Latest Industry News & Trends
Market Scope provides comprehensive coverage of the ophthalmic market. Our news stories are a combination of public and proprietary content ranging from coverage of international meetings, surgeon survey results and trends, analysis of company financial reports and public medical registries, press releases, and interviews with executives. Register today to receive free weekly email updates, our top data chart, surgeon poll results, and much more. Locked content can be accessed through a subscription to our ophthalmic industry newsletters.
Corneal News
SIFI Files for UK Approval of Akantior Drops for Acanthamoeba Keratitis
Italy’s SIFI reported Dec. 16 that it had filed a marketing authorization application with the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for Akantior (polihexanide 0.08%) drops for t...
Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, December 2024
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.
Cornea Transplant Market Continues to Face Procurement Challenges, as New Approaches on Rise
An estimated 1 million corneas are needed each year to meet the demand of those who could benefit from a transplant. Several factors contribute to the global shortage of corneal tissue. In many cou...
Cornea and Eye Banking Forum Looks at Ways to Expand the Donor Pool
Expanding the donor pool was once again top of mind at the 2024 Cornea and Eye Banking Forum, held Oct. 18 in conjunction with the AAO meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The forum, supported by the Eye ...
Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, November 2024
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.
Q3-2024 Ophthalmic Revenue Roundup for AbbVie, Apellis, Glaukos, STAAR, and Lensar
AbbVie, of North Chicago, Illinois, reported Oct. 30 that its Q3-2024 eye care net revenue was $525 million, a 13.5 percent decline (-11.2 percent cc) from $605 million in Q3-2023. Restasis revenue...
Grifols, BARDA Partner on Ocular Immunoglobulin Drops for Sulfur Mustard Exposure
Barcelona-basedGrifols reported Oct. 22 that it is partnering with the US government’s BARDA to test ocular surface immunoglobulin (OSIG) eye drops for their ability to treat ocular damage from sul...
Cure Blindness Project Expands Sight-Saving Care to Six New Countries
Cure Blindness Project is expanding to six new countries—Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Pakistan, Paraguay, and Zambia, the charity reported Oct. 10. Paraguay marksthe charity’...
Select US FDA Approvals and Clearances in September 2024
The US FDA granted two clearances through the ophthalmic device division using the 510(k) pathway in September 2024, according to the agency’s database. Zeiss gained clearance for its combination Y...
Aurion Biotech Launches Vyznova Corneal Cell Therapy in Japan
Aurion Biotech announced Sept. 24 that it had launched Vyznova (neltependocel), a cell therapy for bullous keratopathy of the cornea, in Japan. Japanese regulators approved Vyznova in March 2023. T...
Cornea Surgeons Examine New Crosslinking Options and Old Debates
Farhad Hafezi, MD, PhD, FARVO (Switzerland), discussed at the 2024 ESCRS congress the goals of the second global consensus on keratoconus, being drafted in 2024. This consensus encompasses feedback...
Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, October 2024
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.
SIFI Launches Akantior Drops for Acanthamoeba Keratitis in Germany
Italy’s SIFI announced Sept. 30 the launch in Germany of its Akantior (polihexanide 0.08%) drops for the treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), a parasitic infection of the eye, in patients 12 a...
Aurion Launches Vyznova Corneal Cell Therapy in Japan
Aurion Biotech announced Sept. 24 that it had launched Vyznova (neltependocel), a cell therapy for bullous keratopathy of the cornea, in Japan. Japanese regulators approved Vyznova in March 2023. T...
European Commission Approves SIFI’s Akantior Drops for Acanthamoeba Keratitis
Italy’s SIFI announced Aug. 26 that the European Commission had approved Akantior (polihexanide 0.08%) drops for the treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), a parasitic infection of the eye, in p...
Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, August 2024
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.
Renowned Charity HCP Cureblindness Rebrands as Cure Blindness Project
HCP Cureblindness has rebranded as the Cure Blindness Project, the group announced July 29. The move is designed to better reflect the eye charity’s expanded geographical footprint and commitment t...
