SAN DIEGO, May 6, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OccuLogix, Inc., dba TearLab Corporation ("TearLab") (Nasdaq:TEAR) (TSX:TLB) today announced today that a variety of paper and poster presentations given at the 2010 annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) highlighted tear film osmolarity as the preferred tool in the evaluation of patients suffering from Dry Eye Disease ("DED") and further validated TearLab's™ unique ability to accurately measure subtle changes in the condition of the ocular surface.
ARVO was founded in 1928 and is the largest research gathering for ophthalmologists and vision scientists in the world. Its membership is comprised of more than 12,500 individuals from 70 countries. The membership is multidisciplinary and consists of both clinical and basic researchers. ARVO is based in Rockville, Maryland. This year's ARVO annual meeting was held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
One poster presentation, entitled "Longitudinal Variability of Tear Film Osmolarity in Normal and Dry Eye Patients" and presented by David Eldridge, OD, FAAO, described a study that was designed to evaluate the variability of right ("OD") and left ("OS") eye tear film osmolarity relative to tear film instability in the diagnosis of DED. At each subject visit, 50 nanoliters of tear fluid was simultaneously collected and analyzed (both OD and OS) by the TearLab™ Osmolarity System in triplicate. The average of normal subjects was 301.8±10.5 mOsms/L {range 290.2-307.7} while the average of hyperosmolar subjects was 315.6±18.6 mOsms/L {range 308.1-329.4} indicating early stage mild disease. Variability was strongly positively correlated with average osmolarity (r2 = 0.52), suggesting that tear film instability increased in DED. When the highest of either the OD or OS osmolarity result of an individual was considered, 86% of the early stage, mild dry eye subjects, the most difficult stage to diagnose, were correctly identified with the first set of measurements. Dr. Eldridge's presentation concluded that variability in osmolarity is a hallmark of DED, reflecting the inability of the patient to maintain tear film homeostasis. Therefore, he recommended that physicians test both eyes to diagnose DED and use the higher of two values for proper clinical assessment.
Another poster presentation, entitled "Diagnostic Performance of Osmolarity Combined With Subset Markers of Dry Eye Disease in an Unstratified Patient Population," was presented by Benjamin Sullivan, Ph.D. The purpose of the 299-subject study described in the poster was to evaluate whether the diagnostic performance of the TearLab™ Osmolarity System was improved by the addition of markers specific for aqueous deficient or evaporative dry eye. Dr. Sullivan concluded that, although commonly used for diagnosis, markers that independently report the degree of lacrimal or meibomian dysfunction may misclassify hybrid forms of the disease. Osmolarity provided a specificity of 92% and sensitivity of 72%, superior to any other clinical test for dry eye. Combining other clinical tests did not appreciably increase the accuracy in predictability of DED.
A third poster presentation of note was presented by Dr. C. Jacobi. Entitled "Tear Film Osmolarity in Dry-Eye Disease," the poster described a single-center study conducted by independent researchers at the University of Erlangen Nuremberg in Erlangen, Germany. The aim of this study was to use TearLab™ to assess osmolarity changes in the tear film samples of 28 patients with DED compared to 25 healthy controls. The researchers found there was significantly higher tear film osmolarity in patients with DED (342±29.5 mOsmol/l) compared to the control group (302±18.2 mOsmol/l). They concluded that tear film osmolarity can be determined using the TearLab™ Osmolarity System and that the technology was a very effective and objective diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of DED.
"As we wait for the full U.S. commercial launch of the TearLab™ Osmolarity System, our focus is on driving awareness and acceptance of our unique lab-on-a-chip technology via clinical studies, publications and attendance at key conferences like ARVO 2010. A number of presentations at the meeting demonstrated that tear film osmolarity is the key marker in DED and that a simple-to-use, accurate and in-office diagnostic technology for measuring it is an extremely valuable tool in assessing and managing the disease." said Elias Vamvakas, TearLab's Chief Executive Officer.
About The TearLab™ Osmolarity System
The TearLab™ Osmolarity System uses a novel lab-on-a-chip approach that requires less than 50 nL (nanoliters) of tear fluid in order to measure tear Osmolarity. The TearLab™ Osmolarity System eliminates the challenges that previously prevented point-of-care Osmolarity testing. The TearLab™ System can produce a sample-to-answer result in less than 30 seconds.
About Dry Eye Disease
DED is a common condition in which the eye does not produce enough tears to keep the surface of the eye sufficiently lubricated. It affects approximately 40 million people in the US and 100 million people worldwide. In its mild to moderate forms, it can impact vision and the ability to go about daily activities. In its more severe forms, DED can lead to permanent loss of vision.
About OccuLogix, Inc. dba TearLab Corporation
OccuLogix, Inc. dba TearLab Corporation (www.tearlab.com) develops and markets lab-on-a-chip technologies that enable eye care practitioners to improve standard of care by objectively and quantitatively testing for disease markers in tears at the point-of-care. The TearLab Osmolarity Test, for diagnosing Dry Eye Disease, is the first assay developed for the award winning TearLab Osmolarity System. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, TearLab Corporation's common shares trade on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol 'TEAR' and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol 'TLB'.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about the Company. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Actual events or results may differ materially. Many factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement, including the factors detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including but not limited to our Forms 10-K and 10-Q. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements.