Latest Industry News & Trends

ASRS Meeting Returns Surgery to the Forefront of Discussion

Guarav Shah, MD, program chair for the 2025 annual meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), opened the conference with an important announcement. “We have to recalibrate what w...

Alcon’s Acquisition of STAAR Comes Amid Expansion Of Lens-Based Refractive Surgery

Alcon will acquire STAAR Surgical in a deal that values the manufacturer of the Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) at $1.5 billion, the companies announced Aug. 5. The move is occurring at a time when...

Nanoscope Targets Sight Restoration Instead of Blindness Prevention

Ashish Patel, PhD, MBA, calls blind people “the most underserved population” in ophthalmology. Patel, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Nanoscope Therapeutics, said other drug compan...

Novel Subconjunctival Devices Expected to Improve Treatment for More Advanced Glaucoma Patients

Improved glaucoma surgical devices and lasers are expected to drive healthy growth in procedure volume over the next five years. Subconjunctival devices, in particular, could alter the prospects fo...

US FDA Approves Lenz’ Vizz (Aceclidine) Drops for Presbyopia

Lenz Therapeutics announced July 31 that the US FDA had approved Vizz (aceclidine ophthalmic solution) 1.44% for presbyopia. The company said Vizz was the first once-daily, preservative-free eye dr...

Select US FDA Approvals and Clearances in July 2025

The US FDA’s ophthalmic device division granted clearance to one device using the 510(k) pathway in July 2025, according to the agency’s database. Tomey gained clearance for its Casia2 OCT anterior...

US CMS Issues J-Code for Encelto, Q-Code for Yesafili for Billing Payers

The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a J-code for Neurotech’s Encelto and a Q-code for Biocon Biologics’ Yesafili during Q2-2025. The codes take effect Oct. 1, 2025. In ad...

CMS Proposes Lower Physician Payments in 2026, Higher HOPD and ASC Fees

US ophthalmologists are gaining some clarity on what their reimbursement for treating Medicare patients may look like in 2026. Documents published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ...

New HHS Plan Adds Prior Authorization to Medicare

A new program by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to test using prior authorization for 15 procedures in traditional Medicare is raising concerns among Democratic lawmakers and ...

Sustainability Movement Gains Traction, Impacts Growth in Reusable Instruments

In recent years, the world’s largest ophthalmic surgical societies have expressed increasing concern over the environmental impact of operating room waste generated annually by the world’s 50 milli...

2025-2026 Ophthalmic Meetings Calendar

Market Scope regularly updates its list of ophthalmic meetings to keep the information current. Please contact us at matthewdouty@market-scope.com if we do not have your meeting listed. Thank you.

Methotrexate Has ‘Avastin Moment’ at ASRS Meeting

Christopher Riemann, MD (US), was stunned when he initially saw the results from the first preplanned interim safety analysis of the Phase II FIXER trial on preventing proliferative vitreoretinopat...

ASRS Sessions Highlight Value of Amniotic Membrane in Retinal Surgery

The use of human amniotic membrane in vitreoretinal surgery was discussed in several sessions at the American Society of Retina Specialists’ 2025 meeting. Presentations suggest that this material w...

Speakers at ASRS Meeting Lament Dwindling Access to Operating Room

Access to the operating room (OR) was a hot topic at the 2025 meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists. The majority of retina surgeons said access to the OR was an issue. Forty-nine p...

Cencora Steps into Major Role at ASRS Meeting Following Acquisition

The 2025 ASRS scientific meeting was a first for Cencora as an operator of clinical trials, but not for its subsidiary Retina Consultants of America (RCA). Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen), bet...

Ocugen Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $20 Million Offering

Ocugen led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with a $20 million registered direct offering to advance its clinical gene therapy pipeline in retina. Financing announced in the past four weeks to...

Santen Launches Ryjunea Drops in Germany for Pediatric Myopia

Japan’s Santen Pharmaceutical announced July 22 that it had launched Ryjunea low-dose atropine eye drops in Germany for pediatric myopia. Germany is the first market for Ryjunea, which received EU ...

Boehringer Ingelheim and Re-Vana Sign Potential $1 Billion Collaboration Deal

Boehringer Ingelheim and Re-Vana Therapeutics will collaborate to develop extended-release therapies for eye diseases in a deal worth potentially more than $1 billion for Re-Vana, the companies ann...

New Minnesota Law Expands ODs’ Authority for Drugs, Injections

A new law passed in Minnesota expands optometrists’ authority to prescribe certain medications and allows them to administer some in-office injections. The Minnesota Optometric Association (MOA) ha...

Topcon Acquires Retinal Screening Platform to Improve Bidirectional Referrals

Topcon Healthcare reported July 31 that it had acquired Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems (IRIS), a Pensacola, Florida-based developer of cloud-based retinal screening technology. No financial de...

Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, August 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.

Eye Physicians, Researchers Band Together to Stave Off NEI Cuts

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) announced July 23 that it had joined with other professional and vision research organizations to fight proposed funding cuts and consolidation threats a...

Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, August 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.

Weekly Surgeon Poll, August 2025

August 2025 Ophthalmic News Briefs

Glaukos announced during its earnings call on July 30 that it had acquired Mobius Therapeutics, of St. Louis, Missouri, whose lead compound, Mitosol, is the only FDA approved ophthalmic formulation...

Octane Examines Changing Refractive Surgery Landscape

The 2025 Octane Ophthalmology Tech Forum examined why lens-based procedures are gaining momentum at the expense of traditional refractive surgery. It also looked at the pivotal role that artificial...

Alcon Aims to Extend Ultrasonic Phaco Dominance with Launch of Unity CS

Alcon launched the Unity VCS and CS machines in April at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, looking to continue its global dominance in the cataract mach...