August 2024 Ophthalmic News Briefs
Ireland-based Mallinckrodt announced Aug. 6 that its H.P. Acthar Gel single-dose prefilled SelfJect injector was available in the US. The US FDA approved the supplemental new drug application for t...
Santen Licenses Cloudbreak Topical Pterygium Candidate for Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia
Japan’s Santen announced Aug. 6 that it had signed an agreement to license CBT-001, a topical pterygiumtreatment candidate from Cloudbreak Pharma. The deal covers the territories of Japan, South Ko...
Mallinckrodt Announces Availability of Acthar Gel SelfJect Injector in the US
Ireland-based Mallinckrodt announced Aug. 6 that its H.P. Acthar Gel single-dose prefilled SelfJect injector was available in the US. The US FDA approved the supplemental new drug application (sNDA...
HCP Cureblindness Rebrands as Cure Blindness Project
HCP Cureblindness has rebranded as the Cure Blindness Project, the group announced July 29. The move is designed to better reflect the eye charity’s expanded geographical footprint and commitment t...
Q2-2024 Ophthalmic Revenue Roundup for Regeneron, Roche, Bausch + Lomb, Novartis, and Four Others
Regeneron, of Tarrytown, New York, reported Aug. 1 that its Q2-2024 US revenue for Eylea was $1.53 billion, a 2 percent increase from $1.5 billion in Q2-2023. Eylea HD accounted for $304 million of...
Bausch + Lomb Acquires Dry Eye Diagnostic Company Trukera Medical
Bausch + Lomb announced July 23 that it had acquired dry eye diagnostic company Trukera Medical from its private equity owner, AccelMed Partners, and other shareholders. No financial details were d...
Eyenovia, Senju Will Collaborate on Chronic Dry Eye Candidate with Optejet Microdoser
Eyenovia, of New York, announced July 23 that it had entered into a collaboration agreement with Japan’s Senju Pharmaceutical to develop Senju’s corneal epithelial wound healing candidate, SJP-0035...
Advisory Panel Recommends Orphan Drug Status for SIFI’s Polihexanide in Fungal Keratitis
Italy’s SIFI announced July 22 that a European advisory panel had recommended orphan drug designation for its polihexanide eye drop for fungal keratitis. The Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products...
Beacon Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $170 Million in Series B
Beacon Therapeutics led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with $170 million in Series B funding to advance its candidates for retinal disease. Financing announced in the past four weeks totaled...
Claes H. Dohlman, MD, PhD, Corneal Research Pioneer and Inventor of the Boston KPro, Dies at 101
Claes H. Dohlman, MD, PhD, considered by many to be the father of modern corneal science, died July 14, Massachusetts Eye and Ear announced in a press release. He was 101. Dohlman, who was born in ...
July 2024 Ophthalmic News Briefs
Bausch + Lomb announced July 23 that it had acquired dry eye diagnostic company Trukera Medical from its private equity owner, AccelMed Partners, and other shareholders. No financial details were d...
Claes H. Dohlman, MD, PhD, Corneal Research Pioneer and Inventor of the Boston KPro, Dies at 101
Claes H. Dohlman, MD, PhD, considered by many to be the father of modern corneal science, died July 14, Massachusetts Eye and Ear announced in a press release. He was 101. Dohlman, who was born in ...
Okyo Pharma to Initiate Phase II Trial for OK-101 in Neuropathic Corneal Pain
London’s Okyo Pharma announced July 11 that it would advance OK-101 into a Phase II clinical trial of neuropathic corneal pain (NCP). The US FDA cleared the investigational new drug (IND) applicati...
J&J Leads Series A Round for Crosslinking Tech Developer TecLens
Johnson & Johnson is the lead investor in a Series A funding round for Stamford, Connecticut-based TecLens, developer of a new crosslinking technology, J&J announced June 21. The technology is inte...
