IOPtima Ltd. focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative and proprietary technologies for the treatment of glaucoma - a common eye disease that leads to loss of sight. The company has developed an innovative non-penetrating, easy-to-use system, based on CO2 laser technology, for the treatment of glaucoma.
The novel, laser-based therapy enables eye surgeons to operate and reduce internal eye pressure without penetrating the eye membrane. IOPtima believes that its system will offer significant advantages over traditional therapies for glaucoma, such as simplicity, higher efficacy, lower risks to the patient, fewer side effects and lower costs.
IOPtima’s innovative OT-134 system is expected to make non-penetrating surgery accessible to all eye surgeons in a safe, fast and cost effective manner, which would essentially revolutionize the way the disease is treated worldwide, dramatically increasing the number of surgical interventions.
Nearly 67 million people worldwide suffer from glaucoma, a chronic disease that requires life-long therapy. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of vision loss in the world. In the United States, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness.
In 2007, the company completed the development of the OT-134 system, and successfully performed a full series of pre-clinical trials.
In 2008, the company announced the successful completion of an initial human clinical study using the company's OT-134 device and procedure. In the course of the study 13 patients were treated at a leading glaucoma center in Mexico City.
The study results suggested that IOPtima's laser filtration system may offer significant efficacy and safety advantages, as well as reduce the potential risks, side effects and complications, over current surgical procedures
The study was the first leg of a multi-national clinical trial at leading ophthalmology centers around the world aimed at obtaining regulatory approval in Europe, and subsequently, in the United States.
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