Transcend Medical Inc.
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Transcend Medical is the first spin-off of ForSight Labs, an ophthalmology-focused incubator created by The Foundry. To treat glaucoma, Transcend's founders have developed a tiny device, the CyPass, that can be inserted with a needle in a patented procedure that only takes 5 to 10 minutes.
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Glaucoma: Devices Go Eye-to-Eye With Drugs
This article was adapted from "In Glaucoma, Devices Go Eye-to-Eye with Drugs," in the September 2010 issue of Start-Up.
Glaucoma: Devices Go Eye-to-Eye With Drugs
This article was adapted from "In Glaucoma, Devices Go Eye-to-Eye with Drugs," in the September 2010 issue of Start-Up.
In Glaucoma, Devices Go Eye-to-Eye with Drugs
Glaucoma is of serious interest to VCs and strategic investors because of its sheer size; the disease affects 3 million people, most of them managed by drugs. Glaucoma drugs have created a $4 billion market, but have several problems, the greatest of which is non-compliance. Glaukos and other device companies aim to introduce devices that are safe and efficacious enough to compete directly with drugs, rather than standing in as an alternative to today's glaucoma surgeries reserved for end-stage patients. Glaukos recently marked a first of its kind victory; with a tiny implantable ophthalmic stent, Glaukos emerged from a PMA clinical trial that convinced an FDA panel of the benefit-to-risk ratio of its approach when used as a first-line therapy in a select group.