Lerner Medical Devices, Inc.'s Levia(R) Brings Personal Targeted Phototherapy Home as a Treatment Option for Millions of Psoriasis Patients

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - March 05, 2010) -

Lerner Medical Devices, Inc. (LMD) today introduced Levia, an innovative medical device providing Personal Targeted Phototherapy™ with Ultraviolet B (UVB) light -- a safe and effective non-drug option for the self-treatment of psoriasis in the privacy and convenience of a patient’s home. LMD introduced Levia at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), Booth Number 2807, Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami, Florida.

Levia, cleared by the FDA for physician-directed use and incorporating software for physician control of dosimetry, is specifically designed for in-home use. Levia’s technology includes proprietary beam-delivery attachments -- LiteSpot™ and LiteBrush™ -- which ensure precise delivery of UVB light to the specific areas of skin and scalp which require treatment. As such, patients can treat themselves rapidly and safely with UVB, a proven non-systemic therapy effective for more than 85% of psoriasis sufferers.

“We have a very clear objective for Levia. We want to establish proven, but seriously under-utilized, UVB phototherapy as a practical, first line treatment alternative for millions of psoriasis patients,” said John R. Lyon, Chief Executive Officer, LMD. “We know that UVB is well tolerated and effective, with an excellent side-effect profile for long term use. Self-treatment at home, with a purpose-designed, targeted device, makes compliance realistic at a cost much less than any other modality,” said Lyon.

Psoriasis Statistics Are Surprising

Psoriasis is a chronic disease which afflicts 7.5 million Americans, as reported by The National Institutes of Health (NIH), at an annual cost of $11.25 billion. There are more psoriasis patients than those with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other more publicized medical conditions. Psoriasis sufferers also have higher incidence levels of Crohn’s, multiple sclerosis, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease than the general population. The condition also has a significant psychosocial component, such that the patient frequently perceives the effect to be more severe than the physician’s clinical assessment.

“UVB phototherapy is suitable for more than 85% of psoriasis patients, yet less than 5% of them are being treated with it,” said Ethan Lerner, M.D., Ph.D., a dermatologist and LMD’s founder. “We believe this is because UVB phototherapy, as conventionally delivered in a clinic setting, is relatively inconvenient and expensive, involving multiple weekly visits over extended periods, with a co-pay each time. Delivery of UVB phototherapy at home, with patients treating themselves under the close supervision of their physician, makes compliance with extended treatment regimens much easier to maintain. We believe that Levia and Personal Targeted Phototherapy introduce a new class of technology and treatment which will facilitate the accelerated adoption of home UVB phototherapy.”

For a video testimonial, visit: http://www.mylevia.com/your_story.php?story=23

ABOUT LERNER MEDICAL DEVICES, INC.
Lerner Medical Devices, Inc. is focused on the use of ultraviolet light therapy for self-treatment of psoriasis and other photo-responsive skin conditions. Levia® is the first Personal Targeted Phototherapy product; it is designed to facilitate safe treatment of psoriasis in a home environment, incorporating:

-- Proprietary beam delivery attachments to direct UVB light precisely to the affected areas of skin and scalp. -- Touch screen interface for maximum control by patients in accordance with preset instructions from the prescribing physician. 

To learn more about Levia and Lerner Medical, please visit www.mylevia.com and www.lernermedical.com.

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