quickly diagnose age-related macular degeneration (AMD), now undergoing clinical trials at Penn State Hershey Medical Center has won Apeliotus Vision Sciences $200,000 from the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania. The company also took home first prize at the Ben Franklin Venture Idol competition, which was co-hosted by NEPA Venture Partnership, in Scranton last week.

Apeliotus’ AdaptDx device measures the eye’s ability to transition from light to dark. The 15-minute test is key to diagnosing AMD, the leading cause of adult blindness. Clinical trials for the device, similar in size and cost to existing glaucoma testing equipment, are being conducted separately by Drs. Greg Jackson and David Quillen at Hershey.

Company CEO John Edwards says the three-person firm plans to increase direct staff in the Hershey area to 15 within the next two years. He cites the proximity of the Medical Center and the Hershey Center for Applied Research, its current home, as key factors in the expansion decision.

“Things have progressed so we’re now looking for $5 million in total capital. That’s what we need to get to complete commercialization,” says Edwards. That’s an increase from the $2 million the firm envisioned two years ago. The firm’s previous investors include Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central Pennsylvania and Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

Source: John Edwards, Apeliotus Vision Sciences
Writer: Chris O’Toole