Leading experts and consultants in working with FDA's CDER assisted Aciont in filing its IND and clearing DSP-Visulex for testing in a phase 1/2 clinical trial.  Aciont thanks Dr. Paul Laskar, an expert on drug development quality control and testing of P Laskar Associates Inc., Judy F. Gordon and her team of ClinReg Consulting Services and Gary Novack of Pharmalogic for their previous support.   Aciont also appreciates the support from our Visulex-P and Visulex-I drug applicator and packaging manufacturing partner, Medical Murray.

Aciont has collaborated with leading researchers in drug transport pharmacokinetics and pharmacology. 

• S. Kevin Li, PhD, Professor in the Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Cincinnati.  Kevin is an expert on researching various pharmaceutical formulation and drug delivery device technologies.  Kevin studied basic research in iontophoretic transdermal and ocular therapeutic applications including work on early Visulex-I prototypes.
• Sarah A. Molokhia, RPh, PhD, Director, Research and Development, Iveena Delivery Systems.  Sarah is an expert on electroosmosis and drug delivery research and collaborated with Kevin on the early in vitro modeling studies on ocular iontophoresis.  Sarah was instrumental as a principal study coordinator for most of Aciont's Visulex-I's preclinical research.
• David J. Miller, RPh, PhD, Co-owner Keystone Pharmacy.  David formerly of one of Aciont's first research scientists and he developed the early prototypes and formulation design for the DSP-Visulex system.  Specifically, David was the first lead investigator on the NEI SBIR grant Aciont was awarded.  David is an expert on transdermal and ocular iontophoresis delivery systems.
  

Located in Research Park within The University of Utah, Aciont is fortunate to be in close proximity to The University of Utah Medical System where the Moran Eye Center is located.  Advising us on our uveitis clinical protocol was Dr. Albert T. Vitale, a world renowned expert on uveitis and retina disease.   Dr. Vitale has been an important scientific and medical advisor to our company in defining our potential applications with DSP-Visulex.   Aciont also has collaborated with Dr. Vitale's colleague, Dr. Bala Ambati, a leading expert on corneal disease and surgery and other anterior segment concerns including anterior uveitis.  Dr. Ambati's research team also developed an innovative CNV preclinical treatment model used to test the efficacy potential of Aciont's Visulex-I technology in delivering an anti-VEGF drug.   Dr. Nick Mamalis, an expert on cataracts and refractive surgery, provided helpful reviews of the Visulex system as well as providing an important initial pathology review of our prospective treatment modalities.  Dr. Paul S. Bernstein, a world renowned retinal disease and AMD expert, worked closely with Aciont's research advisor on electroosmosis, Dr. Sarah Molokhia (see Sarah's contributions below), on providing evaluation and potential applications of macromolecule (anti-VEGF) delivery using Visulex-I for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration.