TMi Raising Money to Convert Destructive Macrophage

Shelley Boyd, MD, president and CSO, Translatum Medicus Inc. (TMi), reports the company has started raising capital to initiate preclinical studies – and possibly Phase II clinical trials – of TMI-018, a drug candidate that might convert potentially destructive macrophages. The company is building a case that aggressive M1 macrophages are the cause of retinal…

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Alimera Sciences: Addressing DME with Persistent Microdose Therapy

Alimera Sciences is focused on the commercialization of ILUVIEN (fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant) for diabetic macular edema (DME), which received FDA approval in 2014. The product is currently marketed in the US and three European countries, and is approved in 14 others. Alimera is gaining traction in the market, with over 6,000 eyes treated to…

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Aerie: Moving Beyond Glaucoma

Most ophthalmologists are aware that Aerie Pharmaceuticals is developing Rho-kinase and norepinephrine transporter inhibitors (Rhopressa, or netarsudil) for the treatment of glaucoma, and that the company plans on filing its first NDA by the end of the quarter. Another product combines Rhopressa with leading glaucoma prostaglandin treatment latanoprost; that treatment is in phase 3 development.…

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Ocular Therapeutix: Intravitreal Depot Technology for Retinal Drug Delivery

Ocular Therapeutix has built a portfolio of products around its proprietary hydrogel technology. ReSure Sealant is FDA approved for sealing clear corneal incisions following cataract surgery, Dextenza (dexamethasone intracanalicular depot) is in Phase III for ocular allergy and post-surgical pain, and a sustained-release travoprost depot is entering Phase III for glaucoma. The same proprietary hydrogel…

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Bioptigen Driving Intrasurgical OCT Use

Intrasurgical optical coherence tomography (OCT) is “going to make a dramatic impact on our patients’ lives,” said Eric Buckland, founder and CEO of Bioptigen, which was purchased by Leica Microsystems in 2015. Bioptigen was founded in 2004 as a spin-out from Duke University, funded by angel capital and strategic investment from the Brien Holden Vision…

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TrueVision Adds Alcon as Digital Microscope Partner

TrueVision Systems’ 3D Digital Microscope Platform recently received a boost thanks to a partnership agreement with Alcon penned just before OIS@ASRS, TrueVision CEO Forrest Fleming reported during the “Retina Company Showcase.” Fleming outlined four benefits of TrueVision’s digital platform, called NGenuity, compared with traditional ocular devices: higher depth of focus and working distance at the…

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Aerpio Therapeutics: Focus on Tie2 Activation

Aerpio Therapeutics is focused on the development of novel therapeutics for vascular disorders, with a concentration on eye diseases. Joseph Gardner, CEO of Aerpio, provided an overview of the company’s approach to addressing retinal diseases through activation of Tie2, a tyrosine kinase receptor. “Tie2 is now widely published as being one of the most important…

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Retina Experts Serve Up a Combination Platter at OIS@ASRS

Contributed By: Michael Lachman The OIS@ASRS panel discussion on Emerging Approaches to Combination Therapies in AMD & DME was moderated by Mark Humayan, MD, PhD, director of the USC Eye Institute, and Emmett T. Cunningham, Jr., MD, PhD, MPH, of Clarus Ventures. The need for new treatment approaches was articulated by Pravin Dugel, MD, Arizona-based…

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How Do Strategics View Retina Opportunities?

How Do Strategics View Retina Opportunities? - OIS - Eye On Innovation Article - Healthegy

Retinal disease remains a challenging target for drug and device makers, but a panel of senior executives at last week’s OIS@ASRS says the potential benefits of treating the back of the eye outweigh the difficulties. Frederic Guerard, worldwide business franchise head of ophthalmology at Novartis Ophthalmology, which now manages the pharmaceutical portfolio once held by…

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From the Floor of the 1st OIS@ASRS

From the Floor of the 1st OIS@ASRS - Eye On Innovation Article - OIS - Healthegy

A new Ophthalmology Innovation Summit emerged Monday just prior to the start of the annual meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists. The half-day event drew nearly 250 people to the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco. Retina specialists shared the stage and ballroom with executives from strategics and start-ups, as well as investors with…

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Google–Moorfields Venture Eyes AI to Speed Diagnosis with OCT

Google–Moorfields Venture Eyes AI to Speed Diagnosis with OCT

Google’s DeepMind Health artificial intelligence project and Moorfields Eye Hospital in London have teamed up for a five-year venture to develop an algorithm using one million anonymized retina scans from the Moorfields’ database to speed up and improve diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. Google and Moorfields announced the collaboration this month.…

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Eye Care Priority for J&J

Ashley McEvoy, Company Chair of Vision Care and Diabetes at Johnson & Johnson, joins OISTV to discuss Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to eye health. Video Highlights 00:49 – Emerging areas of interest: lung cancer, diabetes and eye health? 01:00 – What areas in eye care are you looking at? 01:25 – How does expertise in…

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