Chinese Companies Launch Wave of New Ophthalmic Products at Home

China’s ophthalmic market is riding a wave of new Chinese offerings, spurred on by policies promoting the locali-zation of medical products. New products from Chinese companies approved by the Nati...

Ophthalmic Venture Capital Continues to Bounce Back, Driven by Retinal Pharma

Venture capital investments accounted for 96 percent of ophthalmic deals in Q2-2025, with financing rounds totaling $590.7 million—the highest quarter since Q3-2023, when these transactions reached...

Alcon to Acquire LumiThera and Its Photobiomodulation Device for Dry AMD

Alcon announced July 7 that it intended to acquire LumiThera and its photobiomodulation (PBM) device that targets early and intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). No financial det...

J&J Vision Launches Tecnis Odyssey PC-IOL in Europe, Middle East, and Canada

Johnson & Johnson Vision announced June 17 that it had rolled out the Tecnis Odyssey presbyopia-correcting intraocular lens (PC-IOL) in Europe, the Middle East, and Canada. The Odyssey had previous...

Select US FDA Approvals and Clearances in June 2025

The US FDA’s ophthalmic device division granted clearance to three devices using the 510(k) pathway in June 2025, according to the agency’s database. Zeiss received clearance for its Micor 700 syst...

Harrow Secures US Rights to Retinal Biosimilars Byooviz and Opuviz

Harrow announced July 17 that it had secured exclusive US commercial rights to Samsung Bioepis’ FDA-approved ophthalmology biosimilars—Byooviz (ranibizumab-nuna) and Opuviz (aflibercept-yszy). No f...

ForSight Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $125 Million in Series B

Israel’s ForSight Robotics led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with $125 million in Series B funding as it prepares its robotic cataract surgery system for human trials. Financing announced i...

Retina Researchers Urge J&J to File for Approval of XLRP Gene Therapy Despite Failed Trial

Investigators in the Phase III LUMEOS trial, with backing from the Foundation Fighting Blindness, issued a statement June 6 exhorting Johnson & Johnson to file for US FDA approval of bota-vec, a ge...

Premium Presbyopia Treatment Rates Remain Low Despite New Product Launches

The presbyopia treatment market is growing due to recent advancements in intraocular lenses (IOLs) and FDA-approved pharmacological drops. Despite this, treatment rates (the number of premium proce...

EyeDura Wins Two Octane Awards for Sustained-Release Eye Drop Platform

EyeDura Therapeutics earned the judges’ top award during Octane’s capital and growth company presentations, which spotlighted early-stage, high-potential ophthalmic ventures. The company was a favo...

Baruch Kuppermann, MD, PhD, Receives 2025 Roger Steinert, MD, Legacy Award

Baruch Kuppermann, MD, PhD, was honored at the Octane meeting as the recipient of the 2025 Roger Steinert, MD, Legacy Award, which recognizes significant leadership, innovation, and enduring contri...

Clearside Explores Strategic Alternatives, Transitions Workforce

Clearside Biomedical reported July 17 that it was exploring strategic alternatives to continue advancing its suprachoroidal space delivery platform and ophthalmic pipeline, while transitioning all ...

Health Insurers Pledge to Reform Prior Authorization by 2026

Major insurers of nearly 50 US health plans published a pledge on June 24 to simplify and reduce prior authorization of medical treatments, cutting the volume of treatments subject to such oversigh...

OpRegen’s Phase I/IIa Trial in GA Shows Mean Improvement in VA Through 36 Months

Lineage Cell Therapeutics reported on June 23 that patients with geographic atrophy who were treated with OpRegen cell therapy in a Phase I/IIa clinical study showed mean improvement in visual acui...

Presbyopia Drop Candidate from Viatris and Opus Meets Endpoints in Second Phase III Trial

Commercial partners Viatris and Opus Genetics reported June 26 that their presbyopia drop candidate, MR-141 (phentolamine ophthalmic solution 0.75%), met its primary endpoint and key secondary endp...

Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, July 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.

DEWS III Report Updates Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Dry Eye

The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) has released DEWS III, its third set of reports exploring the diagnosis and management of dry eye disease. The findings of the TFOS Dry Eye Workshop ...

Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, July 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.

Iridex Reports Start of UK Trial Using MicroPulse with Anti-VEGF Injections in DME

Iridex reported June 24 that an independent, investigator-led UK study evaluating MicroPulse technology as an adjunct to anti-VEGF therapy in diabetic macular edema (DME) had enrolled its first pat...

PDUFA Dates for Ophthalmic Drug Candidates, July 2025

The US FDA has scheduled the following Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action dates for ophthalmic drug, drug/device, and biologic candidates.

Weekly Surgeon Poll, July 2025

July 2025 Ophthalmic News Briefs

Hoya Vision Care announced June 2 that it had acquired Centennial Optical, a Canadian distributor of ophthalmic frames, eyeglass lenses, sunglasses, lab supplies, and optical accessories. Financial...

ARVO Sets Tone for AI-Focused Week With Avatar at Keynote Speech

The 2025 meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) exceeded atten-dance expectations despite uncertainties sparked by US funding restrictions. The 10,915 attendees ...

Ophthalmic Company Revenue in Q1-2025 Down 2.1 Percent as Multiple Firms Report Declines

Ophthalmic manufacturer revenue in Q1-2025 totaled $11.0 billion. Revenue decreased 2.1 percent from the same quarter in 2024 and decreased 8.1 percent from Q4-2024. The total includes Market Scope...

Ophthalmologists Report 3.0 Percent Decrease in Q1-2025 Procedure Volume

US ophthalmologists reported that ophthalmic procedures decreased 3.0 percent in Q1-2025 compared with the same quarter in 2024, according to Market Scope’s latest survey. Year-over-year performanc...

