David Flynn, LTK is for low to moderate hyperopia. Clinical trials are ongoing for higher hyperopia. I have heard that when their new instrument is introduced, they will start clinical trials for hyperopia with astigmatism.
For myopia, you still would need LASIK, PRK, or soon you could can have the KERA Intacts, an intrastromal implant.
VISX is the clear leader with excimer lasers for all the treatment indications, but the stock is a little pricy and driven by sales growth and per procedure revenues. Summit Technology, BEAM, is another stock to look at. It's like VISX but with questionable financials.
SNRS is unique. While the other companies may be able to treat hyperopia, they are very invasive procedures. The Sunrise LTK, with extensive patent protection, changes corneal curvature by heating the corneal collagen and making it shrink in the right places and in the right amount to correct vision. There is no cutting, no scraping, no implanting, just a laser that gently warms corneal collagen.
Since you have had PRK, you know that if you could have had a procedure that did not require scraping and the corneal bandages and the pain and pain medication you would chose it. So for hyperopes, the choice is an easy one.
SNRS has the same kind of revenue model that VISX has. The system is half the price and I think the procedure charge SNRS collects is about half what VISX is charging. (I might be wrong on the procedure charge.)
SNRS has submitted data from their clinical trials to FDA in December of last year. We expect that they will go before the Ophthalmic Devices Panel of the FDA in July and they should be able to start selling the product in the U.S. by the end of the year.
Good luck,
Joe |
