Biotechnology company Celularity and US-based Verséa Ophthalmics have signed an agreement to distribute the former’s BIOVANCE and BIOVANCE 3L Ocular products.
Under the exclusive US commercialisation agreement, Verséa Ophthalmics, a division of Verséa Health, will distribute Celularity’s ophthalmic products for the treatment of ocular surface disease and ocular surgical applications.
The single-layer and three-layer (3L) allografts BIOVANCE and BIOVANCE 3L Ocular are designed to be used as a biological membrane covering that offers an extracellular matrix.
BIOVANCE 3L Ocular is said to be acellular and made up of three layers of amniotic membrane to aid the treatment of advanced ocular surface disease.
Celularity CEO Robert J. Hariri said: “We are excited to partner with Verséa Ophthalmics to distribute our BIOVANCE and BIOVANCE 3L Ocular products in the US.
“Verséa Ophthalmics has the channel expertise in eye care necessary to reach physicians and to provide patients in need access to our innovative biomaterial technology.”
According to Celularity, the purpose of BIOVANCE 3L Ocular as a barrier membrane is to safeguard tissue plane borders and preserve the underlying tissue.
The products can be used for pterygium repair, fornix reconstruction, and other operations, as well as corneal and conjunctival-related injuries or abnormalities including corneal epithelial defects.
The biotechnology company believes these applications to have important business potential.
Verséa Ophthalmics president Rob Sambursky said: “As a corneal specialist by training, I have witnessed the transformative impact innovative tissue-based ocular therapeutic interventions can have for patients both in the clinic and surgically.
“Our commercialisation agreement with Celularity allows us to offer a decellularised, ringless, advanced wound healing option to drive forward innovation for ocular surface diseases.”
Both companies did not disclose the terms of the agreement.