RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Oct. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biotechnology innovator Merakris Therapeutics has unveiled a unique program that delivers personalized autologous serum tears—in less than 2 hours—without patients ever having to leave home.
The Research Triangle Park-headquartered company is leveraging a nationwide network of mobile phlebotomists with sterile processing technology to make the effective treatment of dry eye and other ocular surface diseases more convenient and accessible for millions of Americans.
The Opticyte® Tears program uses patients’ own blood serum to create Opticyte Autologous Serum Tears from the convenience of their homes or an optical provider’s office. This point-of-care process improves the patient experience, while harnessing the human body’s ability to heal. Unlike artificial tears, Opticyte Serum Tears contain a unique blend of beneficial components that include growth factors, antibodies, albumin and vitamin A that have been shown to support ocular health and reduce the symptoms of dry eye.
Opticyte Tears can be used for the treatment of dry eye and corneal epithelial (outer layer) defects, and as an adjunct therapy to support optimization of the ocular surface before and after various surgical procedures.
The Opticyte Tears program delivers unmatched convenience and time saving advantages, combined with consumer-friendly packaging, according to Merakris CEO Chris Broderick. As soon as a clinician submits a request for Opticyte Tears, Merakris contacts the patient to schedule an at-home or in-clinic visit by a specialist. Blood is drawn and processed and an individualized package of Opticyte Tears is delivered in less than two hours.
Customers also enjoy the convenience of receiving a 90 or 120-day supply of the product right at their doorstep, or at their local clinic.
“By combining mobile clinicians with point-of-care sterile processing, we are able to offer customers optimal benefit in terms of customization, convenience and effectiveness,” Broderick said. “And Opticyte supports Merakris’ mission of improving global patient care and outcomes though regenerative biotechnologies.”
This program extends Merakris’ Opticyte line of optical innovations that also includes Opticyte Matrix, an ophthalmic barrier to the corneal surface of the eye that can be used with various ocular procedures.
The company will feature Opticyte Serum Tears at the American Academy of Optometry (booth #848) on October 11-14, and at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (booth #5564) on November 6-9.
About Merakris
Merakris Therapeutics – founded in 2016 – pioneers the use of commercially scalable stem cell-derived biotherapeutic technologies to promote the healing of damaged tissue. The company also is investigating other novel biotechnology solutions that promote wound healing and tissue regeneration.
Merakris Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include projections and estimates regarding the marketing and other potential of Merakris’ products, or regarding potential future revenues from any such product. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans" and similar expressions. Although Merakris’ management believes that any forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Merakris, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, unexpected regulatory actions or delays, or government regulation generally, that could affect the availability or commercial potential of the product, the fact that product may not be commercially successful, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including future clinical data and analysis of existing clinical data relating to the product, including post marketing, unexpected safety, quality or manufacturing issues, competition in general, risks associated with intellectual property and any related future litigation and the ultimate outcome of such litigation, and volatile economic and market conditions may have on us, our customers, suppliers, vendors, and other business partners, and the financial condition of any one of them, as well as on our employees and advisors and on the global economy as a whole.
