Glaucoma patients may soon have another option for treatment. The SAPPHIRE clinical trial is underway to evaluate Avisi Technologies' VisiPlate® aqueous shunt for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma.
More than 130 million people are affected by glaucoma worldwide and glaucoma is the leading cause of vision loss around the globe. Glaucoma is caused by excessive fluid build up in the eye, which increases pressure on the optic nerve, leading to blindness.
VisiPlate® is designed to reduce intraocular pressure for an extended period of time by boosting outflow of aqueous fluid while also reducing the risk of blockage and re-intervention.
The first patient has undergone surgery to implant the shunt and the SAPPHIRE trial is currently underway in multiple U.S. cities including, Glendale, AZ, Dallas, TX, Grand Junction, CO, Sacramento, CA, and Kenosha, WI with additional cities to join the trial in 2026. Around 65 patients will be treated amongst the locations and followed up for a year.
Researchers are hoping that VisiPlate® will offer glaucoma patients a safe and effective long-term treatment and improve quality of life.
