One-year preliminary results of a study of Ciliatech’s cilioscleral interpositioning device were presented recently at the Ophthalmology Futures Symposium in Vienna, Austria. The results showed benefit for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) patients. This minimally invasive approach may allow surgeons to postpone more invasive procedures, according to the company’s CEO Olivier Benoit.

The SAFARI III trial included a total of 57 patients with POAG and PACG; intraocular pressure (IOP) was reduced by more than 41% (23.5 mmHg at baseline to 13.9 mmHg at 12 months), and pharmacologic treatments were reduced by more than 92%. At 12 months, 86% of patients reported being medication free.

“In addition to avoiding endothelial cells loss, CID is the first minimally invasive surgical device [MIGS] that shows substantial promise in benefitting both open- and narrow-angle glaucoma patients,” Mr. Benoit said in a news release. “This is a paradigm shift for narrow-angle patients’ care.”

“MIGS devices have improved the standard of care for POAG patients but are not usually an option for PACG patients,” he added, noting that the approach is angle agnostic.