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This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
Migraines are an important health concern in the United States, affecting over 30 million Americans. Of those who struggle with migraines, 90 percent report sensitivity to light. During an attack they may be bothered by anything from fluorescent lights to computer screens. This is where Axon Optics can help.
Salt Lake City-based Axon Optics offers a tint that can be added to lenses called FL-41. It was developed for people with light sensitivity. It's helpful for many conditions irritated by light. The Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City has been prescribing FL-41 for years now. Just two years ago Axon Optics was formed to start offering the product to the general public.
Dr. Brad Katz, a neuro-ophthamologist at the University of Utah, was fascinated after coming to the Moran Eye Center to find out why FL-41 was so effective. With Axon Optics, he started researching how light triggers pain in the body and discovered how the body has a specific class of cells in the eye that respond to light with pain. They project this pain to a separate part of the brain, so even some patients who are blind are light sensitive. These cells can also trigger or make migraines worse.
With this understanding in mind, Dr. Katz teamed up with an engineer on campus to create special light-blocking lenses. The idea is for people with light sensitivity to wear the specially-coated lenses that are designed to block the frequencies of light so painful for migraine sufferers, more effectively than FL-41. Right now he's conducting full clinical trials on the lenses in anticipation of Axon Optics releasing a new product within a year. He hopes the lenses can decrease the frequency and severity of headaches by 30 percent.
Having seen how debilitating migraines and light sensitivity can be, Dr. Katz was inspired in his research to find a better solution. If there's a way Axon Optics can make a difference for these patients, he's determined to find it. For more information or to sign up for the clinical trial, visit axonoptics.com.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
Axon Optics 779-379-AXON www.axonoptics.com
