In the ophthalmic device sector, intraocular lens surgery is expanding way beyond the cataract market with paradigm shifting technology. The vast presbyopia market now has an FDA-approved "corneal inlay" option, micro invasive glaucoma surgery has created an entirely new device segment, and corneal cross-linking has the potential to transcend its role as an effective treatment for a corneal disease to possibly being the next big thing in the non-surgical treatment of refractive errors.

Recent progress on the US regulatory front is generating renewed interest in device-based glaucoma therapies, which potentially could grow to a multibillion-dollar industry. The list of companies targeting this space continues to expand, as does the variety of potential device-based solutions: the current pipeline includes several innovative and less invasive products and technologies designed to improve surgical outcomes, a growing number of advanced drug-delivery inserts to address the patient noncompliance issue that is so common in this arena, and some unique patient monitoring devices.

Brief summaries of recent medtech market and industry developments. This month we cover recent developments in renal denervation, which may be the next blockbuster device market, MindRay’s acquisition of China’s Wuhan Dragonbio Surgical Implant Co., and the GAO’s report on implantable device use by Medicare beneficiaries.