Mag Optics: An intra-corneal implant tailored to individuals
Mag Optics (Lowell, Mass.) is touting what it says is the first patient-centric corneal re-shaping platform system. The MAGarcs implant boasts a unique radial spoke design that allows for individualized treatment based on the number of implants (one to three) and where they are placed during a less-than-20-minute minimally invasive procedure. “The secret sauce is not that the dimensions of the arc is specialized to each patient. Our personalized approach comes in the form of the number of arcs and where we use them,” said Geeta Singh, co-founder and CEO.The company, which is run virtually out of the U.S. and U.K., is first seeking an indication for use treating keratoconus, a degenerative eye disease involving a cone-shaped cornea. Though considered rare (1 in 2,000 American patients, according to NIH), researchers think the patient population could be larger, according to Singh. The company is in the process of raising $5 million to help fund a pre-submission with FDA to eventually achieve PMA approval as a Class 3 device.
Singh thinks the device in the future could be used to treat age-related loss of vision, as well as astigmatic patients — much larger markets.
“There really is no other single comprehensive surgical solution that has the ability to address all three markets,” Singh said.