WAVRE, Belgium — 22 December 2023: iSTAR Medical, a medtech company delivering breakthrough eye care solutions to patients, today announces the successful first implantations of MINIject®, the Company’s bio-integrating, minimally-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) device, in the Netherlands.
Glaucoma is the cause of visual impairment or blindness in four percent of the total number of patients in the Netherlands[1]. Among these, primary open-angle glaucoma is the predominant subtype, impacting approximately 100,000 people[2].
Patients were successfully implanted at the University Eye Clinic of the Maastricht University Medical Center+ by Prof. Henny Beckers, Head of the Glaucoma Clinic and Director of the Ophthalmology Residency Program.
iSTAR Medical’s rollout of MINIject® in the Netherlands adds to its existing portfolio of European countries. MINIject® continues to demonstrate meaningful and sustained performance in lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) combined with a favorable safety profile.
Prof. Henny Beckers, Head of the Glaucoma Clinic and Director of the Ophthalmology Residency Program at the University Eye Clinic of the Maastricht University Medical Center+ in the Netherlands commented:
I am happy to report the successful initiation of the first MINIject® procedures at our clinic and pleased to have already received positive feedback from the patients following the procedure. We are confident that the addition of this new suprachoroidal procedure into our treatment portfolio holds the potential to benefit a significant number of patients in the future.
Michel Vanbrabant, CEO of iSTAR Medical, commented:
iSTAR Medical continues to make significant progress in the global commercial rollout of MINIject® and I am proud with this achievement in the Netherlands to close 2023. We would like to extend our thanks to the team at the University Eye Clinic of the Maastricht University Medical Center+ for completing the first surgeries and for their contribution towards achieving our aim of improving the lives of people around the world affected by glaucoma.
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.
iSTAR Medical is an independent company which entered a strategic partnership with AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) in July 2022. The collaboration further supports the role of MINIject® in the treatment of glaucoma and accelerates iSTAR Medical’s goal to bring MINIject® to more patients globally while providing AbbVie the opportunity to further expand its diverse eye care portfolio.
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.[3,4] IOP reduction, through medication or surgery, helps delay disease progression.[5] Medication is generally the first line treatment, but the progressive addition of multiple drops can burden patients with side effects, compliance challenges and costs.[4,5] Invasive surgery can present risks with irreversible complications and often requires long-term patient management.[4,5] MIGS is the most promising and fastest-growing glaucoma therapy due to its enhanced safety profile.[4] MINIject® is potentially best-in-class for its promising long-term efficacy and safety.
[1] Singh K, Shrivastava A. Early aggressive intraocular pressure lowering, target intraocular pressure, and a novel concept for glaucoma care. Surv Ophthalmol. 2008 Nov;53 Suppl1:S33-8
[2] Beckers HJ, Kinders KC, Webers CA. Five-year results of trabeculectomy with mitomycin C. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2003 Feb;241(2):106-10
[3] Jonas JB, Aung T, Bourne RR et al. “Glaucoma”. Lancet 2017; 390: 2083–93
[4] Market Scope, “2021 Glaucoma Surgical Device Market Report”, July 2021.
[5] “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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