IRIDEX Corporation (Nasdaq: IRIX) today announced that it has added a novel intra-ocular pressure (IOP) monitoring device called a tonometer to its suite of commercial products for the global glaucoma market. The new device comes to IRIDEX through a distribution agreement with Icare Finland Plc, a subsidiary of the Revenio Group Corporation, the creator of the tonometer.
The tonometer is the latest offering in IRIDEX' growing number of glaucoma therapies that complement the new laser platform, Cyclo G6™ and its family of single-use disposables, as well as the IQ 532™ for a repeatable therapy called MicroPulse® Laser Trabeculoplasty (MLT). The tonometer includes a disposable device that measures IOP, an indicator of glaucoma.
In glaucoma, heightened IOP can lead to progressive damage of the delicate nerve fibers of the optic nerve. The Cyclo G6 and IQ 532 rely on different therapeutic mechanisms to create repeatable and minimally invasive approaches to slow the progress of the disease.
"Glaucoma is a chronic disease with a rapidly growing patient population," said Christopher Majka, M.D., a cataract, cornea, and glaucoma specialist of The Eye Institute of Corpus Christi. "Our practice's recent addition of both the Cyclo G6 laser system and the versatile IQ 532 laser provide a complete and state-of-the-art solution to address multiple stages of glaucoma."
Glaucoma is the leading cause of adult irreversible blindness. It is estimated that more than 4 million people in the US and approximately 60 million worldwide are afflicted with the disease today.
"We believe our laser therapies are effective and durable options for the expanding global glaucoma market," said William Moore, President and CEO of IRIDEX. "The tonometer complements our Cyclo G6 laser, the first IRIDEX laser system that truly employs a razor, razorblade business model, and it's another important addition to our growing catalog of disposable ophthalmology technologies. Our strategic goal is to continue to build a suite of effective products that adds to our consumable product line and provides us with recurrent revenues. Our entire glaucoma product offering represents the best in Value Base Medicine and we look forward to not only doctors understanding this but how it will assist single payer government healthcare systems deliver the best medicine at the lowest possible price."
Moore added that the sales force has been trained in the use of the tonometer and has begun selling the device globally.
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