Alcon Expands Glaucoma Treatment Portfolio by Acquiring Transcend Medical

Wednesday, February 24 2016 | 00 h 00 min | News

Alcon announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Transcend Medical, Inc., a privately-held, US-based company focused on developing minimally-invasive surgical devices to treat glaucoma.

Transcend Medical, Inc. has recently developed a micro-stent to treat mild to moderate glaucoma. The MIGS device is implanted just below the surface of the eye. It is designed to treat less severe glaucoma by enhancing part of the natural drainage pathways of the eye with minimal tissue disruption. This allows the excess fluid in the eye to drain with the goal of reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) levels.

“We expect the MIGS technology to be a great addition to our device pipeline and to establish Alcon’s presence in this new surgical category to treat glaucoma,” said Mike Ball, CEO of Alcon. “If approved, it will provide a less invasive means of lowering IOP than traditional invasive glaucoma surgery, with the goal of lowering the dependency of topical ocular medication. This acquisition also expands Alcon’s leadership in glaucoma and cataract treatment as part of our Surgical business.”