Invest in life changing technology
The problem
The fact is that 65 million people worldwide suffer from cataracts. The number of individuals with cataracts is about 60% of the population over the age 65, and it’s predicted to reach 900 million individuals by 2050.
Around 330,000 cataract treatments are carried out every year in the UK, and roughly 16,000 optometrists are working in the UK. Operations are expected to increase by 15% per year and as the population ages, people live for longer and the demand for cataract operations will outstrip the supply of surgeons required.
It currently costs the NHS £300m per year for cataract surgery in the UK, and with the demand of cataract surgery increasing, this continues to put stress on the healthcare system.
Private surgery varies from £2500 to £4000 per eye which is charged to the patient. Currently, there are no other non-surgical products on the market, making surgery the only available treatment out there for patients, which involves replacing the damaged, cloudy natural lens with an artificial one. However, for some people who have underlying or additional eye problems, cataract surgery may not be useful or effective until the other issues are addressed. There are some home treatment options to help manage symptoms, but it doesn’t get rid of the problem.
A New Solution – Ledinbio
We have created the world’s first non-invasive solution to treat and reverse cataracts. Ledinbio treats cataracts by delivering light energy with specific wavelengths, which we believe cause chemical changes to the lens and proteins, allowing the proteins to return to their normal shape. This means that the protein in your eyes adjusts and it stops the scatter and reflection, thus allowing the light through the lens so you can see clearly again, without the need for surgery.
Ledinbio can monitor the changes in the lens by measuring the light emitted from the protein aggregates when excited with ultra-violet rays. This enables Ledinbio to diagnose cataracts.
A one-stop diagnosis and treatment solution that can be delivered in a primary care setting rather than a hospital. It can be delivered in a high street clinical setting by optometrists and clinical assistants as well as in a community setting. All that’s needed is electricity and light. No surgery is required, directly removing the complications from surgery and the recovery time for the patient. The treatment is carried out 90% quicker than the current surgery, and is easily accessible to everyone, including those with underlying health conditions who can’t currently receive surgery. Ledinbio is also more affordable, with the treatment costing only £1K per eye instead of at least £2500 per eye for the current surgery. This reduces the cost enormously, not just for the patient, but the healthcare system.
The Business Model
There are currently 16,000 optometrists working in the UK and we have the opportunity to create distributor routes that will then allow us to access not just the UK, but also the global markets, including developing countries who have little access to surgery.
There will be a retail fee of £1K per eye which is charged to the patient. With no upfront cost to the Optometrist, we supply them with the Ledinbio device and only charge a small minimum monthly fee. We then share the patient payments. This makes Ledinbio affordable and easily assessible for both the patient and the Optometrist.
We have a licence agreement established with China, with whom we have a licence agreement with a Chinese based company, Haoguang. We are also already in discussion with UK the retail opticians, and theretail director of Specsavers and our chairman, David Quigley, is part of the Edinburgh Bioscience board of directors. We also plan to market to private healthcare companies as well as the NHS.
We are currently undergoing clinical trials and plan to launch in early 2025. You can get in touch with us to find out more.
