ViaLase, Inc. and the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah are collaborating on a new research partnership targeting the unmet needs in standard glaucoma treatment.
The focus: Combining ViaLase’s laser procedure and Moran’s iPerfusion technology (we’ll explain later).
First, a rundown of these collaborators.
The Moran Eye Center is known as the largest ophthalmology clinical care and research facility located in the Mountain West.
- Including its 60 faculty members and 10 satellite clinics, Moran’s expansive reach covers 20+ research labs and centers—chief among them: the Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation.
The California-based ViaLase, on the other hand, is a venture capital-backed, clinical-stage medical technology company that has developed a noninvasive (incision-free), image-guided, femtosecond laser treatment intended to provide a new, enhanced treatment paradigm for glaucoma.
Tell me about this laser technology.
ViaLase’s ViaLuxe Laser System is designed to deliver tightly focused, optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided femtosecond laser pulses throughout the cornea and across the anterior chamber to the iridocorneal angle.
- The intended result: Via femtosecond laser image-guided high-precision trabeculectomy (FLigHT), a surgeon noninvasively creates a single channel—measuring 500 μm wide by 200 μm high—through the trabecular meshwork (TM) and into Schlemm’s canal.
- Key to this: This is done without damaging adjacent tissue to potentially lower intraocular pressure (IOP).
- See a visual (and a step-by-step look) of how the system works.
- Key to this: This is done without damaging adjacent tissue to potentially lower intraocular pressure (IOP).
Has this system undergone clinical testing yet?
Indeed it has … as far as data goes, ViaLase previously reported 12-month and 24-month follow-up data from a first-in-human (FIH), non-randomized study (NCT04949802) evaluating the system using FLigHT—as well as ViaLuxe’s potential IOP-lowering effect.
The crux of those findings:
- 12-month data, reported in March 2023
- Reduction in mean IOP at 12 months
- 100% of eyes did not need further IOP-lowering treatment after 1 year along
- No evidence of scarring observed via gonioscopy at the treatment site
- 24-month follow-up data, reported in April 2023
- Mean IOP reduced by 34.6%
- No serious adverse events (AE) related to treatment, with channels appearing and no evidence of closure (seen using gonioscopy and anterior segment OCT [AS-OCT])
Any ongoing research to know about?
There is, actually! A second study—this time, a randomized, multicenter pivotal trial—is comparing the ViaLux to selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).
Patient enrollment was announced in November 2023 (see here for those details).
As far as results go—we’re still waiting.
Gotcha. Now explain this perfusion technology.
From a big-picture perspective: Ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) refers to the pressure at which blood enters the eye; in other words, it’s the difference between arterial blood pressure and IOP.
As far as this tech goes: iPerfusion is a platform designed to measure the outflow facility of the eye via incorporating:
- Actuated pressure reservoir
- Thermal flow sensor
- Differentiated pressure transducer
- Automated computerized interface
And how will these be utilized in this partnership?
According to the collaborators, researchers will use perfusion technology to “study how aqueous humor drains from the eye through the conventional outflow pathway.”
From there, investigators will then “explore the effect of creating multiple channels as well as the optimal locations of these channels.”
Why this is important: Understanding this will be key in determining the IOP-lowering effect of the ViaLase procedure.
Who’s leading these research efforts?
Iqbal "Ike" Ahmed, MD, FRCS, director of the Crandall Center and recognized as one of the world’s top surgeons for complex eye conditions, specializing in glaucoma, cataract, and anterior segment.
Dr. Ahmed will be accompanied by:
- Fiona McDonnell, PhD
- Glaucoma investigator with a specialized focus in conventional outflow physiology and how nanoparticles contribute to IOP regulation (i.e: iPerfusion techniques)
- Ian Pitha MD, PhD
- Associate director, Crandall Center
And what’s the significance of these technologies?
“The ViaLase procedure has the potential to provide a new paradigm in interventional glaucoma,” stated Dr. Ahmed, adding, “we are thrilled to explore its possibilities using Moran’s advanced research capabilities.”
Similarly, ViaLase CEO Tibor Juhasz, PhD, noted that the iPerfusion research techniques provide “unparalleled insights” into aqueous humor outflow and IOP dynamics.
“This capability, combined with ViaLase’s pioneering femtosecond laser platform, offers the potential for significant advancements in glaucoma care,” he concluded.