Talks on Pharma Reforms Cloud Future of Europe’s Health Care Market

The European Council—made up of the heads of the European Union’s member states—on June 4 advanced its position on pharmaceutical reforms, teeing up negotiations with the European Parliament and Co...

Spain’s Faes Farma Acquires Italy’s SIFI in Deal Worth $310.4 Million

Faes Farma, of Bilbao, Spain, announced June 11 that it had signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of Italian ophthalmic company SIFI. The deal values SIFI at €270 million (US $310.4 million, c...

US FDA Approves Alcon’s Tryptyr (Acoltremon) Drops for Dry Eye

Alcon announced May 28 that the US FDA had approved Tryptyr (acoltremon ophthalmic solution) 0.003%, formerly known as AR-15512, for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye. The company ...

Allotex Launches Refractive Corneal Implant in Canada

Allotex announced May 22 the approval and launch in Canada of Transform, its human collagen-based corneal implant for vision correction. The company said it had partnered with Clarion Medical Techn...

Select US FDA Approvals and Clearances in May 2025

The US FDA’s ophthalmic device division granted clearance to one company’s technology using the 510(k) pathway in May 2025, according to the agency’s database. Heidelberg Engineering gained clearan...

Atia Vision Gains IDE Approval to Begin US Trial of Modular Accommodating IOL

Atia Vision announced May 20 that the FDA had approved its investigational device exemption (IDE) application to begin a US feasibility study of its OmniVu modular accommodating lens system for cat...

EssilorLuxottica to Acquire European Ophthalmology Clinic Chain Optegra

Eyewear conglomerate Essilor-Luxottica announced May 30 that it would acquire the Optegra chain of ophthalmology clinics from the private equity firm MidEuropa. Financial details were not disclosed...

Regenxbio Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $150 Million Royalty Sale

Regenxbio led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with a $150 million sale of future non-ophthalmic royalties to Healthcare Royalty (HCRx). Financing announced in the past four weeks totaled $535...

Gore Launches Silicone-Free Plunger for Ophthalmic Prefilled Syringes

Materials company W.L. Gore & Associates announced June 3 the commercial launch of its 0.5 mL silicone-free Improject syringe plunger. The new plunger is specifically designed for prefilled syringe...

ARVO Showcases Manufacturers Looking to Refine Ocular Injections

Big ideas typically dominate the headlines, such as AI, gene therapy, or oculomics, but innovation also happens in small things. The 2025 ARVO meeting displayed a surprising amount of attention to ...

Latest AI Discussions Drill Down to Nuts and Bolts—And Concerns

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic at major meetings for several years, stirring up unbridled optimism among industry and clinical attendees alike. The excitement surrounding AI is u...

EVs in Ophthalmology Are All About Disease, Not Driving

EVs are having a moment in ophthalmology, and it has nothing to do with Elon Musk. The EVs that are riveting observers in ophthalmology are extracellular vesicles, and according to Sun Young Lee MD...

Batten Disease Candidate Leads the Way in New Gene Therapy Trials

A presentation by Robert Henderson, MD (UK), on May 8 was a highlight of the many ARVO sessions on gene therapy. Henderson presented interim results from a clinical trial of a gene therapy candidat...

ARVO Attendees Share Concern Over Present and Future of Vision Research

The tidal wave of sudden cuts and restrictions to funding for vision and ophthalmic research cast a long shadow over the 2025 ARVO meeting. They came up formally and informally throughout the six-d...

Eyecelerator Meeting’s Expert Panelists Portray an FDA in Flux

A panel at the Eyecelerator meeting on May 2 ahead of ARVO brought together a deeply experienced and knowledgeable group to examine the recent changes at the US FDA and their impact on the ophthalm...

Innovation and Collaboration Take Center Stage at Eyecelerator Meeting

For the first time, an Eyecelerator meeting preceded the ARVO annual conference, convening on May 2 at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Park City, Utah. The event brought together 363 attendees, incl...

Harrow Acquires US Rights to Formosa’s Clobetasol, Now Branded Byqlovi

Harrow announced June 9 that it had acquired the US commercial rights to Formosa Pharmaceuticals’ clobetasol propionate 0.05% eye drops for postsurgical inflammation and pain. According to a filing...

Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, June 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.

New World Medical Launches New Streamline with Transparent Tip

New World Medical announced May 14 the launch of an enhanced Streamline viscodilation handpiece for glaucoma surgery, featuring a transparent tip designed for improved visualization of key anatomic...

Sydnexis Gains EU Approval for Low-Dose Atropine Drops in Pediatric Myopia

Sydnexis announced June 5 that the European Commission had granted marketing authorization for SYD-101, the company’s low-dose atropine formulation for slowing the progression of pediatric myopia. ...

Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, June 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.

PDUFA Dates for Ophthalmic Drug Candidates, June 2025

The US FDA has scheduled the following Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action dates for ophthalmic drug, drug/device, and biologic candidates.

Weekly Corporate and Surgeon Polls, June 2025

June 2025 Ophthalmic News Briefs

Bausch + Lomb announced June 4 the US launch of Blink Nourish and Blink Boost over-the-counter lubricating eye drops. Both products are preservative-free and come in a 10 mL multi-dose bottle. Blin...

X-Rounds Session Provides Rapid-fire Insights on What’s Hot, What’s Not

A session titled “X-Rounds: Cataract Surgery to the Max” focused on the latest advancements and innovations in refractive cataract surgery. The session was packed, drawing the largest audience of t...

ASCRS Panel Examines Digital Visualization’s Ergonomics and Efficiency

Panelists at an ASCRS symposium on digital visualization in surgery embraced advancements, while addressing longstanding concerns about ergonomics and efficiency. The panel members emphasized minim...