US FDA Grants Breakthrough, Regenerative Medicine Status to Aurion’s Corneal Cell Therapy Candidate
Aurion Biotech announced June 19 that the US FDA had granted both breakthrough therapy and regenerative medicine advanced therapy status for AURN001, the company’s allogeneic cell therapy candidate...
Eye Banking Meeting Celebrates Successful Transplants, Looks at Needs Going Forward
Attendees at the 2024 Eye Banking Association of America (EBAA) meeting celebrated many achievements and milestones across the eye banking profession and transplant community in general, as 2023 ma...
SIFI’s Acanthamoeba Keratitis Eye Drop Candidate Gains Positive CHMP Opinion
Italy’s SIFI announced May 31 that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency recommended approval of Akantior (polihexanide 0.08%) for the treatment...
Eversight Partners with LighTopTech to Improve Imaging of Eye Tissues
Global nonprofit eye bank Eversight announced June 5 a four-year partnership with LighTopTech to improve imaging for eye tissues in clinical and research settings. Eversight will integrate LighTopT...
BioTissue Introduces Shelf-Stable CAM360 AmnioGraft for Dry Eye, Other Disorders
BioTissue announced June 3 that it was launching the CAM360 AmnioGraft, a new hydrated, shelf-stable cryopreserved amniotic membrane product for mild to moderate dry eye and other ocular surface di...
Eversight Partners with LighTopTech to Improve Imaging of Eye Tissues
Global nonprofit eye bank Eversight announced June 5 a four-year partnership with LighTopTech to improve imaging for eye tissues in clinical and research settings. Eversight will integrate LighTopT...
BioTissue Introduces Shelf-Stable CAM360 AmnioGraft for Dry Eye, Other Disorders
BioTissue announced June 3 that it was launching the CAM360 AmnioGraft, a new hydrated, shelf-stable cryopreserved amniotic membrane product for mild to moderate dry eye and other ocular surface di...
Acanthamoeba Keratitis Eye Drop Candidate from SIFI Gains Positive CHMP Opinion
Italy’s SIFI announced May 31 that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency recommended approval of Akantior (polihexanide 0.08%) for the treatment...
Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, May 2024
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.
2024 ARVO Awards Highlight New Focus on Inflammation
The Weisenfeld and Cogan awards and lectures at the 2024 ARVO meeting put a spotlight on inflammation. Martine Jager, MD, PhD (Netherlands), received the Weisenfeld Award in recognition of her pion...
Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, May 2024
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.
May 2024 Ophthalmic News Briefs
Taiwan-based Formosa Pharmaceuticals announced May 9 that it had entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Tabuk Pharmaceuticals to market clobetasol propionate 0.05% eye drops for post-su...
Bausch + Lomb Launches Zenlens Echo Scleral Lenses in the US
Bausch + Lomb announced May 7 that it had launched the Zenlens Echo, a non-prosthetic, custom scleral contact lens, in the US. The company said the Echo is designed to fit a wide variety of corneal...
Outlook Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $164M in Private Placements
Retinal drug developer Outlook Therapeutics led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with two private placements, for proceeds totaling $164 million. Financing announced in the past four weeks tot...
Rise of DMEK Highlights Need for Corneal Endothelial Therapies
Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) has become the most common keratoplasty procedure performed domestically, according to a statistical report by the Eye Bank Association of Americ...
Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, April 2024
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.
Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates , April 2024
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.
April 2024 Ophthalmic News Briefs
Alexion, the rare disease unit of AstraZeneca, announced March 25 that the US FDA had approved its long-acting C5 complement inhibitor Ultomiris (ravulizumab-cwvz) for adults with neuromyelitis opt...
Optical Chain to Exclusively Offer Verséa’s Biovance Ocular Allografts
West Point Optical Group, which operates 86 Pearle Vision clinics in 13 states, announced April 3 that it had reached an agreement with Verséa Ophthalmics to offer Verséa’s Biovance and Biovance 3L...
