Industry

Glaukos helps patients, practices navigate Epioxa treatment

Healio Optometry18h ago1 min read

Epioxa from Glaukos is the first epithelium-on corneal cross-linking treatment that has been FDA approved in the United States.While epi-on cross-linking has been common abroad for a number of years, Rajesh K. Rajpal, MD, said the procedure now has the potential to make a big difference for U.S. patients.“It’s a streamlined treatment because the UV light source is a higher-energy light combined with oxygen enrichment that enables the more efficient type II cross-linking. This helps overall for patients in terms of the amount of time their eyes are open and the amount of time they’re getting

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AI Summary

Quick Take

Glaukos has received FDA approval for Epioxa, the first epithelium-on (epi-on) corneal cross-linking treatment available in the United States. The system utilizes a high-energy UV light source combined with oxygen enrichment to facilitate efficient type II cross-linking while keeping the corneal epithelium intact.

Why It Matters

While epi-on cross-linking has been a standard of care internationally for years, U.S. practitioners have largely been limited to 'epi-off' procedures, which involve greater postoperative discomfort and longer recovery times. This approval represents a significant shift in the U.S. keratoconus treatment landscape, offering a less invasive alternative that reduces the time a patient's eyes must remain open during the procedure. The integration of oxygen enrichment specifically addresses the historical challenge of achieving deep cross-linking through an intact epithelium.

Key Details

Epioxa is the first FDA-approved epithelium-on corneal cross-linking treatment in the U.S. market.
The system employs a higher-energy UV light source to streamline the treatment process.
Oxygen enrichment is utilized to enable more efficient type II cross-linking within the corneal stroma.
The procedure is designed to reduce the total treatment time and improve the overall patient experience compared to traditional methods.

Practice Implications

Practitioners can now offer a cross-linking protocol that avoids the morbidity associated with epithelial debridement, such as intense pain and risk of infection. The streamlined, higher-energy protocol may also improve clinic flow by reducing the duration of the surgical procedure.

Who's Affected

Cornea SpecialistsRefractive SurgeonsOptometristsPractice Owners

What's Next

Glaukos is actively working with practices to navigate the implementation of Epioxa, focusing on clinical integration and patient navigation for this newly approved therapeutic category.

Evidence StrengthStrong

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