The End of Eye Drops?

Prescription eye drops, while convenient and commonly prescribed, are oftentimes ineffective and can lead to suboptimal eye care and even vision loss if patients do not administer treatment correctly. Eye drops are administered through small bottles that drop medication directly into the eyeball. Now a new device to administer eye medication could revolutionize eye care and abolish the issues associated with traditional eye medicine treatments.

Eximore (opens in a new tab), an ophthalmological drug company led by Technion graduate and CEO Eyal Sheetrit, has created a patented non-invasive plug that is inserted into the tear duct and delivers medication into the eye. The plug is one millimeter in size, inexpensive, and is barely noticeable by the patient.

The plug is inserted into the patient’s tear duct by an ophthalmologist and slowly administers medication without the need for patient interference. The procedure to insert the plug takes less than half a minute and can be done in an ophthalmologist’s office without the need for specialized surgical equipment. In six months, the patient returns for a check-up to ensure the device is operating properly.

The plug serves as a substitute for traditional eye drops and it is able to function without human errors such as forgetfulness, overuse, or incorrect application that are common with eye drops, since the plug’s medication administers itself over a window of time. This makes the treatment more effective as the medicine is steadily dispensed in the intended way and in the advised quantities.

The plug’s current intended uses are for glaucoma, a condition that affects approximately 80 million people worldwide, and dry eye, which afflicts about 400 million people worldwide. Eximore has the ultimate goal of bringing the product worldwide to provide better eye health across the globe.