TECLens, Inc. announced it has secured $9.3 million in a Series A funding round to support its ongoing clinical development of a corneal cross-linking (CXL)-based, non-incisional refractive correction procedure for reshaping the cornea.
First, a refresh on TECLens.
This New York-based clinical-stage ophthalmic medical device company was founded in 2013 and is currently led by an executive leadership of ophthalmic device industry veterans and guided by a Medical Advisory Board of ophthalmic key opinion leaders (KOLs).
Its mission: To deliver personalized, non-invasive corneal CXL treatments representing a new standard of vision care.
- Its technology: That aforementioned CXL treatment (which we’ll get to in a moment).
Talk about this financing.
Co-led by Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJD Inc (the strategic venture capital arm of Johnson & Johnson) and Yonjin Capital, the Series A round of funding also included:
- Rimonci Capital (investor of preclinical, clinical, and early development stages in visual science tech)
- Sunmed Capital (investor of medical device services)
Remember: Johnson & Johnson announced back in July 2024 that it would be co-leading this round of funding.
Now a rundown on this CXL treatment.
Its name: Quantitative Corneal Cross-linking (qCXL).
- An overview: This in-office procedure therapy delivers ultraviolet (UV) light directly to the eye from a fiber optic-connected scleral contact lens.
The specifics of this:
- What it is: A proprietary technology comprising the CXLens—a device directly applied to the scleral surface of the eye after a topical administration of riboflavin (Vitamin B2) ophthalmic solution.
- What it does: The CXLens releases a pre-calculated pattern and dose of UV light that “crosslinks” (illuminates) specific, selected zones of the cornea.
And from there?
Real-time monitoring of this UV light delivery then tracks corneal response using integrated ultrasound to ensure adherence to a patient’s personalized, precision treatment plan.
How long this treatment lasts: The illumination continues until certain pre-planned biomechanical properties of the corneal stroma are reached.
- To note: This ultrasound monitor is reported to provide “the closed loop dosing necessary to stiffen and reshape the cornea to a specific prescription”—ulimately enabling precise control over the cornea shape and accurate refractive outcomes.
How long does this treatment take, from start to finish?
Around (and maybe even less than) 30 minutes.
See a visual of this in action.
And what is it intended to be used for?
The qCXL was developed to reshape the cornea for three key visual corrections:
- Reading distance vision (for presbyopia)
- Progressive myopia control (for pediatrics)
- Adult refractive errors (for hyperopia and low-order myopia)
See here for details on how the tech could be utilized for each.
Interesting … so how is this advantageous for patients?
Aside from adhering to a patient’s specific prescription, the CXLens is intended to provide a stable and comfortable accommodation for patient movements.
Plus: No eyelid speculum is needed, as the treatment can be conducted with eyes open or closed.
How about for clinicians?
Affordability is a major component of this, according to TECLens.
The company noted that this “low-cost control system” enables market entry for eyecare professionals (ECPs), while also being:
- Efficient for busy clinical practices (with no need for a technician to assist)
- Plus: It takes up a small clinical footprint
- A simplified process for an in-office treatment, with no need for complex equipment
- Easily integrated into a practice’s workflow
Nice! Is there any supporting clinical data on the system yet?
There is indeed. A pilot study evaluated qCXL’s capabilities to provide treatment in nine corneal transplant candidates diagnosed with advanced keratoconus.
See here for the details on that research, published in Translational Vision Science & Technology in April 2021.
The gist of those findings: CXLens demonstrated feasibility in its treatment for keratoconus and was deemed ready for large-scale studies with longer follow-up periods.
And in the near future?
TECLens is currently advancing clinical studies (no update as of yet) to evaluate the system’s efficacy for refractive correction—with an initial primary focus on presbyopia.
The intent: For qCXL to accurately correct presbyopia by reshaping the cornea to add refractive power lost to natural lens stiffness.