Industry Insider is a timely chat with an ophthalmic industry thought leader.

Joe Bankovich serves as president of Nova Eye Medical. Formerly Ellex, Nova Eye Medical is focused on creating glaucoma treatment technology and therapies such as its iTrack system, which can perform minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS).

Ophthalmology Management: Nova Eye has stated that, in a departure from Ellex, its focus shall be on glaucoma. Why chose that as a business focus?

Joe Bankovich: Nova Eye Medical has a legacy in ophthalmology that spans more than 30 years — but only recently have we been able to harness this expertise and industry “know-how” to focus solely on glaucoma.

It is an incredibly exciting time to be in the field of glaucoma. Previously, physicians had to rely on medical therapy at one end of the treatment spectrum through to invasive procedures such as trabeculectomy at the other. The end result was a significant gap in the treatment of patients with moderate glaucoma. With the introduction of MIGS, both physicians and industry have recalibrated their thinking in order to bridge this treatment gap, resulting in a number of new glaucoma treatment technologies.

During this treatment innovation, we have a significant opportunity to better align the options available with the needs of each patient across the disease spectrum. This will help advance clinical outcomes and patient quality of life — and we are at the forefront of this effort.

OM: What are your goals for this new company direction?

JB: Nova Eye Medical’s goal is to help ophthalmologists manage a glaucoma patient over the life of their disease. To that end, our mission is to develop a comprehensive portfolio of glaucoma treatments that span the entire disease — and therein create more opportunities for ophthalmologists to intervene. Ultimately, this will equate to better patient care.

OM: Can you elaborate on your plans for your iTrack surgical platform?

JB: iTrack forms the heart of Nova Eye Medical and is at the forefront of our efforts to redefine the early treatment of glaucoma. It is our implant-free MIGS procedure that acts to restore the function of the conventional outflow pathway, rather than to bypass or mechanically change it.

Not only does iTrack achieve excellent clinical outcomes — recent 36-month data presented by Mark J. Gallardo, MD, demonstrated a reduction in mean IOP in the low teens, combined with a reduction in medication dependence of up to 50% — it does so without removing or damaging tissue. This preserves the viability of future treatment options, and thereby allows it to be deployed early in the treatment paradigm. As an added benefit, iTrack can be performed outside of cataract surgery, enabling it to treat both phakic and pseudophakic patients.

OM: Tell us about Nova Eye’s recent acquisition of the Molteno3 glaucoma drainage device portfolio.

JB: The acquisition of the Molteno3 signals a step forward in our stated strategy to build a comprehensive portfolio of glaucoma treatment technologies.

In our decision to acquire the Molteno3, we considered whether it aligned with our mission. In other words, it needed to advance clinical outcomes, as well as improve patient quality of life; needless to say, it shone bright in both areas.

We believe in the Molteno3 technology and the benefits it offers. It is the culmination of more than 50 years of research into bleb formation and structure and has been implanted in thousands of patients worldwide. From the proprietary process of staged bleb formation to a simplified surgical procedure, Molteno3 is a game-changer. It has been clinically validated to deliver consistent, long-term reduction in IOP in cases of severe or complex glaucoma. OM