Biosignal nets global contact lens deal

Sydney's Biosignal (ASX:BOS) and its partner, the Institute for Eye Research (IER), have closed a deal with an international contact lens manufacturer to develop anti-bacterial daily disposable and other frequent replacement contact lenses for eventual sale to the US and European markets.

While Biosignal's CEO Micahel Oredsson would not reveal the contact lens manufacturer, he said that it was not the same manufacturer that Biosignal and IER signed a deal with earlier in the year for extended-wear lenses. "The strategy here is to segment the market," said Oredsson.

The addition of Biosignal's novel anti-biofilm technology, which uses a compound extracted from the Australian seaweed Delsea pulchra to disable bacteria's ability to colonise, will also be different.

"It's a new way for us of applying these compounds," said Oredsson. "In this case we'll probably co-polymerise the compound rather than surface attach it. So instead of coating [the lens], we'll mix it in."

Oredsson said that bacterial contamination of contact lens surfaces is a major problem and increases the risk of sight threatening eye infections. "Biosignal's anti-bacterial contact lenses would solve this problem by jamming bacterial signalling and preventing bacterial build-up on lenses."

The lens manufacturer will fund the R&D which comprises product development, animal and human studies over a period of no more than 21 months, with Biosignal developing the lenses and IER testing them.

"The company that we've done the deal with essentially has an exclusive right to negotiate the licensing deal for the period of the funded program," said Oredsson.

Since contact lenses are classified as a medical device, the lenses will undergo a small in-house human study in 2006 and should be developed, tested and registered within two to three years.

Extended wear lenses

As for the progress of the extended wear lens development, Oredsson said animal safety trial data should be ready by the end of June or early July, eight weeks later than planned.

"We're still aiming to commence our 30-patient human study in Australia in July, probably late July," said Oredsson. "That's almost on track."