Avisi Technologies, Inc. announced it has secured $10.7 million in a recent Series A financing round to support the SAPPHIRE pivotal clinical trial evaluating its novel glaucoma treatment device: the VisiPlate.
Where to begin with this?
For a quick refresh on Avisi, click here.
- As for the focus of this coverage: We’ll start with the VisiPlate—its flagship minimally-invasive bleb surgery (MIBS) device.
Its purpose: The device, made from non-fibrotic, nanotechnology-enabled technology, is designed to lower intraocular pressure (IOP).
How: Via a microchannel network that controls aqueous drainage from the anterior surface and minimizes the risk for blockage.
A more in-depth rundown on the VisiPlate can be found here.
I’m having trouble picturing this …
See here for a visual of the ultrathin shunt’s entire implantation process into the subconjunctival space via an externo procedure with mitomycin C.
Got it. So tell me about the Series A financing.
Led by MedVenture Partners—and included participation from a few new and existing investors—this latest financing round will support Avisi’s pivotal SAPPHIRE clinical trial.
- And in case this sounds familiar … it's likely because the FDA granted investigational device exemption (IDE) approval for SAPPHIRE just a few months ago.
Additionally: The financing is also intended to promote “further development” of the company’s pipeline, which includes “novel treatments addressing the entire spectrum of glaucomatous disease.”
Circle back to that trial …
Based in the U.S., SAPPHIRE is a prospective, multicenter, open-label clinical trial (NCT07220876) evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the VisiPlate in glaucoma patients.
Here’s what we know about these participants: An estimated 165 (aged 45+) will be enrolled based on five key inclusion criteria:
- Open-angle, pseudoexfoliative or pigmentary glaucoma
- IOP at pre-op visit of ≥ 20mmHg and ≤ 40mmHg
- Visual field mean deviation score of -3dB or worse
- Area of healthy, free-and-mobile conjunctiva in the target quadrant
- Shaffer angle grade ≥ in the target quadrant
See here for exclusion criteria
And the outcome measures?
Both outcome measures will be calculated at 12 months:
The primary: Number of patients (eyes) achieving a ≥ 20% reduction in mean diurnal IOP at 12 months.
The secondary: Percentage change in mean diurnal IOP, as determined by how much the average eye pressure increased or decreased during the day.
Do we have an official start and end date?
Per Clinical Trials, the study was initiated in November 2025 and is estimated to conclude in October 2027.
So … safe to say it’s ongoing then?
Indeed. In fact, Avisi shared that it’s currently enrolling patients from clinic sites in eight states across the country. See here for the full list of 16 locations.
While we wait for a data readout, has the VisiPlate undergone any other clinical trial?
Yes it has! As we reported in April 2025, positive 6-month data from a pilot study on the MIBS device was found to lower open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients’ mean IOP by 40%.
Check out our coverage for the full data recap.