5-year data for supraciliary MIGS device

iSTAR Medical announced positive 5-year data from its extension trial from the initial EU clinical trials evaluating long-term safety and efficacy of MINIject. According to the company’s press release, this supraciliary MIGS implant was found to result in a sustained and significant 38% IOP reduction at 5 years. Of the 47 patients that completed the 5-year follow-up, 83% achieved a more than 20% reduction in IOP from baseline, and 80% had an IOP of 18 mm Hg or less at 5 years. Thirty-two percent of these patients were medication free. The company reported a favorable safety profile with no serious adverse events related to the device or procedure.

Back to top

FDA approves expanded access to digital therapeutic for pediatric amblyopia

Luminopia announced that its digital therapeutic treatment for pediatric amblyopia received an expanded approval from the FDA. According to the company’s press release, patients watch TV shows or movies with a virtual reality headset that then uses algorithms to help promote the weaker eye’s usage and “[encourages] patients’ brains to combine input from both eyes.” The treatment is now approved for children 4–<13 years old. Previously it was approved for ages 4–7.

Back to top

Development of drug for neuropathic corneal pain accelerates

OKYO Pharma announced its plans to accelerate its program developing urcosimod (OK-101) as a therapy for neuropathic corneal pain. The company’s Phase 2 trial, which began in October, closed early at 17 patients due to a “strong desire to access the currently masked data and use it to plan its development program.” The company is planning a meeting with the FDA following evaluation of this data.

Back to top

Company developing collagen-based implant for presbyopia plans IDE

Allotex, which is developing a human collagen-based implant for presbyopia correction, announced its plans to submit for an Investigational Device Exception in the U.S. in the second quarter of this year. According to the company’s press release, the implant, which has been approved in several markets outside the U.S., is designed to be flexible, adjustable, and removable.

Back to top

ASCRS news and events

• ASCRS Business of Refractive Cataract Surgery Summit: This course, taking place October 3–5, in Chicago, Illinois, along with its extensive, take-home resource library, will help practices gain the navigational tools needed to increase advanced-technology IOL adoption and lead patients effectively on their refractive surgery journey. Learn more.
• ASCRS Live!: This educational dinner series is heading to several cities across the U.S. in 2025. Registration is open for the next event in Chicago, Illinois, on June 12.
• New ASCRS Cornea Clinical Committee Webinar: Antibody Drug Conjugates—An Emerging Class of Cancer Therapeutics Which Pose Risks to Corneal and Anterior Segment Health,” with moderators Naveen Rao, MD, and Winston Chamberlain, MD, along with speakers Kamran Riaz, MD, Stella Kim, MD, and Farooq Asim, MD, covers what antibody drug conjugates are, what they’re used for, complications and adverse reactions within the anterior segment associated with these drugs, and more.
• 2026 ASCRS Annual Meeting: Hotel room blocks are now open for the 2026 ASCRS Annual Meeting, taking place in Washington, D.C., April 10–13, 2026.

Back to top

Research highlights

• A retrospective, single-center, noninterventional observational study published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery compared the structural and functional measures of MGD in eyes with moderate to severe Demodex blepharitis (patients with collarette grades 2–4) compared to those with MGD and collarette grade 0. According to the paper, mean telangiectasia, meibum quality, and MG atrophy scores were significantly worse in the group with moderate/severe Demodex. The authors also reported a positive correlation between collarette grade and telangiectasia, meibum quality, and MG atrophy scores. The authors concluded with these findings that “clinicians should routinely examine their patients for Demodex infestation and signs of MGD and treat both conditions as needed, especially in the perioperative setting.”
• A grading system for vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) was proposed in a retrospective observational study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. The grading system, the authors wrote, is “based on corneal status and symptom periodicity rather than disease activity.” It was developed with 1,096 VKC patients. Patients were classified as Grade I if they had mild and seasonal symptoms or signs, Grade II if the VKC signs and symptoms were persistent without corneal involvement, Grade III if their symptoms were persistent and/or there were intermittent signs with corneal involvement or asymptomatic to mild symptoms of corneal pathognomonic signs, and Grade IV if they had chronic persistent symptoms and/or corneal pathognomonic signs or active involvement/complications or asymptomatic complications. Using a formal grading system could help plan management better, the authors wrote.

Back to top

Product news

• Generic Maxitrol (neomycin and polymyxin B sulfates and dexamethasone ophthalmic suspension) is being launched by Nordic Pharma in partnership with Harrow.
• ZEISS unveiled its ZEISS Research Data Platform (ZEISS RDP), which was formed in collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim, intended to “transform ophthalmic workflows” as a “cloud-based, AI-driven solution.”
• Alcon launched its UNITY Vitreoretinal Cataract System and UNITY Cataract System.

Back to top

---