Download OCULAR SURGERY NEWS® - Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.

®
OCULAR
SURGERY NEWS
US EDITION
®
JUNE 2009
A SLACK Incorporated® publication
Gel bandage assists in wound
closure after ocular surgery
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — A gellike ocular bandage applied after surgery may assist with wound closure in
lieu of sutures.
The I-Zip Adherent Ocular Bandage (I-Therapeutix) is a synthetic
hydrogel made up of more than 85%
water that is mixed into a gel formula,
similar to an epoxy, and applied to the
corneal surface over an open incision,
such as after a cataract incision. When
first applied, the substance is blue to
assist with visualization, but it turns
clear as it congeals into a protective
barrier over the ocular incision.
“It’s like a soft contact lens on the
surface of the lens,“ Y. Ralph Chu, MD,
said at Kiawah Eye 2009.
In a small pilot study of 20 patients
at two sites, Dr. Chu said that the ocular bandage remained in place more
effectively after 24 hours compared
with a soft collagen shield. The ocular
bandage was as comfortable, in terms
of pain, as the soft collagen shield,
he said.
“Most of the time, material lasts 3 to
5 days. Only trace amounts were present
beyond 7 days,” Dr. Chu said, who added
that no adverse events were reported.
The product is already approved by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
for use in neurosurgery and vascular surgery. A phase 3 trial has been initiated to
test its applicability in ocular surgery, Dr.
Chu said.
Reprinted from OSN SuperSite, June 2009
Copyright © 2009, SLACK Incorporated. All rights reserved.
OSN_GelBandage.indd 1
6/25/2009 1:56:48 PM