๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ
๐ข ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ
Great to see two ophthalmic drugs among 2024's top sellers: Bayer's Eylea and Roche's Vabysmo.
๐ Bayer: Eylea, co-marketed with Regeneron, remains a leading anti-VEGF treatment for AMD, DME, and retinal vein occlusion, continuing to dominate the retina market.
๐ Roche: Vabysmo, a bispecific antibody targeting VEGF and Ang-2, is challenging Eyleaโs dominance with strong uptake and extended dosing potential.
๐ Novartis (Lucentis) and AbbVie have promising ophthalmic drugs, but none broke into their top three bestsellers this year.
๐ข ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐
Alcon unveils Clareon PanOptix Pro Trifocal IOL (US launch May 2025), offering improved near-to-distance vision with 94% light utilisation.
Orasis Pharmaceuticals launches QLOSIโข eye drops (US), enhancing near vision within 20 minutes, lasting up to 12 hours.
๐ข ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ข๐ง $2.31๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ & ๐๐๐๐
Topcon Healthcare will go private in a $2.31B management buyout backed by KKR (majority stake) and JICC (minority stake). The move aims to drive long-term growth and strategic transformation, following a wider trend of Japanese firms enhancing competitiveness by exiting public markets.
๐ข ๐๐๐ฒ๐ง๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
Rayner has doubled IOL production to 4M units annually at its upgraded Worthing, UK facility, adding new automation, autoclaves, and energy-efficient tech. A new global warehouse near Gatwick, opened in 2024, further boosts global distribution.
๐ข ๐๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ข๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฒ
Alcon has acquired a majority stake in Aurion Biotech, advancing its position in corneal cell therapy. Aurionโs lead candidate, AURN001, targets corneal endothelial disease and is heading into Phase 3 trials in late 2025. Aurion will operate independently, with Dr. Arnaud Lacoste as CEO.
๐ข ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฌ
Private NHS cataract surgery providers are under investigation for inflated costs, unnecessary procedures, and financial incentives. NHS cataract spending has nearly doubled, from ยฃ420M in 2018โ19 to ยฃ880M in 2023โ24. Over 55% of NHS cataract surgeries are now outsourced to private clinics, which earned ยฃ536M in 2023โ24, with ยฃ169M in profits.
A The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) survey found 67% of NHS leads believe outsourcing harms patient care, citing reduced training, staffing, and funding. Calls for urgent reform are growing to protect NHS eye care services.