Photo: Nick Youngson

Alcon has acquired US fluid-based intraocular lens implant company PowerVision.

“As the industry leader in cataract surgery, we’re eager to accelerate development of this potentially breakthrough accommodating lens technology,” said Michael Onuscheck, Alcon’s president of global business and innovation. “By treating cataracts and restoring natural, continuous range of vision, this intraocular lens may be the preferred IOL for cataract surgery patients who desire spectacle independence.”

Unlike most presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses which use a multifocal design that distributes light between different focal points, PowerVision’s fluid-based design creates a continuously variable monofocal lens, utilising the natural contraction of the eye’s muscles. This technology allows the patient to actively focus on objects, just as the natural crystalline lens does in a youthful eye, providing patients with a natural, continuous range of vision.

Alcon, a division of Novartis, said commercial availability will depend on significant additional development and clinical trials of the intraocular lens.

Under the terms of the agreement, Alcon paid US$285 million to PowerVision, with additional payments based on specified regulatory and commercial milestones starting in 2023.