Competition from Generics, Strong Dollar Shape the Global Glaucoma Pharma Market

Generic competition and a strong dollar continue to batter manufacturers’ revenue in the global glaucoma pharmaceuticals market. Companies are reacting to the challenges in diverse ways. Divestment...

Topcon Healthcare Acquires RetInSight to Advance AI-Powered Imaging in Eye Care

Topcon Healthcare announced May 2 that it had acquired privately held retinal AI analysis company RetInSight, of Austria. No financial details were disclosed. The companies forged a partnership in ...

Bausch + Lomb Ends Recall of enVista IOLs After Tracking Source of Contamination

Bausch + Lomb announced April 24 that it was ending its voluntary recall of enVista intraocular lenses (IOLs) after it tracked the source of contamination to a raw material used in certain lots tha...

Bausch + Lomb Receives CE Marking for Preloaded LuxLife Trifocal IOL

Bausch + Lomb announced May 7 that the LuxLife trifocal intraocular lens (IOL) had received CE marking in Europe. The company said the nondiffractive LuxLife has an uninterrupted, continuous refrac...

Intalight Receives CE Marking for Dream OCT Swept Source Imaging

Ophthalmic diagnostic company Intalight announced May 15 that it had received CE marking for its Dream optical coherence tomography (OCT) platform. Intalight, with offices in San Jose, California, ...

Select US FDA Approvals and Clearances in April 2025

Device makers gained US FDA clearance for seven technologies through the ophthalmic device division using the 510(k) pathway in April 2025, according to the agency’s database. BVI Medical received ...

Nearly 76 Thousand Cases of Ocular Lubricants Recalled, US FDA Alert Says

The US FDA issued alerts recently regarding the recalls of five ocular lubricant products and one generic glaucoma medication. BRS Analytical Services, a contract testing laboratory based in St. Lo...

Elanco Sells US Royalty and Milestone Rights for Xdemvy to Blackstone for $295 Million

Elanco, of Greenfield, Indiana, announced May 5 that it had sold certain future US tiered royalties and commercial milestone payments associated with Tarsus’ Xdemvy (lotilaner ophthalmic solution 0...

Therini Bio Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $39 Million in Series A

Therini Bio led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with $39 million in Series A funding to advance its lead candidate targeting the inflammatory component of fibrin. Financing announced in the p...

GA Patients in Eyestem Cell Therapy Trial Show Significant Improvement

India’s Eyestem Research reported April 15 that patients with geographic atrophy (GA) in a Phase I trial of its Eyecyte-RPE cell therapy saw significant vision improvement. Eyecyte-RPE is a cryopre...

Alcon Emphasizes Efficiency of Unity VCS and CS Systems at ASCRS Launch

Surgeons attending the 2025 ASCRS meeting in Los Angeles dropped by Alcon’s booth for multiple presentations of the new Unity dual-function and cataract machines, rather than gathering in big numbe...

Zeiss’ Veracity Surgery Planner Driving Innovation in Cataract Care

Carl Zeiss Meditec celebrated over 2 million cataract cases planned with Veracity during the ASCRS meeting in Los Angeles. A talk with Kerry Solomon, MD, at the Zeiss booth highlighted the surgical...

Surgeon at Alcon Presentation Looks at Voyager DSLT’s Role in Changing Treatment Landscape

Brian Shafer, MD, was one of the three surgeons who described the recently launched Voyager direct selective laser trabeculoplasty (DSLT) device for glaucoma at Alcon’s booth at the 2025 ASCRS meet...

Alcon Launches PanOptix Pro Trifocal Lens at 2025 ASCRS Meeting

Alcon formally launched the Clareon PanOptix Pro trifocal IOL in various venues at the 2025 ASCRS meeting. Events included booth presentations by Robert Melendez, MD, Morgan Micheletti, MD, Jennife...

Rayner’s Sophi, Zeiss’ Micor 700 Showcased at the 2025 ASCRS Meeting

Rayner and Carl Zeiss Meditec showcased cataract surgical systems at the 2025 ASCRS meeting. UK-based Rayner featured the Sophi ultrasonic phaco machine at its booth. The Sophi is notable for its w...

Humanitarian Outreach Front and Center at 2025 ASCRS Meeting

The opening session at the 2025 ASCRS meeting’s Main Stage event shined a spotlight on humanitarian outreach and the critical mission of supporting global eye care. Francis Mah, MD, the incoming AS...

‘Dr. Glaucomflecken’ Pushes ASCRS Attendees to Harness Social Media, Public Pressure for Change

William Flanary, MD, better known as Dr. Glaucomflecken online, energized the audience at the 2025 ASCRS meeting’s Main Stage event on Sunday as he emphasized the importance of both social media an...

ASCRS Meeting Draws More than 4,600

The ASCRS reported total meeting registration of 4,651 in Los Angeles, with 3,232 ophthalmologists, 749 practice management staff, and 402 attendees categorized as corporate, guests, and other. Sig...

New SightLine Meeting Focuses on Business Acumen Within Industry

The inaugural SightLine at ASCRS meeting, held on April 24 in Los Angeles, convened key stakeholders across the ophthalmic industry to discuss topics such as ophthalmology’s position in the broader...

Maximilian Foerst to Lead Carl Zeiss Meditec; Markus Weber, PhD, Steps Down

Carl Zeiss Meditec announced May 7 that Markus Weber, PhD, the company’s president and CEO, will step down of his own accord, effective May 31. Replacing Weber will be Maximilian Foerst, currently ...

Ballooning NHS Cataract Surgery Costs at Private Clinics Raise Red Flags

Fraud investigators in England’s National Health Service (NHS) are looking at the billing practices of private clinics delivering NHS cataract surgery after procedure volume and costs have balloone...

