Avedro’s Vedera System® Wins Gold in the Medical Design Excellence Award

Continuum cited for its role in designing system for non-invasive refractive correction

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avedro, Inc. announced today that the Vedera® System for performing Keraflex® has received the prestigious Gold level 2011 Medical Design Excellence Award. The Vedera System and its Keraflex procedure offer new hope to patients suffering from keratoconus, a debilitating visual impairment for which there are limited treatment options.

“The team at Continuum is extremely gratified that the Vedera System has been recognized with a Gold MDEA award”

The Vedera System is a non-surgical microwave device that gently reshapes the keratoconic cornea in only a few seconds with its Keraflex procedure. Following a Keraflex procedure, the reshaped cornea is biomechanically stabilized and strengthened with Avedro’s KXL accelerated cross-linking procedure. Until now, there has been no treatment to non-invasively reshape a keratoconic cornea and prior cross-linking alternatives required one hour to complete. The combined Keraflex and KXL procedures reshape the cornea and restore its biomechanical integrity in just minutes.

David Muller, PhD, CEO of Avedro stated, “The contribution made by Continuum to the overall design of the Vedera System, coupled with the development, engineering and manufacturing excellence of Avedro’s entire team have made the Vedera system a clinical and commercial reality. The Vedera System and its Keraflex procedure now offer patients with keratoconus real hope in improving their visual acuity and in potentially helping them avoid corneal transplant.”

“The team at Continuum is extremely gratified that the Vedera System has been recognized with a Gold MDEA award,” said Tom Merle, Chief Development Officer at Continuum. “This breakthrough system, and the significant advantages it offers to patients, is something that we are very proud to have contributed to.”

The Medical Design Excellence Awards competition (www.MDEAwards.com) is the only awards program that exclusively recognizes contributions and advances in the design of medical products. The gold level is the highest award available in any category. A comprehensive review of the entries was performed by an impartial, multidisciplinary panel of third-party jurors with expertise in biomedical engineering, human factors, industrial design, medicine, and diagnostics. The Vedera System is available for sale in countries that recognize the CE Mark.

About Avedro, Inc.

Avedro, a privately held ophthalmic device and drug company based in Waltham, MA, developed the Vedera System for performing Keraflex, a non‐invasive, incision‐less ophthalmic procedure for flattening the cornea. Because Keraflex thermally remodels the cornea without the removal of any tissue, the procedure offers the unique ability to induce refractive change without weakening the cornea’s biomechanical integrity, as happens with LASIK and other refractive correction procedures. Avedro has also developed the KXL System for performing Lasik Xtra and Accelerated Cross-linking. Both devices and procedures are CE marked and commercially available outside of the United States.

About Continuum:

Continuum designs innovation, creating products, services and experiences that work for people and for the businesses that serve them. Based on in-depth consumer research, rigorous analysis of clients' business challenges, and inspired creativity, Continuum uncovers opportunities for innovation and makes them real. Since 1983, Continuum has worked with companies worldwide including AllSteel, American Express, Amplifon, BBVA, Procter and Gamble, PepsiCo, Samsung, Sprint and Staples. Continuum has offices in Boston, Los Angeles, Milan, Seoul and Shanghai. www.continuuminnovation.com