Bernie’s Quarterly Update – June 2023

June 26, 2023

We’re halfway through 2023 and happy about how things are going and what the future holds. We have enjoyed a great six months of growth beyond our forecast. Our ongoing work to build innovative solutions, foster industry relationships, and strengthen our team and company culture continues. Here are several successes and/or opportunities I’m most proud of as we close the second quarter.

Promoting our innovations

CorneaGen was in full force at ASCRS 2023 in May, where we had the chance to celebrate another milestone for the EndoSerter-PL. Now in the hands of more than 150 surgeons, the EndoSerter-PL has been used in over 1,000 successful surgeries. The product keeps proving itself as a next generation device, improving efficiency in the O.R. by helping perform DSAEK surgery with precision. We also previewed our Corneal Tissue Addition for Keratoplasty (CTAK) solution which offers an exciting option for the treatment of keratoconic eyes and is now starting clinical trials. While we enjoyed great booth traffic throughout the event, it was the CTAK preview that earned the most interest, and we’ll have more to share at AAO later this year. And one more ASCRS note, the subspecialty day was incredible this year, with so many innovative developments underway that will transform this industry. We’ve heard about the potential of disruptive innovations such as cell therapy and artificial corneas for years…now they’re here!

Partnerships in the industry and patient access

 We’re still forging new relationships and strengthening existing ones across the eye/tissue donation profession. We continue to formalize mutually beneficial arrangements with our partner eye banks to maximize the quality and quantity of corneal tissue available. It was great to interact with many of these colleague at the EBAA meeting in Dallas recently.  Whether it be more integrated tissue sharing, access to our innovative devices, or improving eye recovery in certain geographies, we are thinking “outside the box” when it comes to working with our trusted donation partners.

People are our passion

CorneaGen recently congratulated Chief Talent Management Officer Gretchen Coker on her semi-retirement after 14 years with us. And while we’re sad to see Gretchen go, we’re thrilled to welcome Heather Smith, taking over the HR role. Heather brings a wealth of experience, joining us from A Place for Mom, where she served as their Director of Human Resources. We’re also coordinating our next educational opportunity for Fellows, preparing to bring 14 surgeons to Seattle to learn about best practices in the field. And finally, the reason we’re in this industry, doing this work—patients. In always seeking to honor a donor’s gift, I wanted to share a news story about a donation from 2019. In this clip, Kayla’s family shared how they worked to make their daughter’s gift create positive change in their community years later.

As we close, I reaffirm our mission. CorneaGen remains committed to providing the highest quality donor tissue, unparalleled service, and superior products. We have much more to do in the second half of 2023, and I can’t wait to share.