Industry Briefs

INDUSTRY NEWS

MAKING IOLS A WORK OF ART

Medical device company Voptica will announces the first and only inverted meniscus intraocular lens (ArtIOLs®) to improve peripheral vision at 2021 ESCRS Satellite Symposium in Amsterdam.

“Current intraocular lenses are designed to optimise image quality at the eye’s central retina, with not much attention to their off-axis performance,” Pablo Artal, PhD, CEO, and Co-founder of Voptica, said. “IOLs are very thin in comparison with our natural lens. The reason is obvious, because we favour surgery through a small incision, but from the point of view of the optics in the periphery, the impact can be important since standard lenses provide a wrong field curvature and elevated astigmatism.”

TREATMENT FOR PROGRESSIVE CHILDHOOD MYOPIA

Santen announced an exclusive licensing agreement for SYD101, Sydnexis’ investigational proprietary low-dose atropine formulation, for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). SYD101 is currently undergoing a large multicentre phase three clinical trial, the STAAR study, in Europe and the US. SYD-101 is a low-dose atropine sulphate ophthalmic solution—0.01% and 0.03%. The low-dose atropine formulation is designed to be pharmacologically stable without needing to lower the pH in order to achieve a shelf life of up to three years at room temperature, according to the developer.

SANTEN AND IAPB PARTNER

Santen EMEA announced it would work with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness to help implement the United Nations General Assembly resolution encouraging an international approach to improve access to basic eye services around the world.

“The adoption of UN resolution on eye health represents a major leap towards the realisation of our world vision, Happiness with Vision,” said Shigeo Taniuchi, President & CEO of Santen.

NEWS IN BRIEF

ALDEYRA RP DRUG APPROVED

The US FDA granted orphan drug status to Aldeyra Therapeutics’ ADX-2191 treatment for retinitis pigmentosa. ADX-2191 (methotrexate for intravitreal injection) is the first drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa. The drug has also been granted orphan drug status for treatment of primary vitreoretinal lymphoma and received both orphan drug and fast track status for the prevention of proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

SLOW-RELEASE DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR RANIBIZUMAB

Genentech’s Port Delivery System with ranibizumab (PDS) moved closer to US FDA approval with the acceptance of its Biologics License Application (BLA), which is under Priority Review. The PDS is designed for the long-term treatment of neovascular, age-related macular degeneration. It would free patients from the need for frequent intravitreal injections. The company also recently announced its BLA for faricimab treating wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular oedema was accepted. The FDA also accepted the company’s application for diabetic retinopathy.

TREATMENT FOR MACULAR OEDEMA

The US FDA accepted Bausch + Lomb and Clearside Biomedical’s resubmitted New Drug Application for triamcinolone acetonide suprachoroidal injectable suspension (Xipere). The companies are investigating the potential of the triamcinolone acetonide suprachoroidal injectable suspension for the treatment of macular oedema associated with uveitis. This would be Clearside’s first commercial product and the first approved drug delivered into the suprachoroidal space (SCS).