Bernie’s Quarterly Update – July 2024

July 30, 2024

A message from Bernie Iliakis, President & CEO of CorneaGen

As we close the second quarter of 2024, we’re incredibly proud at CorneaGen to have launched commercial availability of Corneal Tissue Addition for Keratoplasty (CTAK). An innovative solution to corneal contouring, CTAK is a true treatment advancement for keratoconic eyes—providing patient ready, gamma-irradiated sterile, non-immunogenic corneal tissue segments. We couldn’t be more excited about this new opportunity to change the lives of those affected by keratoconus, while also honoring and making the most of each corneal donation.

And we don’t do any of this alone—with ongoing innovations brought to the market by strong partnerships, I’m pleased to share more about what CorneaGen has achieved in the last few months.

Innovations in corneal care

CTAK co-inventors include Drs. Peter Hersh, Steven Greenstein, and John Gelles. More than 150 successful surgeries have been completed to date, and we have 30 active surgeons using the solution. Just one recent testimonial includes:

“Following a CTAK procedure, patients can experience a ‘wow’ effect with their vision. We have seen immediate impressive improvements in best corrected and uncorrected vision. This immediate improvement at the first follow-up is an exciting experience for those dealing with Keratoconus.” – Dr. William Wiley, Medical Director, Cleveland Eye Clinic Division of Midwest Vision Partners

There’s been a lot of focus around corneal allogenic intrastromal ring segments (CAIRS) in the last few years and even growing international interest in a solution such as CTAK. We want to encourage everyone interested to reach out, as we continue delivering CTAK to the market, and don’t miss the webinar we’re hosting on August 6^th at 6pm Pacific, highlighting the solution.

Partnerships and philanthropy

Organizational partnerships that led to the creation of CTAK include CTAK LLC and Ziemer, and we have many others. CorneaGen has a long history with Geuder AG, as the distributor of their glass cannula used for DMEK surgery. We’re continuing to grow in the glaucoma space with collaborations like Iantrek Inc., whereby we assemble, package, and distribute the newly launched CycloPen, which utilizes scleral tissue for microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). CorneaGen’s collaborations to advance treatments, as well as efforts to provide sterile grafts for glaucoma and cornea surgeries through our Long-Term Tissue program, continue to be world class in the industry.

And I wanted to highlight CorneaGen’s Jared Young, our VP of Sales and Marketing, on his co-founding of the Trillium Vision Foundation. As this organization helps restore vision globally through a community of people and partners, CorneaGen is proud to support their philanthropic work. Watch the link below for coverage of their most recent trip to San Salvador.

https://eyewire.news/tv/trillium-vision-foundation.

Growth and expansion

In closing, I also wanted to make note of CorneaGen’s growing presence in California and Florida. Announced earlier this year, CorneaGen expanded eye recovery and processing services of donor tissue for facilities throughout California. We are in the midst of facility expansion in the Bay Area and Orlando, growing our team in both locations. We close a strong and eventful first half of 2024 with significant impact in the ophthalmic space.

Thank you as always to our surgeons and partners for helping support CorneaGen’s mission. I look forward to connecting on our progress next quarter.