WAVRE, Belgium — 28 March 2022: iSTAR Medical, a medtech company delivering breakthrough eye care solutions to patients, today announced that it has further expanded its commercial rollout for MINIject® to the UK. MINIject is iSTAR Medical’s minimally-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) implant and currently the only commercially available supraciliary MIGS device. With this market expansion, patients in the UK with open angle glaucoma are now able to benefit from MINIject®, which has demonstrated meaningful and sustained performance, combined with a favorable safety profile.
The first implants with MINIject® have now been successfully completed at The Colchester Eye Centre of Excellence (UK) by Mr Chrys Dimitriou, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon in Cataract & Glaucoma and Specialist in MIGS.
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness affecting around 100 million people worldwide and approximately 10 million in Europe alone.[1][2] MIGS represents the most promising and fastest-growing glaucoma therapy, due to its enhanced safety profile compared to traditional surgery.[1]
Chrys Dimitriou, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon in Cataract & Glaucoma and Specialist in MIGS, at The Colchester Eye Centre of Excellence, Colchester (UK) commented:
With over half a million individuals living with glaucoma in the UK, a number that will continue to grow with an ageing population, the need for effective and safe treatment options is more urgent than ever.[3] MIGS implants represent an increasingly important way of preventing the progression of glaucoma. By targeting the supraciliary space, MINIject® aims to offer an impressive combination of favorable safety and powerful efficacy.
Michel Vanbrabant, CEO of iSTAR Medical, commented:
Our commercial roll out across Europe is continuing as scheduled and we are delighted to add the important UK market. As the only commercially available MIGS device currently targeting the supraciliary space, we continue to receive positive feedback from surgeons on MINIject® and we look forward to supporting many more clinicians in providing the very best in MIGS treatment to their patients.
About iSTAR Medical
iSTAR Medical is committed to delivering breakthrough eye care solutions. Our most advanced product, MINIject®, is approved in Europe for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma – the leading cause of irreversible blindness – and we are aiming to seek market approval in the US. We believe MINIject®’s distinctive tissue-integrating capabilities unlock a safer, and more effective option for patients. We are building an exceptional team and pipeline of potentially leading products such as MINIject® to establish new treatment paradigms in eye care conditions with the highest patient needs. For more information, please visit: www.istar-medical.com
About MINIject®
MINIject® is iSTAR Medical’s innovative MIGS device for patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. MINIject® combines the distinctive porous structure of its proprietary STAR material with the power offered by the supraciliary space. As a result, it is designed to enhance natural fluid outflow, reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) and the need for medication, while bio-integrating with surrounding tissue, limiting inflammation, fibrosis and subsequent complications.
About Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a progressive disease affecting over 100 million people globally, of which primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common form.[1][2] IOP reduction, through medication or surgery, helps delay disease progression.[4] Medication is generally the first line treatment, but the progressive addition of multiple drops can burden patients with side effects, compliance challenges and costs.[1][4] Invasive surgery can present risks with irreversible complications and often requires long-term patient management.[1][4] MIGS is the most promising and fastest-growing glaucoma therapy due to its enhanced safety profile.[1] We believe MINIject® may become a leading MIGS device with its promising long-term efficacy and safety.
[1] Market Scope, “2021 Glaucoma Surgical Device Market Report”, July 2021. https://www.market-scope.com/pages/reports/267/2021-glaucoma-surgical-device-market-report
[2] Jonas JB, Aung T, Bourne RR et al. “Glaucoma”. Lancet 2017; 390: 2083–93
[3] National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries. Glaucoma. Prevalence. June 2019
[4] “European Glaucoma Society Terminology and Guidelines for Glaucoma”, 4th Edition: British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2017;101:1-195 https://bjo.bmj.com/content/101/5/73
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