Laws in Montana, West Virginia Expand ODs’ Scope to Include Laser

Montana and West Virginia became the 13th and 14th US states, respectively, to pass laws expanding optometrists’ scope of practice to include in-office laser procedures. West Virginia’s measure spe...

Unity Bio to Cut Workforce, Seek Strategic Alternatives for UBX1325 in Retina

Unity Biotechnology announced May 5 that it would reduce its workforce and seek an established ophthalmic company to continue the development of intravitreal UBX1325, a Tie2/anti-VEGF bispecific an...

Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, May 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.

Four Eylea Biosimilars Get Q-Codes for Billing Payers in the US

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued product-specific Q-codes for four Eylea biosimilars during Q4-2024 and Q1-2025. Q-codes are billing codes for reimbursement that are simi...

Cambridge Innovation Institute Absorbs Healthegy’s OIS, OIS Retina Conferences

Cambridge Innovation Institute, of Needham, Massachusetts, announced April 10 that it would expand its health care event calendar by taking on Healthegy’s ophthalmic conferences—the Ophthalmology I...

US Policy Decisions Add Uncertainty to Ophthalmic Industry

The ophthalmic industry is facing uncertainty from US government policies on at least three fronts: an executive order designed to lower drug pricing, continually changing tariffs, and a budget bil...

Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, May 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.

Weekly Surgeon Poll, May 2025

May 2025 Ophthalmic News Briefs

London’s Okyo Pharma announced April 30 that it would accelerate development of topical urcosimod, formerly OK-101, in neuropathic corneal pain, following early closure of its Phase II trial. The t...

Combined APAO-AIOS Meeting Draws 12,500 to New Convention Center in India

Around 12,500 delegates attended the 2025 joint meeting of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and All-India Ophthalmolog-ical Society, with more than 1,300 international visitors. The confer...

Asia-Pacific Leads Push to Get AI from the Bench to the Bedside

Bridging the gap between artificial intelligence development and deployment in ophthalmology was the main theme of a Thursday morning session on AI innovation at the 2025 APAO-AIOS meeting. Paisan ...

Ophthalmic Venture Capital Funding Hits a Seven-Quarter Peak

Venture capital investments accounted for over half of all ophthalmic deals in Q1-2025, with financing rounds totaling $515.7 million—the highest quarter since Q3-2023, when these transactions reac...

Better IOLs, Push from Surgeons Will Drive Healthy Premium Growth

Cataract surgeons’ focus on premium IOLs will increase over the next five years due to improved technology and continued declines in reimbursement for monofocal cataract surgery. Premium IOLs, incl...

Alcon Agrees to Buy Lensar in Deal Worth up to $430 Million

Alcon announced March 24 that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Lensar, including its Ally femtosecond laser cataract system, its Streamline software, and the Lensar legacy lase...

Alcon Introduces Clareon PanOptix Pro IOL

Alcon on April 2 introduced its Clareon PanOptix Pro trifocal IOL, a next-generation version of its groundbreaking PanOptix model. The company said the lens had been made available to select US pra...

US FDA Again Rejects Aldeyra’s Reproxalap for Dry Eye, Asks for Yet Another Symptom Trial

Aldeyra Therapeutics reported April 3 that the US FDA had once again issued a complete response letter rejecting the company’s new drug application (NDA) for topical reproxalap as a treatment for d...

Orasis Launches Qlosi Presbyopia Drops in US

Orasis Pharmaceuticals announced April 7 that Qlosi (pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution) 0.4% eye drops for the treatment of presbyopia are now available to prescribe in the US. Orasis s...

Select US FDA Approvals and Clearances in March 2025

There was one US FDA clearance through the ophthalmic device division using the 510(k) pathway in March 2025, according to the agency’s database. CenterVue gained approval for its Maia scanning las...

Nordic Pharma Secures CE Marking for Lacrifill Canalicular Gel in Dry Eye

Nordic Group B.V., a Dutch affiliate of Nordic Pharma, announced April 7 that Lacrifill canalicular gel had received CE marking in Europe for the treatment of dry eye. Lacrifill is a cross-linked h...

PDUFA Dates for Ophthalmic Drug Candidates, April 2025

The US FDA has scheduled the following Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action dates for ophthalmic drug, drug/device, and biologic candidates.

US FDA Accepts Outlook’s Resubmitted BLA for Lytenava, Sets PDUFA Date of Aug. 27

Outlook Therapeutics announced April 8 that the US FDA had accepted the resubmitted biologics license application (BLA) for ONS-5010 (bevacizumab-vikg, Lytenava), an ophthalmic formulation of bevac...

Atsena Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $150 Million in Series C

Atsena Therapeutics led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with $150 million in Series C funding, led by new investor Bain Capital, to advance its gene therapy candidates. Financing announced in...

Indian Glaucoma Surgeons Embrace MIGS Procedures Over Devices

Most MIGS (minimally invasive glaucoma surgery) sessions at major ophthalmic meetings talk about devices. Indian doctors at the MIGS sessions of the joint APAO-AIOS congress in April mostly talked ...

Malvina Eydelman, MD, Named CEO of CCOI Organization

Longtime US FDA regulator and board-certified ophthalmologist Malvina Eydelman, MD, has stepped into a new role as chief executive officer of the Collaborative Community on Ophthalmic Innovation (C...

Retina Pharma and Premium IOLs Continue to Drive Ophthalmic Market

The ophthalmology industry produced an estimated $48.8 billion in revenue in 2024, with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5 percent. Market Scope estimates the industry will reach...