ABVC BioPharma Sells Global Rights to Vitreous Substitute to ForSeeCon Eye for $30 Million Up Front
ABVC BioPharma announced March 26 that it had agreed to license its ophthalmology pipeline, including the vitreous substitute candidate Vitargus, to ForSeeCon Eye. ABVC, of Fremont, California, say...
Alcon Appoints Terry Kim, MD, as CMO, Head of Global Medical Safety
Alcon announced March 26 that Terry Kim, MD, would join the company in April as chief medical officer (CMO) and head of global medical safety. Kim, who specializes in cornea, cataract, and refracti...
US FDA Gives Green Light to Phase I Trial of Fuchs’ Candidate from Design Therapeutics
Design Therapeutics reported March 19 in its 2023 financial statement that the US FDA had cleared its investigational new drug (IND) application for a clinical trial of DT-168 in Fuchs’ endothelial...
CorNeat Vision Launches EverPatch Ophthalmic Graft Material in the US
Israel-based CorNeat Vision announced Feb. 27 that it had launched its EverPatch scleral reinforcement patch in the US. The device was cleared by the US FDA in June 2023. The graft is the first syn...
March 2024 Ophthalmic News Briefs
Germany’s VSY Biotechnology launched its Enova Maestro trifocal toric preloaded intraocular lens (IOL) at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) Winter Meeting, held Feb. ...
Vital Tears Appoints Joseph Tauber, MD, as Chief Medical Officer
Vital Tears announced March 6 that it had appointed Joseph Tauber, MD, as its chief medical officer. In 2023, Vital Tears added mobile phlebotomy services to its system of providing autologous seru...
US FDA Approves Supplemental NDA for Pre-filled Acthar Gel Self-Injector
Ireland-based Mallinckrodt announced March 1 that the US FDA had approved its supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for the H.P. Acthar Gel single-dose pre-filled SelfJect injector. SelfJect pro...
2023 Ophthalmic Revenue Roundup for Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, STAAR, Glaukos, Apellis, and Tarsus
Alcon reported Feb. 27 that its full year 2023 net sales totaled $9.4 billion, an 8 percent increase (+10 percent cc) over $8.7 billion in 2022. Q4-2023 sales were $2.3 billion, an 8 percent increa...
CorNeat Vision Launches EverPatch Ophthalmic Graft Material in the US
Israel-based CorNeat Vision announced Feb. 27 that it had launched itsEverPatch scleral reinforcement patch in the US. The device was cleared by the US FDA in June 2023. The graft is the first synt...
Australian Research Team Receives $35 Million Grant to Develop Tissue-Engineered Cornea
Researchers in Australia announced Feb. 5 that they had received a $35 million grant from the national government’s Medical Research Future Fund to support the development of a tissue-engineered co...
Eversight Partners with Emmecell to Advance Corneal Cell Therapies
Global nonprofit eye bank Eversight and Emmecell announced Feb. 20 that they would collaborate to advance cell therapies for corneal treatment. Emmecell, of Menlo Park, California, is developing EO...
Team Receives $35 Million Grant to Develop Tissue-Engineered Cornea
Researchers in Australia announced Feb. 5 that they had received a $35 million grant from the national government’s Medical Research Future Fund to support the development of a tissue-engineered co...
Mass Eye and Ear Study Reveals that Neuropeptide Promotes Corneal Healing
A recent study by investigators at Mass Eye and Ear of the Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology revealed that the neuropeptide α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) promotes cornea...
Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, February 2024
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.
February 2024 Ophthalmic News Briefs
Amneal Pharmaceuticals announced Jan. 10 that it had received US FDA approval for and launched generic fluorometholone eye drops. The product is indicated for the treatment of corticosteroid-respon...
US FDA Gives Green Light to Phase II Trial of Okyo’s OK-101 in the First IND Cleared for Neuropathic Corneal Pain
London’s Okyo Pharma announced Feb. 9 that the US FDA had cleared its investigational new drug (IND) application for topical candidate OK-101 in neuropathic corneal pain—a first for that indication...
