Fueled by an influx of investment capital in recent years and a streamlined regulatory review process, the number of ophthalmic products approved or introduced in 2019 continued to rise steadily throughout the year. According to recent figures from pharmaceutical market research company Strategic Transactions, venture capital investment in ophthalmology exceeded $1.5 billion in 2019, setting a new record.1 The number of deals completed in ophthalmic pharmaceutical and device companies also reached record levels.
The major industry announcements and advancements in ophthalmology in 2019 included the first approval of a trifocal IOL in the United States; new surgical methods to treat postoperative pain and inflammation; and major upgrades to refractive lasers, OCT platforms, and devices designed to streamline a surgeon’s refractive cataract surgery workflow.
Below is a list of some of the ophthalmic drugs, devices, and lenses that were approved, introduced, or commercially launched from January through press time for this issue.
1. Cunningham E. Strategic transactions, pharma intelligence, 2019. Presented at: the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit; October 10, 2019; San Francisco, CA.
