Alcon announces EU launch of CyPass® Micro-Stent, a micro invasive glaucoma surgical device, to lower intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma

Novartis International AG / Alcon announces EU launch of CyPass® Micro-Stent, a micro invasive glaucoma surgical device, to lower intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma . Processed and transmitted by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

• Now available in the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain, CyPass Micro-Stent is designed to significantly reduce intraocular pressure (IOP)

CE indication has been expanded to allow patients to be treated at the time of cataract surgery without the requirement of failed medical therapy  

More than 60 million people worldwide are affected by glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide[1][2][3].

BASEL, April 26, 2017 - Alcon, the global leader in eye care and a division of Novartis, announced today the EU launch of the CyPass^® Micro-Stent, a micro invasive glaucoma surgical (MIGS) device, indicated for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate primary open-angle glaucoma in conjunction with cataract surgery, or as a standalone procedure in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma who have failed previous medical treatments. The CyPass Micro-Stent is the latest addition to Alcon's surgical glaucoma portfolio providing an additional option to meet the needs of millions of glaucoma patients.

"For many glaucoma patients, medication adherence can be challenging due to side effects, difficulty administering drops and the number of medications required daily. Even with proper compliance, patients often have disease progression and require surgery," said Keith Barton, M.D., glaucoma specialist at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. "The CyPass Micro-Stent is a much-needed new option that is less invasive than traditional glaucoma surgery. More importantly, it is available to patients with mild to moderate glaucoma who are undergoing cataract surgery, even if they have not yet failed previous medical treatments for their glaucoma."

The CyPass Micro-Stent, implanted just below the surface of the eye, is uniquely designed to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. The CyPass Micro-Stent is the first MIGS device to leverage an entirely new outflow pathway for excess aqueous fluid in the eye - the supraciliary space, which is the space between the sclera, the white outer layer of the eyeball, and the ciliary body. Once implanted, it creates a permanent conduit between the anterior chamber of the eye and the suprachoroidal space to improve the eye's natural drainage pathway.