Opthea Discontinues Wet AMD Program After Second Phase III Trial Misses Endpoint

Opthea announced March 31 its decision to discontinue development of sozinibercept (OPT-302) in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) after a second Phase III trial missed its primary endpoint...

Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, April 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.

Job and Funding Cuts in US HHS Department Hit Ophthalmic Community

The Trump administration’s overhaul of the US Health and Human Services Department (HHS) through mass firings, funding cuts, and restructuring continues to affect those working to protect vision. J...

Alcon Announces Majority Ownership of Aurion Cell Therapy Company

Alcon announced March 26 that it had acquired a majority interest in Aurion Biotech, developer of a corneal cell therapy. News of Alcon’s majority stake—after acquiring additional shares in Aurion ...

Bausch + Lomb Recalls Certain enVista IOLs Amid Reports of TASS Cases

Bausch + Lomb announced March 27 that it was voluntarily recalling certain intraocular lenses (IOLs) on its enVista platform. A letter to customers from Bausch + Lomb Chairman and CEO Brent Saunder...

US FDA Plans to Phase Out Animal Testing for Biologics, Drugs

The US FDA reported April 10 that it planned to phase out animal testing as part of the approval process for biologics and drugs, as the agency moves to more effective, human-relevant methods, call...

Topcon to Go Private Through Tender Offer by KKR and JIC Capital

Publicly held Topcon plans to go private under a $2.3 billion tender offer by private equity firm KKR, headquartered in New York, and JIC Capital, the private equity arm of Japan’s government-owned...

Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, April 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.

Biocon’s Deal with Regeneron Will Bring Yesafili to Market in US No Later than H2-2026

India’s Biocon Biologics reported April 15 that it had reached a settlement and license agreement with Regeneron that clears the way for Biocon to commercialize Yesafili, a biosimilar to Eylea, in ...

Thomas Panek Becomes President, CEO of Lighthouse Guild

Lighthouse Guild announced March 18 that it had appointed Thomas Panek as its new president and CEO, effective April 1. Panek replaced Calvin Roberts, MD, who had led the nonprofit since April 2020...

Weekly Surgeon Poll, April 2025

April 2025 Ophthalmic News Briefs

Carl Zeiss Meditec announced March 21 the availability in Canada of the Visulas Combi, a green and YAG ophthalmic laser workstation combining photodisruption, photocoagulation, and slit lamp techno...

Changes in NIH Grant Rules Threaten to Ripple Through Eye Disease Research

Any changes to the rules that accompany US government research grants could affect eye research in the US in a big way. The US government awards an average of $1.1 billion a year in grants to resea...

AGS Meeting Features Technology Updates, Voyager DSLT Launch

The 40th Annual American Glaucoma Society (AGS) meeting was highlighted by fast-paced sessions for providers, updates on the latest surgical technology, and the launch of Alcon’s Voyager DSLT. The ...

Ophthalmic Company Revenue Up 5.1 Percent as Four Firms Report Record-High Quarters

Ophthalmic manufacturer revenue in Q4-2024 totaled $12.0 billion. Revenue increased 5.1 percent from the same quarter in 2023 and decreased 0.3 percent from Q3-2024. The total includes Market Scope...

Ophthalmologists Report 5.3 Percent Increase in Q4-2024 Procedure Volume

US ophthalmologists reported that ophthalmic procedures increased 5.3 percent in Q4-2024 compared with the same quarter in 2023, according to Market Scope’s latest survey. Year-over-year performanc...

US FDA Approves Neurotech’s Cell Therapy Implant for MacTel

Neurotech Pharmaceuticals announced March 6 that the US FDA had approved Encelto, an encapsulated cell therapy implant to treat macular telangiectasia (MacTel) type 2. It’s the first FDA-approved t...

Topcon, RadiusXR, and Glaukos Team Up to Launch Inspire VR Perimeter Headset

Topcon Healthcare, RadiusXR, and Glaukos announced March 11 that they are teaming up to launch RadiusXR’s new wearable vision testing platform, Inspire. The companies said the partnership capitaliz...

Optos Unveils MonacoPro Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imager with SD-OCT

Optos, a division of Nikon, announced Feb. 14 the launch of the MonacoPro, its next-generation ultra-widefield scanning laser ophthalmoscope with integrated spectral domain optical coherence tomogr...

PDUFA Dates for Ophthalmic Drug Candidates

The US FDA has scheduled the following Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action dates for ophthalmic drug, drug/device, and biologic candidates.

Select US FDA Approvals and Clearances in February 2025

There was one US FDA clearance through the ophthalmic device division using the 510(k) pathway in February 2025, according to the agency’s database. New World Medical gained clearance of its Via360...

Retina Surgeons Ready for Alcon to Make a Splash with Unity VCS

Alcon looks ready to shake up the retinal treatment device market with the launch of the Unity VCS later in 2025. Anytime the world’s number one manufacturer of vitreoretinal surgical systems intro...

US FDA Accepts NDA for Glaukos’ Epioxa for Epi-On Crosslinking Therapy

Glaukos, of Aliso Viejo, California, reported Feb. 24 that the US FDA had accepted its new drug application for Epioxa, an epi-on version of the company’s iLink corneal crosslinking therapy, for th...

Meet with Market Scope at the 2025 ASCRS Meeting

Market Scope will be located at Booth No. 1002 at the 2025 ASCRS meeting in April at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Contact us to set up a time to discuss your custom research needs. Reach us a...

Chinese Regulators Approve Zeiss’ VisuMax 800 with SMILE Pro Software

Germany’s Carl Zeiss Meditec announced Feb. 26 that the National Medical Products Administration in China had approved its updated VisuMax 800 femtosecond refractive laser and related SMILE Pro sof...

Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, March 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.

