Samsara Vision, Medevise Consulting Forge European Partnership

Samsara Vision is partnering with Medevise Consulting, a European-based commercial and clinically focused ophthalmology company, to build a dedicated commercial organization to support Samsara Vision’s Tsert SI Implantable Miniature Telescope (IMT). The two companies will collaborate to advance clinical research, coordinate reimbursement, and drive sales, marketing, and customer relationships.
 
“Now is the right time to expand our footprint in the Europe and we are thrilled to partner with Medevise, given their comprehensive experience and expertise in ophthalmology,” said Tom Ruggia, CEO of Samsara Vision. “Our work with Medevise will accelerate our launch of the Tsert SI IMT to providers and their patients and help people recapture the freedom they have lost to Late-Stage AMD.”
 
In May 2020, Samsara Vision announced that receipt of a Conformité Européene (CE) Mark for the next generation IMT. This product includes foldable haptics that allow the IMT to fit into the injector and be delivered through a smaller incision, but the device has the identical optical elements of the currently available IMT (magnification of 2.7x). Therefore, the next generation IMT eases the surgical procedure, thereby reducing the risk for patient trauma while halving the surgery time (to about 25 minutes in normal cases).
 
“We’re excited to partner with Samsara Vision to introduce the next generation IMT to our provider community,” said Jérôme Marzinski, chief commercial officer at Medevise, headquartered in Strasbourg, France. “Bringing new breakthrough, game-changing technologies in the European ophthalmic space is our mantra at Medevise. We are thrilled and excited to launch the Tsert SI IMT platform into key first-served European markets including Germany, France, Spain. This technology will dramatically improve late-stage AMD patients’ lives. We are confident that with our market intelligence and our close relationship with leading KOLs, this launch will be successful.”
 
More than 15 million Americans are affected by some form of macular degeneration and approximately 2 million Americans have advanced forms of AMD with associated vision loss. The number of Americans afflicted with macular degeneration is expected to double with the rapid aging of the U.S. population. Late-stage AMD results in a loss of central or “straight-ahead” vision, creating a blind spot that is uncorrectable by glasses, drugs, injections or cataract surgery. This blind spot makes it difficult or impossible for patients to see faces, read, and perform everyday activities such as watching TV, preparing meals, and self-care. End-Stage AMD is the leading cause of blindness in older Americans.