Bradley Katz is looking to cure migraines in a new light.
A professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and a doctor of Neuro-Ophthalmology at the Moran Eye Center, Katz has developed a new eyewear, FL-41; unofficially named “Next Gen.” With partners Steven Blair and Benjamin Rollins, as well as student assistants, such as Jamison Gordon, a U graduate in chemistry and future student at the medical college of Wisconsin, Katz has produced a product that may change the lives of those with chronic migraines. Inspiration for the idea came from a combination of previous research, such as rose-color tinted glasses for those who have fluorescent light sensitivity, and a discovery in the early 2000s of a new kind of light receptor in the eye.
“The rose-tinted glasses seemed silly,” Katz said. “But they worked surprisingly well. People had amazing stories about how their headaches improved.”
In the early 2000s, light receptors in the eye were discovered that contribute in measuring amounts of sunlight. When someone travels to another continent, the body adjusts to the different time zone based on the light produced. It can also constrict pupils and contribute to pain caused by too much light. Katz noticed that patients who were blind and even those who were not but were suffering from migraines would have pain due to certain wavelengths of light hitting the receptors. It was then that Katz began collaboration with Blair.
“Migraines are the most common neurological condition,” Katz said. “Almost all of them are light-sensitive, and there isn’t really a treatment out there yet, so I’m hoping to make a remedy for patients’ comfort and ability to live.”
In the summer of 2014, Katz, his team and funder Axon Optics, began clinical trials with migraine patients. They gave the patients the specifically designed lenses FL-41 and “Next Gen,” the first being a rose-tinted lens for sensitivity to fluorescent light and the second being coated with a film similar to that on sunglasses but designed to work against certain wavelengths of sunlight.
“I have seen these glasses have tremendous impact on the quality of life of several individuals,” Gordon said. “It would be amazing to see them widely used as there are so many patients who are desperate for any relief.”
Gordon and medical student Amith Subhash assisted Katz during the trials by finding participants and running the data. Patients had to have 15 or more headaches a month and a sensitivity to light. Gordon worked with the patients and was able to see the positive product of the glasses through analysis as well as the development of the glasses from dream to reality.
“I am hoping that in the next year or two the eyewear will be on the market in the U.S. and Europe,” Gordon said.
Axon is funding the project and assisting Katz in getting funding from the FDA for a second clinical trial to help legitimize the glasses and make them commercially available.
This past spring, Katz auditioned for Shark Tank and was invited for a second audition. If all goes well, Katz and his collaborators could receive further funding through the program.
@chriswritine