Stuart Therapeutics Names Jodi Luchs, MD, as Chief Medical Officer
Stuart Therapeutics, of Stuart, Florida, reported Feb. 1 that it had appointed Jodi Luchs, MD, as chief medical officer. Luchs is a board-certified, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist with a subspe...
2023 in Review: Japan Approves Vyznova, World’s First Corneal Cell Therapy
Cornea treatment made a significant breakthrough in 2023, with the approval in Japan of Aurion Biotech’s novel cell therapy, Vyznova, for the treatment of bullous keratopathy. The milestone is a gl...
Ji Xing Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $162 Million in Series D Round
China’s Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with $162 million in Series D funding to advance its pipeline, which includes five ophthalmic candidates. Financing announc...
Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, January 2024
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.
January 2024 Ophthalmic News Briefs
Maker of Sophi Phaco Machines UK-based Rayner announced Jan. 17 that it had acquired Switzerland’s This AG, the maker of Sophi phacoemulsification machines. No financial details were disclosed. Sop...
Mass Eye and Ear Study Shows Neuropeptide Promotes Corneal Healing
A recent study by investigators at Mass Eye and Ear of the Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology revealed that that administration of the neuropeptide α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone ...
US FDA Grants Orphan Drug Status to Cellusion’s Corneal Cell Therapy Candidate
Cellusion, of Tokyo, announced Dec. 22 that the US FDA had granted orphan drug designation to its induced pluripotent stem cell-derived corneal endothelial cell substitute, CLS001, for bullous kera...
KeraLink International Launches Cornea Accelerator, Issues $100K Challenge to Innovators
KeraLink International, a nonprofit group focused on eradicating global corneal blindness, announced Dec. 11 that it had launched a Cornea Technology Accelerator, open to entrepreneurs and innovato...
EyeBio Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $65 Million in Series A
EyeBio led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with $65 million in Series A funding to continue development of its candidate for retinal disease. Financing announced in the past four weeks totale...
Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, November 2023
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.
Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, November 2023
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.
New Cornea Therapies Aim to Mitigate Unacceptable Outcomes
Cornea Subspecialty Day has become the most popular pre-meeting event at the annual congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, with 629 attendees this year. Cornea specia...
Ukrainian Ophthalmologists Endure Complex Surgical Cases Amid War
Ukrainian ophthalmologists are struggling to restore sight to soldiers and confronting complex surgical cases, even as the Russian offensive continues in their country. A large contingent of 825 Uk...
Brim Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $45.8 Million Rights Issue
Brim Biotechnologies, of Taiwan, led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with a $45.8 million rights issue to advance its lead dry eye candidate. Funding announced in the past four weeks totaled ...
Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, September 2023
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.
September 2023 Ophthalmic News Briefs
Carl Zeiss Meditec announced Aug. 23 that more than 8 million eyes had been treated with the company’s SMILE procedure through the first half of 2023. SMILE, short for small-incision lenticule extr...
NovaBay will Commercialize BioStem Amniotic Tissue Ocular Allograft as Avenova Allograft
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals and BioStem Technologies announced an agreement Sept. 11 under which NovaBay will commercialize BioStem’s ocular amniotic tissue allograft. No financial details for the deal...
Kriya Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $150 Million in Series C
Kriya Therapeutics led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with $150 million in a Series C financing to advance its gene therapy candidates. Funding announced in the past four weeks totaled $456....
Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, August 2023
Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.
Cedars-Sinai Study Identifies How Diabetes Slows Healing in the Eye
Investigators at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles say they’ve identified diabetes-associated epigenetic changes to the cornea, providing a new understanding of how the disease delays wound healing in th...
Want to Read the Full Article?
Already Have an Account?
Register A Corporate Account
A corporate account gives you access to licensed reports and subscriptions, the latest news, a personalized dashboard, and weekly emails with news and data.