Ciliatech Presents New Concept in Glaucoma Implants, First to Bypass Opening Anterior Eye Chamber

Ciliatech, which is developing a new class of implant to treat glaucoma durably named CID (Cilio-scleral Inter-positioning Device), announced that the interim results of a 12-month follow-up study on its CID concept show strong potential to mark a new era in glaucoma surgery, according to a company news release.

The results will be the first in-human trials to demonstrate that, in conjunction with pharmacological treatments, IOP can be drastically reduced without entering the eye’s anterior chamber, according to Ciliatech.
 
Positive outcomes of Ciliatech’s 12-month follow-up study on 42 patients consolidate CID’s proof-of-concept. This consists of a simple and quick surgical technique that, unlike other intracameral implants, works successfully without generating a filtration bleb (a small blister of fluid on top of the eye’s surface or underneath the eyelid), hypotonia (intraocular pressure is too low), antimetabolites (inhibiting a particular cellular function) or risking corneal Endothelial Cell Loss (ECL)
 
The interim follow-up results draw upon two Ciliatech studies: SAFARI 1 (12-month follow-up) and SAFARI 2 (6-month follow-up), which began in late 2020. Two cohorts of 20 and 22 patients in Yerevan, Armenia, living with open angle glaucoma, participated in the studies. They were operated on with one of the first versions of Ciliatech’s implant (SV13) in a monocentric study.

Presentation of study results

Ciliatech will present the interim results first at the Ophthalmology futures symposium, and then at two sessions during the ESCRS meeting; all three presentations taking place in Milan, Italy later this week. At ESCRS, Lilit Voskanyan, MD, PhD, and head of the Glaucoma Department in Ophthalmology at the Malayan Center, who conducted the surgical procedures for the study, will deliver a first-hand account of patient outcomes at a scientific session.

“Ciliatech’s selection to present our interim up-to-12-month follow-up study results at three sessions illustrates the strong interest the medical community has in our new concept for treating glaucoma. The results are a true testament to the validity and veracity of our original idea, showing IOP can be reduced significantly, down to the low- to mid-teens, without incurring a bleb or hypotony,” said Olivier Benoit, co-founder and CEO of Ciliatech. “Safety has been demonstrated to be extremely good, showing only the most minor and very mildest complications. Equally important, our IOP results are sustainable over time, with no treatment failure and with more than 83% of the patients being med-free at 12 months. We offer our deepest thanks to Dr. Voskanyan, a highly experienced and rigorous ophthalmic surgeon, who was instrumental in this venture.”
 
Ciliatech anticipates publishing the complete study results in a peer reviewed journal in Q1, 2023.
 
Safety 

The prevailing glaucoma implant methods penetrate the anterior chamber and remain partly in it. It is well-established that any device close to the corneal endothelium is eventually harmful to corneal endothelial cells. In contrast, a CID surgical procedure distances itself from the anterior chamber, making it a safe and significantly different method to all intracameral implants, according to Ciliatech.

“I am thrilled that the long, hard work of everyone working on this idea has finally come to fruition,” said Philippe Sourdille, co-founder of Ciliatech. “This is the result of many years of glaucoma surgical practice laden with both satisfactory and frustrating outcomes, in parallel with many lab tests and the theoretical research that little by little enabled us to create this new concept in treating glaucoma. We are very glad to contribute to the continuous improvement in glaucoma surgery and believe we can bring it to another level, thanks to our innovation.”
 
Next steps

With the proof of concept of CID validated, the company is looking ahead to developing a newer version aimed at further improving the ability to reduce IOP capacity, while also simplifying the surgical technique. This new version is currently being tested on narrow angle glaucoma patients, (up to one-third of glaucoma patients, often people of Asian descent), who cannot benefit from the recent progresses in glaucoma treatments and still have to undergo trabeculectomy, or lens extraction. Ciliatech believes its technology may help those patients.
 
The company is aiming for CE marking and FDA approval by 2024/2025.
 
Presentation schedule

Ophthalmology futures symposium

• Topic: ‘Ciliatech, transforming glaucoma surgery’
• Speaker: Olivier Benoit, CEO
• Thursday, September 15, at 12:20 – Hotel Principe di Savoia Milano 

ESCRS iNovation day

• Topic: ‘Cilioscleral interposition device (CID): a new class of glaucoma surgery implant’
• Speaker: Dr Philippe Sourdille, medical director
• Friday, September 16, at 13:15  – ESCRS Day Session 6 – Milano convention centre

ESCRS Innovation Summit / Scientific Session

• Topic: ‘Supraciliary drainage without entering the anterior chamber and without bleb: a totally new glaucoma surgery concept’
• Speaker: Dr Lilit Voskanyan, surgeon and investigator for CID
• Sunday September 18, at 15:00 – ESCRS scientific symposium - Milano convention centre, E-Poster Area in Hall 4