Alcon adds MIGS device to pipeline

Alcon has entered the minimally-invasive surgery (MIGS) market with its acquisition of Transcend Medical and its micro-stent CyPass.

CyPass is implanted in the supraciliary space during cataract surgery.

Designed to create a controlled outflow pathway to the suprachoroidal space, the device is a 6.35-mm long tube with an outer diameter of 0.51 mm. It’s made of a polyimide material similar to that used in intraocular lens haptics, and it can be placed through a 1.5-mm corneal incision. It’s inserted on a small guidewire with a special tip that separates the iris from the scleral spur. The device is inserted into the cleft that’s created. Once in place, openings all along the length of the tube allow aqueous to flow out.

It received CE approval in 2008, but is under investigation in the United States.

“We expect the MIGS technology to be a great addition to our device pipeline,” said Mike Ball, CEO of Alcon. “If approved, it will provide a less invasive means of lowering IOP than traditional invasive glaucoma surgery, with the goal of lowering the dependency of topical ocular medication. This acquisition also expands Alcon’s leadership in glaucoma and cataract treatment as part of our surgical  business.”