For immediate release
iSTAR Medical conducts first MINIject® surgeries in Ireland, expanding commercial rollout in Europe
WAVRE, Belgium — 31 October 2023: iSTAR Medical, a medtech company delivering breakthrough eye care solutions to patients, today announces that the first patients in Ireland have been implanted with MINIject®, expanding the commercial rollout of the Company’s minimally-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) device across Europe.
Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in Ireland, with the incidence of the condition expected to rise by 33% over the coming decade1. Patients in Ireland with open-angle glaucoma will now have available to them, a powerful new treatment option and will be able to benefit from the many advantages offered by MINIject® compared to traditional treatment methods. Currently the only commercially available supraciliary MIGS implant, MINIject® has demonstrated meaningful and sustained performance, combined with a favorable safety profile.
Patients were successfully implanted with MINIject® at the IOES (Institute of Eye Surgery), Mullingar, by Mr. Anish Dhital. This follows iSTAR Medical’s recent expansion of MINIject® into other European countries including Sweden and Norway.
Mr. Anish Dhital, Cataract and Glaucoma Specialist at the IOES (Mullingar) said: “The successful implantation of iSTAR Medical’s MIGS device MINIject® marks another milestone in the advancement of glaucoma treatment in Ireland. Our ability to offer a new glaucoma implant that can significantly and safely lower IOP, and target a new drainage pathway will benefit patients – enabling them to reduce reliance on medication and preserve their vision for longer.”
Michel Vanbrabant, CEO of iSTAR Medical, commented: “It is both exciting and validating that one of Ireland’s largest network of eye clinics to offer all ocular sub-specialties, the IOES, has engaged with our technology and we want to thank the clinicians for their commitment. The continuation of our commercial rollout of MINIject® with the recent implantations in Ireland represents iSTAR Medical’s mission to preserve the vision of glaucoma patients around the world. We are proud to be providing more patients with a safe and minimally-invasive treatment for open-angle glaucoma, giving them a sustained and prolonged treatment option. As we continue with our global expansion, we look forward to making MINIject® more widely available to patients.”
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For more information
Paul van Hagen
Chief Financial Officer, iSTAR Medical
news@istar-medical.com
For media
ICR Consilium
Amber Fennell, Chris Welsh, Kris Lam
iSTAR@consilium-comms.com
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.2,3 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.3,4 Invasive surgery can present risks with irreversible complications and often requires long-term patient management.3,4 MIGS is the most promising and fastest-growing glaucoma therapy due to its enhanced safety profile.3 MINIject® is potentially best-in-class for its promising long-term efficacy and safety.
https://upmc.ie/blog/what-is-glaucoma
2 Jonas JB, Aung T, Bourne RR et al. "Glaucoma". Lancet 2017; 390: 2083–93
3 Market Scope, “2021 Glaucoma Surgical Device Market Report”, July 2021.
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
