MULLICA HILL, N.J—OcuMedic, Inc., the first developer of therapeutic lens for the delivery of drugs for the global ophthalmic market, announced their Contact Drug Delivery System, received a patent by the European Patent Offices, according to a release from the company. The patent will cover all intellectual property of the company’s timed-released delivery of drugs directly to the eye through prescription soft-contact lenses. President and CEO of OcuMedic, Inc., Keith D. Ignotz, said, “The European patent extends the company’s intellectual property coverage to the important European market valued at $16.7 billion annually, growing by 5.6 percent CAGR by 2023, according to Allied Market Research.

"The technology places the delivery of ophthalmic drugs in the hands of the physician, relieving the patient of the therapeutic burden of having to remember to self-deliver drops while guaranteeing the drug is reaching the target tissue.”

According to OcuMedic, Inc. the contacts will provide controlled release of anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and pain-reducing drugs for post-operative care with procedures like cataract surgery and Lasik. The claims allowed by the patent cover extended-wear contacts that deliver a wide variety of drugs for the treatment of conditions such as glaucoma and dry eye.

“This additional patent is an important validation of our novel approach to delivering the best eyecare possible to a large number of people suffering from poor vision or diseases of the eye,” said Mark E. Byrne, PhD, founding head and professor of Biomedical Engineering at Rowan University, inventor of the technology, and chief technical officer of OcuMedic, Inc. “Our goal is to extend and enhance the gift of sight for as many as possible, and our new technology provides a better way to better eye health.”