Ciliatech opens US subsidiary and plans clinical trials in glaucoma

US initiative follows recent CE certification of Ciliatech’s flagship eye implant, Intercil® Uveal Spacer, novel treatment for patients with mild to moderate glaucoma

Decisive move unlocks opportunities to expand clinical research, advance FDA submissions and attract new capital

Ciliatech, an innovative medtech company focusing on the treatment of glaucoma, today announces the opening of its US subsidiary in New York. This will serve as the central base for all of Ciliatech’s clinical research and regulatory submission operations for its glaucoma device, Intercil® Uveal Spacer, in the US.

Glaucoma is the number one cause of irreversible blindness, it affects roughly 4.22 million people in the US, with a global prevalence of 80 million, of whom 60 million are affected by primary open-angle glaucoma, the most common form.

As the largest and most influential healthcare market in the world, the US is a strategic priority in Ciliatech’s growth. Having recently acquired CE certification of its Intercil Uveal Spacer, conducted three clinical trials, with a fourth underway in Europe, and enlarged its scientific expertise as well as medical and commercial teams, Ciliatech envisions a €25M ($29.3M) budget to support this US initiative over the next five years. The main objectives are to manage the regulatory process, conduct local clinical trials and leverage specific compliance expertise.

“The establishment of a US subsidiary demonstrates our confidence in the transformative benefits that our novel eye implant, Intercil, will bring to glaucoma patients in the US and worldwide. Our newly created US footprint is a significant step forward in Ciliatech’s journey in setting new standards in the field and in our ambition to become a global leader in glaucoma surgery,” said Olivier Benoit, co-founder and CEO of Ciliatech. “In addition to facilitating regulatory approval, our subsidiary will also lay the groundwork for future commercial activities, including sales and marketing, as Intercil progresses towards FDA approval.”

A key aspect of Ciliatech’s strategy will be to engage with the ophthalmic surgery community and the FDA, to tailor its future clinical trials for the Intercil eye implant to meeting the unique needs and expectations of glaucoma patient care in the US. Pending Ciliatech’s FDA approval plans, the company anticipates initiating clinical studies before the end of 2026.

Intercil is the first in a new class of glaucoma surgical devices. It is implanted using a bespoke ab-externo surgical technique which preserves the anterior chamber of the eye. Intercil is positioned in the supraciliary space only, without artificial egress or opening to the anterior chamber (no cleft). It helps drain the aqueous humour out of the eye more effectively, naturally enhancing the uveoscleral outflow, without creating a small ‘bubble-like’ structure (bleb) on the eye’s surface. The device has exhibited a significant effect on lowering intraocular pressure and reducing the need for pharmacological treatments for up to three years.

“Together with an excellent safety profile and an intuitive surgical technique, Intercil offers an unrivaled benefit-risk ratio while addressing the critical needs of glaucoma patients and surgeons alike. Ciliatech is keen to bring this advanced glaucoma treatment to patients in the US,” added Mr. Benoit.

About Ciliatech

Ciliatech is an innovative medtech company focusing on the treatment of glaucoma – a disease that affects 80 million people worldwide. Following CE Mark approval in 2025, its Intercil® Uveal Spacer, a groundbreaking implant in the new ‘Cilioscleral interpositioning Device’ (CID) category, is the first proprietary glaucoma device that treats both the open and narrow angle forms of the disease. Clinical trial follow-up of patients implanted with the device has now reached the three-year mark; demonstrating highly positive results in robust IOP-lowering coupled with a high safety profile. Multiple clinical trials of the second-generation Intercil are in progress. Intercil’s unique design facilitates external placement into the supraciliary space of the eye, without the device ever entering the eye’s anterior chamber, setting it apart from other standalone surgical glaucoma procedures.
Co-founded in 2017 by ophthalmic surgeon and inventor Dr. Philippe Sourdille, and Olivier Benoit, a veteran engineer and biotech entrepreneur, Ciliatech has to date raised €12M ($14M) and is continuing to expand its scientific, medical and commercial team. Headquartered near Annecy, France, the company now operates a US office in New York.
www.cilia.tech