In its latest development, Topcon Healthcare, Inc. has invested in EYE-GO, a Danish medical technology (MedTech) company, and its next-generation ophthalmic drug delivery technology.
Topcon has certainly been busy as of late …
Indeed. Over the last few months—and year, to be honest— the company has made some major strategic moves in support of its ongoing Healthcare from the Eye initiative.
About that initiative: This is a clinical strategy in which AI models are applied to ocular imaging data to enable both earlier detection and better management of ocular and systemic diseases.
- See here for the latest updates.
Now, let’s talk about EYE-GO.
Based in Denmark, the MedTech company is developing an advanced ophthalmic drug delivery solution with the goal of eliminating the “complexity of traditional eye drops.”
Its flagship product: MistGo, a solution designed to provide a high-precision microdosing ocular delivery system.
- And currently in development: The MistGo Digital, an extension of the company’s original solution.
Before we dive into this technology, explain Topcon’s investment.
As a strategic investor in EYE-GO, Topcon stated that its newest collaboration is in alignment with its initiative—reflecting “a shared vision to revolutionize chronic eye disease management by integrating drug delivery, real-world adherence data, and diagnostic insights into a single, connected care pathway.”
And the focal point of this partnership: Involves accelerating the development of EYE-GO’s technology.
- But more on that in a moment.
Notably: Along with this investment, Topcon’s CEO Ali Tafreshi is also joining EYE-GO’s Board of Directors.
Tell me more about this tech.
We’ll start with MistGo.
What it is: A next-gen proprietary microdosing drug delivery system.
What it does: Delivers drugs (including preservative-free drugs) in a gentle and consistent mist microdosed directly into the cornea of the eye—without the risk of touching the ocular surface
The intent: To eliminate common risks associated with eye drop administration, including cross-contamination, eye trauma, or over-delivery of medication, for optimal patient comfort and ease of use.
Check out how it works.
What’s the difference between this and the MistGo Digital?
MistGo Digital is under clinical development as a microdosing system drug delivery system combined with a digital adherence monitoring platform (to note: this intelligent monitoring is what sets MistGo Digital apart from MistGo).
What it does:
- Reminds patients to administer their medication
- Verifies proper drug delivery and usage
- Transmits real-time adherence data to clinicians
Go on …
As EYE-GO’s CEO Henrik Nagel noted, MistGo Digital is a "breakthrough in ophthalmic therapy” intended to bridge “the gap between prescription and practice.”
And how will Topcon’s investment in this accelerate its development?
Per the company, MistGo Digital will be integrated into Topcon’s Harmony platform.
- About Harmony: This is a clinical image and data management platform for streamlining clinical practice workflows and organizing ophthalmic clinical data (details here).
- Notably: The platform is instrumental in the Healthcare from the Eye initiative and Topcon’s recent digital-based partnerships
The goal: For clinicians to link adherence and administration data with imaging results and disease progression—enabling earlier disease identification and integration as well as more personalized care strategies.
Nice! Now to clinical data—has the drug delivery platform been clinically evaluated?
The MistGo has, according to EYE-GO’s December 2024 reporting.
The details: Launched in September 2024, a study evaluated 22 patients diagnosed with either glaucoma or high intraocular pressure (IOP) for 14 days—during which all participants used MistGo to deliver their medication.
- Keep in mind: MistGo Digital has not yet undergone evaluation.
Gotcha. What did the study determine?
Four key patient-reported findings.
- To start: EYE-GO reported that patients rated MistGo a 9.4/10 for its ease of use (versus 6.6/10 for standard eye drops).
- Also: Patients rated MistGo a 9.9/10 (versus 5.5/10 for eye drops), reporting they were “significantly less bothered by excess liquid.”
- Plus: MistGo received a 9.5/10 rating for comfort (versus 7.7/10 for eye drops).
- Lastly: Nearly all patients (91%; 20/22) indicated a preference for MistGo versus standard eye drops
Sounds promising! Final question: Didn’t Topcon just announce another update?
It did! Check out our rundown on its involvement in the newly-formed healthcare leader-led consortium: Alliance for Healthcare from the Eye, focused on utilizing ocular and systemic health through artificial intelligence.