14
NEWS
The eyes have it!
Innovative diabetic retinopathy
treatment launches UK wide*.
The Noctura 400 Sleep Mask
has now launched across UK
giving optometrists access
to an innovative treatment
that in a recent NHS evaluation
resulted in 96% of diabetic eye
disease patients seeing a clinical
improvement and avoiding further
deterioration.
PolyPhotonix, the company that
developed the Noctura 400 Sleep
Mask, has partnered with Embecta,
a new company that spun out of BD,
to accelerate the roll out of Noctura
400 and increase awareness of the
early-stage treatment among the
community of optometrists and
ophthalmologists.
PolyPhotonix is a UK-based biophotonic research
and development
company in the UK. Embecta is one
of the largest 'pure-play' diabetes
care companies in the world,
leveraging its nearly 100-year legacy
in insulin delivery to empower
people with diabetes to live their best
life through innovative solutions,
partnerships and the passion of
approximately 2,000 employees
around the globe.
Noctura 400 treats and prevents
diabetic retinopathy, which is
associated with diabetes and which
can ultimately lead to blindness. As
the retina becomes oxygen starved,
new blood vessels are produced,
which can leak fluid and blood,
thereby affecting the person's vision.
Non-invasive
The mask is an early-stage, noninvasive
treatment for diabetic
retinopathy (DR), and is worn at
night. It delivers a precise dose of
light therapy during normal hours
of sleep and is programmed to
administer the correct dose of light
each night, as part of a continuous
therapy. This light-based treatment
prevents increased demand for
oxygen within the retina at night,
during dark adaptation.
This innovative, home-based
treatment offers customers with
early-stage DR a solution that can
stop progression to intravitreal
injections and reduces NHS waiting
lists. Optometrists have been offering
Noctura 400 in some parts of the
country since 2014 and have seen
people with diabetes continue to use
the mask over the long term, finding
it both comfortable and easy to use.
The mask does not need recharging.
Each lasts for 90 days then a new
mask is sent as a replacement.
Richard Kirk, CEO at
PolyPhotonix, explains, "Noctura
400 is a cutting-edge innovation
in eye care - non-invasive and
effective, it gives optometrists
another tool in the armoury and
makes commercial sense. I have no
doubt it will prove popular amongst
independent optometrists, many of
whom have already registered their
interest in providing this innovative
treatment to their customers and
offering greater choice. Embecta is
an industry leader, so we're really
excited about the potential this
partnership has to accelerate the
treatment of diabetic retinopathy
nationally."
"We are very excited about the
partnership with Embecta UK.
Working with such an experienced
team means that we can bring this
innovative treatment to many more
patients faster, potentially reducing
the rate of disease progression and
associated loss of visual acuity.
For the NHS, treating people with
diabetic retinopathy with the
Noctura 400 sleep mask represents
a cost-effective alternative to
existing treatments. At a time when
our healthcare budgets are already
stretched, bringing Noctura 400 to
existing care pathways makes sound
financial sense, freeing up hospital
appointments for those in greater
need of hospital-based care."
Clinical improvement
An evaluation carried out at Ashford
and St Peter's NHS Foundation
Trust and published in the Journal
of Ophthalmology, demonstrated
that the Noctura 400 Sleep Mask
improves outcomes in those people
who have developed diabetic eye
disease, with 96% of patients taking
part seeing a clinical improvement
and avoiding deterioration.
It is already in the process of
being rolled out nationally across
other NHS trusts for patients
who meet specific criteria. It is
expected those who do not qualify
under NHS criteria will seek the
treatment privately, which is why it
is now being made widely available
to optometrists as an additional
preventative tool to help customers
manage their diabetic eye condition.
Noctura is being offered in some
areas from the NHS, although the
people will qualify for NHS supply is
limited to obtaining certain criteria.
However, the fact that PolyPhotonix
has achieved CE Mark and MHRA
approval for the mask allows for all
stages of eye disease to be treated,
which is why there is a parallel
opportunity for private providers to
offer it, as well as NHS.
www.noctura.com
*The Noctura eye mask will become
increasingly available as high street
optometrists take up the product based
on the increased proof of concept.