W.L. Gore & Associates is a material science company and a leading developer of successful medical devices with applications in cardiovascular and general surgery. Through our unique material technologies, we provide differentiated solutions to clinically critical unmet needs. Tasked with identifying new growth areas, we are investigating the value of our materials and medical device capabilities in Ophthalmology. Today, we are actively partnering with ophthalmologists to understand their unmet needs and to solve these problems with our materials technology, understanding of tissue-materials interfaces, device design and product development know-how.
Over the past eight years, we have engaged with hundreds of ophthalmologists to better understand the challenges they face. One significant challenge we have identified is in the treatment of moderate to severe glaucoma that is medically uncontrolled and requires filtering surgery to achieve an IOP target. However, these treatments require the use of antimetabolites and/or frequent re-intervention to combat scarring that leads to the failure of the treatment.
To address this challenge, we have applied our capabilities and knowledge to develop a prototype glaucoma drainage implant that maintains a permeable bleb without the need for antimetabolites, other medications or interventions. The results from a severe tissue healing model indicate that a tailored ePTFE microstructure promotes biointegration, reduces scar formation and provides a low inflammation response yielding a stable, permeable bleb. Currently, we are engaged in a clinical trial to validate that the device can achieve a meaningful IOP target without the need for antimetabolites or additional medication.