Alcon completes acquisition of Ivantis Inc.

Alcon today announced the closing of its acquisition of Ivantis, developer of the Hydrus Microstent, a minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) device designed to lower eye pressure for open-angle glaucoma patients in connection with cataract surgery.

According to the company with this acquisition, the immediate integration of Ivantis associates helps ensure continuity of the business and relationships with existing customers. It also allows Alcon to begin its future growth plans to bring Hydrus Microstent to more international markets and prioritize its ongoing evidence-based research.

The company noted that Ivantis associates, including manufacturing and sales, are immediately integrated into Alcon to ensure continuity for new and existing customers.

“We believe this transaction will further strengthen our global surgical portfolio and help provide a platform for more growth in the glaucoma space,” David Endicott, CEO of Alcon, said in a statement. “As we welcome Ivantis associates into Alcon, we look forward to introducing Hydrus Microstent on a broader, global scale in the near future to help even more patients see brilliantly.”

The company also noted that longstanding clinical safety and efficacy data, which will be highlighted at 2022 medical meetings, is a cornerstone of Hydrus Microstent and its market adoption to date. Its five-year HORIZON data demonstrated clinically meaningful and statistically significant clinical benefits over the full five years, including sustained reduction in medication use and the need for invasive secondary glaucoma surgery. The safety profile was also sustained through the five-year follow-up.¹

Ike Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, research director at Kensington Eye Institute, director of the Glaucoma and Advanced Anterior Segment Surgery (GAASS) Fellowship Program at the University of Toronto, and a professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Utah’s John A. Moran Eye Center, noted that it is an important time for Hydrus Microstent as surgeons continue to learn more about its long-term efficacy and outcomes for glaucoma patients worldwide.

“The visual field data recently showcased at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting showed Hydrus Microstent as the first MIGS device to demonstrate a reduced rate of visual field loss compared to cataract surgery alone,” he said in a statement. “This is an important milestone for surgeons and their patients. I am confident that Alcon’s acquisition of Ivantis will help drive even more research and adoption of Hydrus Microstent.”

Continuing the ongoing research, Alcon said in a news release it plans to pursue stand-alone surgery indications for Hydrus Microstent in the U.S. with clinical trials underway and additional information about potential expansion plans will be provided in the future.

In the U.S., Hydrus Microstent, which is part of a large and growing market, is currently indicated for the reduction of intraocular pressure in adult patients with mild to moderate primary open-angle glaucoma in conjunction with cataract surgery. In the U.K., Canada, Australia, Singapore and Germany, the device is indicated for primary open-angle glaucoma in conjunction with cataract surgery and as a stand-alone procedure.

References

1. Ahmed, I.K. (2021, Mar. 4-7). 5 Year Follow Up from the HORIZON Trial. American Glaucoma Society Virtual Annual Meeting.
2. Gazzard et al. AGS 2022 Abstract (in review).