In the News
Alcon launched Wavelight Plus, the first fully personalized LASIK treatment, in the United States and Canada. Wavelight Plus leverages ray tracing technology, powered by the Sightmap diagnostic device, to consider a patient’s individual eye shape and vision needs. In addition, Alcon and Staar Surgical announced the companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement through which Alcon intends to acquire Staar.
Bausch + Lomb launched Asana gas permeable (GP) lenses, which feature spherical, aspheric, toric, multifocal, multifocal toric, reverse geometry, and keratoconic contact lenses. According to the company, Asana GP lenses are designed to maintain their shape throughout the day, their rigid material resists protein and fatty deposits, helping to maintain clarity/comfort, and their high durability offers strong resistance to breaking and chipping.
Haag-Streit USA launched the Elara 900 slit lamp and the Refractor 900 digital phoropter. With its optical quality and a projector-based “P-Type” light source, Elara 900 enhances visualization of fine ocular structures across a wide range of clinical scenarios. The Refractor 900 provides a reliable, fast, and accurate digital phoropter designed for high-quality refraction, the company said.
New World Medical introduced the Ahmed ClearPath ST, a non-valved glaucoma drainage device that features a smaller tube lumen, a pre-threaded 6-0 Prolene ripcord suture, and a 25-gauge needle for the scleral tunneling. The plate sizes, 250mm2 and 350mm2, allow surgeons to choose between a true single-quadrant implant or a larger implant.
Plexitome Medical and VEO Ophthalmics, through a partnership, launched Plexitome, a new device for anterior stromal puncture. The device can be used for treatment of recurrent corneal erosion and other epithelial basement membrane dystrophies. It features a 6.2 mm diameter disc array with approximately 675 precisely
engineered microspikes, delivering controlled/uniform puncture depth through Bowman’s layer of the cornea.
Optomed launched Optomed Lumo, its next-generation handheld fundus camera. The Lumo offers intuitive operation with high-quality imaging and AI-enhanced diagnostic platforms. Optomed Lumo is a MDR Class IIa CE certified medical device. Initial deliveries are expected to begin in Q3 2025 in selected markets, with a broader rollout planned in subsequent quarters.
VirtuaLens announced the launch of the Immersive IOL Simulator—a virtual reality (VR) platform that enables cataract patients to explore and compare different intraocular lens (IOL) options prior to surgery. The VirtuaLens VR IOL Simulator helps patients and their families understand the benefits of monofocal, multifocal, and premium lenses in realistic, lifestyle-based scenarios, according to the company.
Altris AI introduced an advanced flagging system to search through a large database of OCT scans, including historical data. Eyecare professionals can instantly identify OCT scans with specific retina pathologies or biomarkers from the list of over 70 conditions. For example, clinicians can locate OCT scans of all patients with a soft drusen or dry AMD, forming cohorts for clinical or research purposes.
NicoX’s investigational nitric oxide-donating prostaglandin analog, NCX 470, met its primary endpoint in the phase 3 Denali trial, demonstrating noninferiority to latanoprost in lowering intraocular pressure (IOP). The company said the results, which confirm findings from the earlier phase 3 Mont Blanc study, will support regulatory submissions in both the United States and China.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted fast-track designation to Sanofi’s SAR402663, an investigational gene therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). The FDA also granted fast-track designation to Sanofi’s investigational gene therapy SAR446597 for geographic atrophy (GA).
Aldeyra Therapeutics announced the FDA has granted fast-track designation for ADX-2191 (methotrexate intravitreal injection, USP) for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa. According to Aldeyra, the potential activity of ADX-2191 in retinitis pigmentosa is supported by results from a phase 2 clinical trial which demonstrated improvements from baseline in retinal sensitivity following treatment.
AAVantgarde Bio’sAAVB-039 gene therapy program for Stargardt disease secondary to biallelic mutation in ABCA4 was granted fast-track designation by the FDA.AAVB-039 addresses the underlying genetic cause of the disease by providing the full-length ABCA4 protein and has the potential to benefit all patients with ABCA4 mutations, the company said.
Ashvattha Therapeutics reported that its investigational drug migaldendranib (formerly D-4517.2) significantly reduced the need for intravitreal injections in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) and nAMD in a phase 2 trial. OM