LONDON – The first commercial implantations of Istar Medical SA’s minimally invasive Miniject supraciliary glaucoma drainage device have taken place in Germany, following European CE approval for the product.

Beijing Airdoc Technology Co. Ltd. raised HK$1.67 billion (US$214.8 million) with its IPO on the Hong Kong Exchange (HKEX) on Nov. 5, falling below its expectations of a $500 million raise. Share prices for the artificial intelligence-based (AI) medical imaging firm were priced at HK$75.10 apiece and dropped 3.5% to HK$72.50.

Tilak Healthcare SAS has received €7 million (US$8.08 million) from investors to push commercialization of its mobile game and vision monitoring platform, Odysight. The CE marked class I device is prescribed by ophthalmologists to remotely monitor age-related visual impairment and includes daily visual tests to stimulate cognitive and visual abilities. A rollout of the mobile game has already commenced in France.

Medical device accelerator Medtech Innovator and the Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association (Apacmed) have selected Opharmic Technology (HK) Ltd. as the grand prize winner of its Asia Pacific Accelerator program. Opharmic has developed a noninvasive ultrasound platform technology for a variety of biomedical applications, with eye drug delivery being one of the key applications.

Glaukos Corp., of San Clemente, Calif., has taken another step forward in obtaining global market access for its Istent device for glaucoma with a positive coverage recommendation in Canada. Health Quality Ontario (HQO) has recommended that taxpayer dollars be used to cover the device in conjunction with cataract surgery, although the endorsement is limited to patients with mild to moderate glaucoma that is not well controlled with pressure-lowering medications.

TORONTO – Zilia Inc. has raised C$4 million (US$3.16 million) in seed financing to push new ocular diagnostic technology to regulatory finish lines in the U.S., Canada and eventually Europe. Zilia co-founder and CEO Patrick Sauvageau said the Zilia Ocular is alone in measuring oxygen saturation in the eye, an important biomarker for eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.

Sight Sciences Inc. may have visions of a substantial settlement following Ivantis Inc.’s $60 million settlement with Glaukos Corp. this week or the Menlo Park, Calif.-based company may have its sights set on knocking a competitor out of the market entirely. Both are possible outcomes of the suit Sight Sciences announced this morning that alleges infringement of four of its patents by Ivantis for its Hydrus Microstent. Sight Sciences makes the Omni surgical system, which competes with the Hydrus and the Glaukos Istent in the minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) space.

After three years of litigation and nearly a decade of skirmishes, Ivantis Inc. settled with Glaukos Corp. for $60 million to be paid in two installments, with the first $30 million due by Dec. 31, 2021, and the second $30 million by Dec. 31, 2022. In addition, Irvine, Calif.-based Ivantis will pay Glaukos a 10% royalty through April 26, 2025, on sales of Ivantis’ Hydrus Microstent in the U.S. or international sales supplied out of the U.S. With just two weeks to go until their scheduled court date of Sept. 28, the companies finally saw eye-to-eye, reaching a cross-licensing agreement and hammering out a covenant to refrain from future litigation regarding the technologies involved in the Hydrus or Glaukos’s Istent, both used to treat glaucoma.

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has given innovative medical device designation for Te Bios Co. Ltd.’s artificial cornea, C-Clear, bringing it one step closer to becoming the first artificial cornea to be approved in the country.

Myopia, or near-sightedness, is a growing public health problem, often beginning in childhood. Severe cases can lead to serious complications including cataract, glaucoma and retinal detachment. Now, Dopavision GmbH has raised a €12 million (US$14.2 million) series A round to advance its digital childhood myopia therapeutic aimed at nipping this lifelong problem in the bud.