Acucela CEO and Founder Selected as One of Seattle Business Magazine's Top 25 Innovators & Entrepreneurs.BOTHELL, Wash. -- Acucela, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing new treatments for blinding eye diseases, announced today that Ryo Kubota, M.D., Ph.D., Acucela's founder, chairman, president and chief executive officer, has been honored by Seattle Business magazine as one of its 2009 Top 25 Innovators & Entrepreneurs. "I am very honored by this recognition and to be included in such a talented group of men and women," stated Dr. Kubota. "The Seattle biotechnology hub and the broader Washington region is home to many innovative companies and individuals. At Acucela, we are excited and proud to be part of a community that thrives on and supports this entrepreneurial spirit." Dr. Kubota is a pioneer in the ophthalmology field and the discoverer of the gene that causes glaucoma glaucoma (glôkō`mə), ocular disorder characterized by pressure within the eyeball caused by an excessive amount of aqueous humor (the fluid substance filling the eyeball). . Dr. Kubota founded Acucela in 2002 in Bothell, Washington. The company is working to create promising treatments for blinding eye diseases, including dry eye and dry age-related macular degeneration Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) Degeneration of the macula (the central part of the retina where the rods and cones are most dense) that leads to loss of central vision in people over 60. ("dry" AMD (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, www.amd.com) A major manufacturer of semiconductor devices including x86-compatible CPUs, embedded processors, flash memories, programmable logic devices and networking chips. ), which is the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 50. In an effort to educate patients on preventative measures to ensure eye health and the next generation of cutting edge therapies to treat blinding eye diseases, Dr. Kubota has created www.DrRyo.com, an online forum for information and discussions in the ophthalmology community. Executives from more than 125 companies were nominated this year for the Seattle Business Top 25 Innovators & Entrepreneurs Awards, and the winners were chosen by an advisory board of executives and leaders from the Washington region. A full list of the winners of the 2009 Top 25 Innovator & Entrepreneur Award winners will be printed in the November issue of Seattle Business and online at seattlebusinessmag.com. Photos from the event will be available on the Seattle Business website. About Acucela Inc. Acucela Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on leveraging promising science in visual cycle modulation (VCM VCM Vinyl Chloride Monomer VCM Variable Cylinder Management (Honda) VCM Virtual Channel Memory VCM Value Chain Management VCM Voice-Coil Motor VCM Vehicle Control Module VCM Vignette Content Management ) to develop new methods for treating blinding eye diseases that affect tens of millions of people worldwide. The company's orally-delivered VCM therapies, which selectively target cells within the retina to protect visual acuity visual acuity n. Sharpness of vision, especially as tested with a Snellen chart. Normal visual acuity based on the Snellen chart is 20/20. Visual acuity The ability to distinguish details and shapes of objects. , have the potential to be used to treat several devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. eye diseases, including dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinopathy of prematurity retinopathy of prematurity n. Abnormal replacement of the sensory retina by fibrous tissue and blood vessels, occurring mainly in premature infants who are placed in a high-oxygen environment. , Stargardt disease and diabetic retinopathy diabetic retinopathy n. Retinal changes occurring in long-term diabetes and characterized by punctate hemorrhages, microaneurysms, and sharply defined waxy exudates. . Acucela is also developing, with Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Rebamipide ophthalmic suspension, a Phase 3 product candidate for dry eye. For more information, please visit www.Acucela.com. |
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