Alcon announces US launch of Voyager direct selective laser trabeculoplasty device

(Image credit: AdobeStock/InsideCreativeHouse)

Alcon announced the full US commercial availability of the Voyager direct selective laser trabeculoplasty (DSLT) device, for the first and only DSLT device.¹ The automated device provides a streamlined workflow to deliver 120 laser pulses without a gonio lens or manual aiming.^2-4

The new first-line laser treatment for the nearly 5 million Americans with a diagnosis of glaucoma features an intuitive touchscreen, and reduces the specialized training required with manual selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT).^2,3 Using eye-tracking technology (SureTrac), the device accurately and safely delivers laser pulses through the limbus to the trabecular meshwork, stimulating the eye's natural healing response to improve aqueous outflow.³

Key medical organizations, such as the American Academy of Ophthalmology and others globally, acknowledge SLT as an effective first-line treatment.^5-8 However, practical challenges—such as the length of treatment and the specialized training required to perform manual SLT—have made it less accessible to many clinicians and the patients who could benefit from it.⁴

The Voyager Direct Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty device delivers 120 laser pulses without the need for a gonio lens. (Image courtesy of Alcon)

“By introducing Voyager DSLT, we’re able to broaden access to first-line SLT therapy and provide eye care professionals with crucial early intervention for their glaucoma patients,” said Terry Kim, MD, chief medical officer and head of global medical safety, Alcon.

RELATED VIDEO: Thomas W. Samuelson, MD, shares clinical perspectives on DSLT, SLT, and glaucoma management

"DSLT delivers the laser light directly to the surface of the eye to the perilimbal tissue," said Thomas W. Samuelson, MD, attending surgeon and founding partner of Minnesota Eye Consultants, Minneapolis in an interview with Ophthalmology Times. "Some surgeons find that perplexing. They say, well, how does it penetrate? And they forget that conventional SLT, first of all, goes off of a gonioprism mirror. Then it goes traverses the central cornea, through the full thickness of the central cornea before it reaches the trabecular meshwork. With DSLT, we're simply passing laser light through the perilimbal tissue."

A randomized, controlled trial demonstrated that DSLT delivers effective IOP control and has a strong safety profile with low risk of adverse events.^4* Data and early feedback demonstrate nearly two out of three (62%) DSLT participants were medication-free at 12 months;⁴ after 6 months, nearly all DSLT patients indicated they would recommend the treatment to a friend with glaucoma;⁹ and the benefits of DSLT position laser therapy to become a more widespread first-line intervention for patients with glaucoma.^4,9

Voyager DSLT, indicated to perform SLT, is available in select markets in the EU, the UK, and the US. The device adds to Alcon’s glaucoma portfolio, which includes the Hydrus microstent, EX-PRESS glaucoma filtration device, and pharmaceutical drops.

Attendees of the 2025 American Glaucoma Society meeting in Washington, DC, from February 26 to March 2, will be able to learn more about Voyager DSLT first-hand at the Alcon booth (#29-32) and during a launch event.

*There were no related ocular serious adverse events reported with DSLT. The most common adverse event was mild, self-resolving, punctate sub-conjunctival hemorrhage, which was reported in 20 DSLT participants (20.2%). These events resolved without clinical sequelae.
**92.5% of DSLT patients (n = 80).

References

1. Alcon announces U.S. launch of Voyager DSLT, first-of-its-kind treatment for glaucoma and ocular hypertension. News release. Alcon. February 19, 2025. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.alcon.com/media-release/alcon-announces-us-launch-voyager-dslt-first-its-kind-treatment-glaucoma-and-ocular/

2. Ehrlich JR, Burke-Conte Z, Wittenborn JS, et al. Prevalence of glaucoma among US adults in 2022. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2024;142(11):1046-1053. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.3884

3. Voyager DSLT User Guide; 2024.

4. GLAUrious Study - Clinical Study Report (CSR). CA-RP-01-006, Rev. 01; 2022.

5. Gazzard G, Konstantakopoulou E, Garway-Heath D, et al. Laser in glaucoma and ocular hypertension (LiGHT) trial: six-year results of primary selective laser trabeculoplasty versus eye drops for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Ophthalmology. 2023;130(2):139-151. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2022.09.009

6. Takusagawa HL, Hoguet A, Sit AJ, et al. Selective laser trabeculoplasty for the treatment of glaucoma: a report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2024;131(1):37-47. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2023.07.029

7. European Glaucoma Society Terminology and Guidelines for Glaucoma, 5th Edition. Br J Ophthalmol. 2021;105(Suppl 1):1-169. doi:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2021-egsguidelines

8. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Glaucoma: Diagnosis and Management. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2022.

9. Alcon Data on File, 2024.