Dive Brief:
- Alcon completed its takeover of glaucoma device developer Belkin Vision, the company said Monday.
- The deal, which is worth $81 million upfront and up to $385 million in milestone payments, gives Alcon control of laser technology for treating open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension.
- Alcon already sells implants and drops for treating eye conditions. The company, which plans to launch the Belkin device in the U.S. this year, said treatment is shifting to first-line laser therapy.
Dive Insight:
Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) has emerged as an alternative to eye drops to improve drainage of fluid, which can lower eye pressure. In 2019, a randomized clinical trial comparing the interventions concluded laser treatment should be offered as the first-line response to ocular hypertension and glaucoma. Six-year data from the study found the laser intervention provides better long-term disease control than drops with reduced need for surgery.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology lists laser therapy as an initial treatment option. However, the procedure requires expertise to perform, potentially limiting uptake, and carries risks such as infection and blurred vision.
“It's relatively difficult right now,” Alcon CEO David Endicott said on an earnings call in May. “You’ve got to hold a gonioscope, you've got to get into the angle. It's tricky to do it with a normal laser that you have today.”
Endicott said Belkin’s device is “a much simpler idea.” The direct SLT product is designed to make the procedure easier, faster and safer by eliminating the use of a goniolens and the need for the same level of training. A study comparing the direct and traditional laser approaches found the interventions achieved similar reductions in intraocular pressure and medication use.
The device is already available in the European Union and the U.K. Belkin received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration in December but has yet to start selling the device in the U.S. Alcon will integrate the technology into its Alcon Vision Suite.