New Arkansas Law Reins in Vision Care Insurers’ Influence over ODs

Optometrists in Arkansas celebrated a legislative victory on Feb. 25 when Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law HB 1353, which supporters say will allow ODs in the state to receive more fair ...

ARVO Extends Deadline for Attendees to Meeting to Pay Reduced Fees

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) announced March 10 that it had extended the deadline for reduced registration fees for its annual meeting. The lower rates are now in...

Medicare Physician Fee Cut Won’t be Rolled Back in March

US House members on March 9 dropped language from a stopgap funding bill that would have rolled back the 2.83 percent cut in Medicare reimbursement for doctors that went into effect Jan. 1. The mov...

Deerfield Sues Alcon over Latest Moves to Prevent Aurion IPO

Deerfield Management has filed a lawsuit against an Alcon subsidiary, seeking to prevent Alcon from interfering with Aurion Biotech’s ability to launch an initial public offering. The lawsuit, file...

Study of Corneal Stem Cell Transplant Shows Vision Restored After Injury

A clinical study of patients with irreversible corneal injury, published March 4 in Nature Communications, showed that transplanted epithelial stem cells from their healthy eyes restored at least p...

Early Study Shows Promise for Head-Mounted Retinal Surgery Robot

Researchers at the University of Utah’s John A. Moran Eye Center and John and Marcia Price College of Engineering reported Feb. 19 that they have collaborated to create a new robotic surgery device...

New World Medical Gains US Clearance for the Via360 Viscodilation System for Glaucoma

New World Medical announced Feb. 18 that it had received 510(k) clearance from the US FDA for its Via360 glaucoma surgical system. The Rancho Cucamonga, California, company said the device would be...

Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, March 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.

Weekly Corporate and Surgeon Poll, March 2025

BVI Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $1 Billion in Strategic Capital

BVI Medical led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with $1 billion in strategic capital, raised from owner TPG and new investors, to continue expanding globally. Financing announced in the past ...

March 2025 Ophthalmic News Briefs

Alcon announced the US launch Feb. 24 of its Systane Pro Preservative-Free (PF) over-the-counter eye drops for dry eye. The company said Systane Pro PF is the longest lasting eye drop in the Systan...

G360’s New Horizons Forum Highlights Innovations and Discusses the Future of Glaucoma Therapy

The Glaucoma 360 New Horizons Forum provided an update on technologies with high interest, as well as devices just gaining attention. The forum was held Feb. 7 in San Francisco, California, and dre...

Bausch + Lomb Rules Out Sale After Concluding Bid Process

Bausch + Lomb announced Feb. 6 that it had ruled out a sale of the company, after exploring the option in its bid for a full separation from parent company Bausch Health. “Taking Bausch + Lomb priv...

Norlase Strengthens Position in Ophthalmic Laser Market with Launch of Lynx LIO

Norlase strengthened its position in the ophthalmic laser market on Jan. 22 when it launched Lynx, the world’s first pattern scanning laser indirect ophthalmoscope (LIO). The Lynx laser and pattern...

Australian Regulators Approve Apellis’ Syfovre for Patients with Geographic Atrophy

Apellis Pharmaceuticals announced Jan. 27 that Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration had approved Syfovre (intravitreal pegcetacoplan) for the every-other-month treatment of adult patients w...

EssilorLuxottica Acquires Canadian Retinal Camera Maker Cellview Imaging for Undisclosed Amount

Eyewear conglomerate EssilorLuxottica announced Feb. 11 that it had acquired Cellview Imaging, a Canadian startup specializing in ultra-widefield retinal diagnostics. Cellview’s WRI-1 fundus camera...

Appeals Court Upholds Injunctions Blocking Eylea Biosimilars from Samsung Bioepis and Formycon

In a victory for Regeneron, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a ruling Jan. 29 upholding preliminary injunctions that block Samsung Bioepis and Formycon from launching their ap...

Select US FDA Approvals and Clearances in January 2025

There were no US FDA clearances through the ophthalmic device division using the 510(k) pathway in January 2025, according to the agency’s database. This is a departure from previous months, when i...

US FDA Approves Expanded Label for Izervay to Extend Treatment for GA Beyond 12 Months

Japan’s Astellas Pharma announced Feb. 12 that the US FDA had approved expanded labeling for Izervay (avacincaptad pegol intravitreal solution) for geographic atrophy (GA), extending the allowed du...

Oculis Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $100 Million Offering

Oculis led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with an underwritten $100 million offering to advance its pipeline of ocular candidates. Financing announced in the past four weeks totaled $149.1 m...

NovaBay Gains Shareholder Approval to Sell Eye Care Business

NovaBay, of Emeryville, California, reported Jan. 23 that it had completed the sale of its eye care business to PRN Physician Recommended Nutriceuticals for $11.5 million. The sale includes all the...

Market Scope and the Glaucoma Research Foundation Celebrate 10 Years of Partnership

The handshake agreement over 10 years ago was simple. Market Scope would attend the Glaucoma Research Foundation’s annual three-day Glaucoma 360 meeting, consisting of a fundraising gala, the New H...

Global OCT Market Poised for Strong Growth Thanks to Add-Ons for Combination Devices

The market for optical coherence tomographers (OCT) is not typically driven by disease but by treatments of these diseases. Increased use of intravitreal injections to treat age-related macular deg...

Inventors of OCT to be Inducted Into National Inventors Hall of Fame

The inventors of optical coherence tomography continue to be recognized for their groundbreaking work. James G. Fujimoto, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), David Huang, MD, PhD (Oregon H...

Harrow, Cencora Partner to Improve Drug Access for Retina Specialists, Patients

Drugmaker Harrow reported Jan. 27 that it had partnered with Cencora to launch a program called “Harrow Cares,” with the goal of making Harrow products iHeezo and Triesence more accessible and affo...

Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, February 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.

Ophthalmology Officials, Doctors, Researchers Feel Effects of Trump’s Sweeping Changes

The US ophthalmic community and larger health care industry have been affected by many policies implemented by the Trump administration since inauguration day on Jan. 20. Among the 3,600 employees ...

Retrospective Study Finds Link Between IVT Injections, Cataract Surgery Complications

Researchers from the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto, California, have found that cataract patients with prior intravitreal (IVT) injections face more complications after c...

Study Shows Promise for Genetic Base Editing in Stargardt Disease

Researchers from Switzerland’s Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel and Beam Therapeutics say they have developed a gene editing therapy that could potentially treat Stargardt di...

Emerging Companies Pursuing Ophthalmic Indications, February 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced new candidates to diagnose and treat eye disease.

Weekly Surgeon Polls, February 2025

February 2025 Ophthalmic News Briefs

Outlook Therapeutics reported Jan. 16 the final results of the NORSE EIGHT trial of ONS-5010 (Lytenava), an ophthalmic formulation of bevacizumab for wet AMD. ONS-5010 demonstrated non-inferiority ...

2024 in Review: Zeiss' Rollout of Micor 700 Shakes Up Cataract Equipment Market in US

German company Carl Zeiss Meditec’s US launch of its Micor 700 handpiece for cataract surgery in 2024 represented a significant step forward in innovation. The Micor offers an entirely new way to s...

Ophthalmology Sees $6.3 Billion in Total Investment in 2024, With 18 M&A Transactions

The ophthalmic market continues to expand and attract funding from a wide variety of investors. Total amounts raised in 2024 reached over $6.3 billion. Venture capital investment in ophthalmology i...

Bausch Kicks off 2025 With Series of Research Deals, Plus an IOL Launch

Bausch + Lomb has recently announced a series of acquisitions and collaborations that it says will bolster its expanding pipeline and help address unmet needs in ophthalmology. It also launched an ...

Select US FDA Approvals and Clearances in December 2024

The US FDA granted four clearances through the ophthalmic device division using the 510(k) pathway in December 2024, according to the agency’s database. AI Optics gained clearance for its Sentinel ...

Glaukos Submits NDA for Epioxa Epi-On Crosslinking Treatment

Glaukos, of Aliso Viejo, California, reported Dec. 23 that it had submitted its new drug application to the US FDA for Epioxa, an epi-on version of the company’s iLink corneal crosslinking therapy,...

US FDA PDUFA Dates for Ophthalmic Drug Candidates

The US FDA has scheduled the following Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action dates for ophthalmic drug, drug/device, and biologic candidates.

Aviceda Leads Latest Ophthalmic Fundraising with $207.5 Million Round

Aviceda Therapeutics led recent ophthalmic fundraising efforts with an upsized $207.5 million Series C financing round to support its trials in geographic atrophy. Financing announced in the past f...

2024 in Review: Corporate and Surgeon Rankings of Top 10 Stories

Market Scope asked industry participants and surgeons to select the top story for 2024. Below are their choices. Zeiss’ Rollout of Micor 700 Shakes Up Cataract Equipment Market in US MAC Turmoil Sh...

2024 in Review: MAC Turmoil Shakes Out with Final Policy on Coverage of MIGS

Five of the seven US Medicare Contract Administrators ended a two-year roller coaster ride for the glaucoma surgery market in mid-November by publishing for the second time their final coverage pla...

2024 in Review: Newest PC-IOLs Helped Drive Worldwide Growth in 2024

At least a dozen trifocal and EDOF IOLs were launched in key markets over the past 18 months, spurring worldwide growth and giving presbyopia-correcting lenses a small uptick in their market share ...

2024 in Review: Alcon Expands Its Glaucoma Portfolio With Belkin Acquisition

Alcon completed its acquisition of Israel’s Belkin Vision, maker of the Eagle laser for glaucoma, in July 2024. The purchase expands Alcon’s presence in the glaucoma market; Alcon also offers the H...

2024 in Review: SMILE for Hyperopia, Two Excimer Lasers Lead Refractive Surgical News

Bausch + Lomb announced in January 2024 that the US FDA had approved the Teneo excimer laser platform for LASIK for myopia and myopic astigmatism. It’s the first excimer platform approved in the US...

2024 in Review: LumiThera’s Valeda is First Treatment for Early, Intermediate Dry AMD

The US FDA granted market authorization to LumiThera’s Valeda Light Delivery System as a de novo device on Nov. 4, making it the first treatment of any kind, device or drug, to receive the FDA’s ba...

2024 in Review: Flurry of Eylea Biosimilars Approved; Most Blocked in US by Lawsuits

The FDA was in a hurry in 2024 to get low-cost competitors to Eylea into the US market. Regeneron wasn’t. The FDA approved 12 drugs for ophthalmic indications in 2024, including four generic glauco...

2024 in Review: Change Healthcare and Hoya Data Breaches Highlight Security Risks

The health care and public health sector was the most common ransomware target of any critical US infrastructure sector in 2023 and 2024, according to the FBI. By October 2024, the American Hospita...

2024 in Review: Complement Therapies for GA Fall Short in Bid for Approval in EU

Apellis Pharmaceuticals and Astellas Pharma were unable to build on their regulatory wins in the US to get a victory in Europe. The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for ...

2024 in Review: Warburg Pincus Buys Controlling Stake in India’s Appasamy

US-based private equity firm Warburg Pincus re-entered the ophthalmic industry in April 2024 when it bought a controlling stake in India’s Appasamy Associates. Financial details were not disclosed,...

Clinical Trial Updates for Ophthalmic Candidates, January 2025

Market Scope is tracking companies that have announced clinical trial updates or milestone achievements.