FDA approves drug-releasing eye implant

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Glaukos' iDose TR long-acting eye implant. The new medical device will provide an alternative to eye drops for patients with elevated intraocular pressure or open-angle glaucoma, eliminating the risk of treatment non-compliance.

Glaukos Corporation has received FDA approval for an eye implant releasing drug for the treatment of glaucoma, travoprost. The news was published on the Medtechdive portal.

The iDose TR implant is about 200 times smaller than a conventional glaucoma drug drop. The implant is fixed in a specific area of the eye and gradually releases a highly concentrated formulation of travoprost. By doing so, the product provides continuous treatment of elevated eye pressure for up to three years.

Company officials have indicated that the only limitation at this time is the prohibition on reuse of the product. So far, only a single injection of the implant has been approved.

The developers believe that taking into account the 2-3 year shelf life of iDose, this time will be enough to solve the issue of reintroduction of the implant.

The first commercial series of the product is planned to be released in 2024.

Outside experts believe that the new implant will revolutionize glaucoma treatment methods by solving the problem of non-compliance with eye drops.