The French National Health Authority granted Alimera Sciences (NSDQ:ALIM) national insurance coverage for the Iluvien vision repair implant, the company said this week.
Optical/Ophthalmic
Abbott acquires IDEV Technologies, OptiMedica
Abbott (NYSE:ABT) said it agreed to acquire a pair of companies in the peripheral stent and ophthalmic space for a total of up to $710 million.
The Chicago-ares medical device company said it inked a deal worth $310 million for Webster, Texas-based IDEV Technologies and its Supera Veritas stent for treating peripheral artery disease.
Vision: Retina Implant AG wins E.U. approval for sight-restoring microchip
European healthcare regulators this month granted CE Mark approval to Retina Implant AG’s Alpha IMS, a tiny eye implant that restores "useful" vision in patients blinded by retinitis pigmentosa.
Reutlingen, Germany-based Retina Implant AG, founded in 2003 from a German research institute spinout, touts the technology as "artificial sight." The Alpha IMS chip is implanted beneath the retina, where it sends electrical impulses to the brain to help restore visual capacity.
pSivida launches Phase III study of its micro-sized eye implant
Second Sight launches U.S. centers for ‘bionic eye’
Second Sight Medical is slated to set up shop at 12 medical centers across the U.S. to begin consultations for its "bionic eye," the Argus II retinal implant approved by the FDA earlier this year.
Although the product has not launched yet, the Sylmar, Calif.-based company is opening what it calls Centers for Excellence to begin early patient consultations in major markets. The device works to improve blindness with a small camera housed in glasses hooked to an electronic eye implant.
A better way to predict oncoming vision loss | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Patients at risk for rapid vision loss might soon see new diagnostic tools in 3 "advanced optical measures" that can help determine risk level, according to a study out of the University of Houston College of Optometry.
WaveTec Vision names lead funder in latest $11M raise
Southern California-based WaveTec Vision looked to Northern-California investor Foresite Capital to lead an expansion of its D2 funding round, which has so far pulled in $11 million.
The cataract surgery device maker said all its prior investors also chipped in to the pot, and that the funds will go to launch of the VerifEye surgical monitoring system. The company expanded the funding round that began back in January to meet its goal of $18 million.
pSivida gains big on buyout rumor
Shares of ophthalmology company pSivida (NSDQ:PSDV) hit a 52-week high today on speculation from a Seeking Alpha blogger that it’s ripe for an acquisition this year.
PSDV shares hit $3.96 each today, a 52-week high, having gained some 15.5% since a blogger writing as "Bob’s Stocks" published the rumor yesterday.
ForSight Vision5 gets new CEO, closes $9.3M funding round
ForSight Vision5, an early-stage ophthalmology company based in Silicon Valley, named venture capitalist and medtech veteran John Maroney as its new chief executive.
Vision: WaveTec raises $11M for cataract surgery tech
California-based vision systems maker WaveTec Vision is more than halfway through an $18 million equity funding round with $11 million raised so far, according to an amended report filed with the SEC this week.
The funding round began January 2, 2013, and has drawn 10 unnamed investors so far, the company reported.