"New generation minimally invasive bleb-forming surgery"

Meet the team

PEYEONEER MedTech is a spin-off from a Chemelot InSciTe project. An international multidisciplinary collaboration between Maastricht University, Maastricht UMC+, Eindhoven University of Technology, and InnFocus inc., a Santen company.

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CEO

Olivier Menage

Olivier, having accumulated more than 25 years of international experience at renowned companies such as Abbot, Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson, and MONA (a startup from KU-Leuven), is now focused on introducing a groundbreaking miniature glaucoma implant into its first-ever clinical study on humans.

CMO

Henny Beckers

Henny, a seasoned glaucoma surgeon, is deeply dissatisfied with the negative reputation and subpar results associated with glaucoma filtration surgery. Despite advancements in various medical fields since the 1960s, glaucoma drainage implants have failed to significantly improve, resulting in a failure rate exceeding 50% within a five-year period. Motivated by this frustration, Henny took matters into her own hands and embarked on the development of a personalized miniature glaucoma implant, aiming to offer improved outcomes to her patients.

CSO

Christian Bertens

Christian's post-doctoral studies revolved around the development of the groundbreaking glaucoma implant and the execution of pre-clinical animal studies. His unwavering motivation and passion not only contributed to significant progress in the field but also secured several grants that laid the cornerstone for the establishment of PEYEONEER MedTech.

sr. Quality Engineer

Roos van de Wijdeven

In 2018, Roos joined the InSciTe ISEA consortium as a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Jaap den Toonder's microfabrication lab at Eindhoven University of Technology. She later joined PEYEONEER MedTech to assist the team in optimizing the implant's production process and design.

Advisory board / Consultants

Len Pinchuk

CSO InnFocus inc.

Prof. Jaap den Toonder

Eindhoven University of Technology

Danielle Curfs

CEO Medace BV

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a degenerative eye condition that stands as the leading cause of irreversible blindness on a global scale. Despite treatment efforts, approximately 10% of patients ultimately suffer complete vision loss. Elevated intraocular pressure represents the primary risk factor for glaucoma, and reducing this pressure remains the only proven approach to impede disease progression. Initial treatment typically involves eye drops or laser therapy, with surgical intervention (glaucoma surgery) becoming necessary if these measures prove ineffective in adequately lowering intraocular pressure.

The gold standard

For several decades, trabeculectomy has served as the gold standard surgical procedure within glaucoma management. This technique involves creating a surgical fistula covered with the patient's own tissue, enabling excess intraocular pressure to escape into a surgically formed bleb. However, trabeculectomy is burdened by an intense postoperative course and frequently fails due to fibrosis and scarring. Consequently, glaucoma drainage implants have been developed to overcome these limitations. These implants consist of a polymeric tube, typically made of silicone, implanted within the anterior chamber of the eye, along with a polymeric endplate composed of silicone or polypropylene. The tube facilitates the drainage of excessive intraocular pressure, while the endplates prevent the fusion of ocular tissue layers.

Despite being an effective procedure, over 50% of these implantations fail within a five-year period. This failure can be attributed to excessive fluid drainage resulting in hypotony (abnormally low eye pressure) or an immune response directed towards the implant, leading to fibrosis and scarring. Thus, despite existing treatment options, a considerable number of glaucoma patients continue to experience blindness, highlighting the limitations and high failure rate associated with current surgical interventions.

Novel implant

To solve the problems with glaucoma filtration surgery, we have developed a novel miniature glaucoma drainage implant. Our implant is approximately 80% smaller than current implants and is made from an inert and biocompatible polymer called SIBS. This unique material has been shown to provoke minimal to no immune response. We have conducted an animal study comparing our miniature implant to a commercially available implant (Ahmed Glaucoma Valve). The results indicate that our implant is equally effective in draining fluid from the eye, while also promoting improved wound healing compared to silicone-based implants.

By introducing our innovative glaucoma drainage implant, we aim to provide a solution that addresses the limitations and failure rates associated with existing implants. Our product aims to improve patient outcomes by reducing the risk of complications, such as hypotony and immune responses (fibrosis and scarring), and offering more reliable and efficient fluid drainage.

Subsidy Projects

OPZuid: SIGHT project

Scientific and Innovative Glaucoma Healthcare Technologies project:

Project partners:

PEYEONEER MedTech BV
Medace BV
Maastricht University
University Eye Clinic Maastricht UMC+

Project duration:

Start January 1st, 2024

end December 31st, 2026

Summary:

The SIGHT project aims to further develop and prepare for the market introduction of a novel miniature glaucoma implant, called the Glaucoma RING. The project is divided into six work packages (WPs) with specific objectives:

1. Project Management: Ensures a streamlined execution and administration of the entire project to guarantee successful goal realization.

2. Promotion and Publicity Activities: Focuses on promoting the SIGHT project and communicating about the work carried out, results, and knowledge exchange at national and international levels.

3. Development into a Clinical Production Process: Develops a fully validated production process for the glaucoma implant that meets European and American medical standards (ISO13485) to enable commercial-scale production.

4. Conducting Preclinical Validation Study: Carries out an extensive preclinical evaluation of the glaucoma implant in animal models to assess safety, efficacy, and potential side effects.

5. Development into a Fully Digital Documentation and Quality System: Focuses on digitizing the documentation and quality system for more efficient management and regulatory compliance.

6. Clinical Validation: Aims to obtain ethical documentation for the first clinical study in humans.

The project strives for the development of an integrated glaucoma implant ready for surgical placement in patients. The intended outcomes per work package are precisely described, ranging from a validated production process to obtaining ethical approval for clinical studies. The implementation of the SIGHT project takes place within the Brightlands ecosystem in South Limburg. It contributes to the health transition by utilizing innovative technologies, promoting collaboration, and positioning Southern Netherlands as a hub for health innovation.

On social, ecological, and economic levels, the project promises a holistic impact, with sustainable development at its core. The innovative design with a unique biocompatible polymer contributes to technological advancement, while skills development is encouraged, and collaboration is promoted. The project also offers economic potential through improved treatment outcomes and lower operational costs.