SightLife Surgical acquires Kamra inlay

AcuFocus will sell the Kamra technology to Seattle-based SightLife Surgical, according to a press release on the company’s website.

Approved by the FDA in April 2015, the Kamra inlay is the first device for surgical correction of presbyopia. The ultra-thin, opaque, donut-shaped implant creates a small-aperture effect that provides an extended depth of focus in presbyopic patients who have not had cataract surgery

Dr. Minoru Tomita, who has performed more than 6,000 Kamra procedures in Japan, discusses the advantages of the inlay in this interview from AAO 2016.

“The Kamra inlay is a minimally invasive solution for a greatly underserved and growing segment of the population,” said Richard L. Lindstrom, MD, a surgeon at Minnesota Eye Consultants and board member for both AcuFocus and SightLife Surgical. “I’m excited about the progress achieved today and the strong corneal focus of the SightLife Surgical team moving forward. I believe the KAMRA inlay will have a bright future and will be an increasingly utilized solution for presbyopia correction.”

AcuFocus president and chief operating officer Al Waterhouse said the acquisition would allow the company to focus on bringing their IC-8 small aperture IOL to U.S. markets. The IC-8 is designed to treat presbyopic patients with cataracts, and has already received the European CE Mark approval.

The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close at the end of this month.