Rick Lewis, chief medical officer at ViaLase, talks about the company’s non-incisional glaucoma treatment that has shown promising results in studies. ViaLase is a surgical startup that aims to treat glaucoma by creating a 500-micron-wide channel in the trabecular meshwork using a non-incisional technique. They use imaging techniques such as gonioscopic images and OCT to visualize the trabecular meshwork and place a channel almost anywhere in the meshwork for 360 degrees.
In a safety study, ViaLase demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of their treatment. The study involved monitoring patients for up to three years and showed that the intraocular pressure dropped into the low teens without any adverse events. Patients experienced good outcomes, highlighting the durability of the procedure with just one channel of 500 by 200 microns being sufficient to control pressure.
ViaLase has now moved forward with a pivotal trial that has enrolled all patients and randomized them between femtolaser treatment and SLT. With a total of 152 patients (76 in each group), the trial focuses on determining both efficacy and safety. Data collection is ongoing, with a six-month follow-up expected next month. The company plans to lock the database and file for FDA approval later this year, based on the positive results indicating good safety and efficacy of their non-incisional approach to treating glaucoma.
