ABBOTT MEDICAL OPTICS RETAINS FOCUS

Abbott Medical Optics (AMO), purveyor of such iconic ophthalmic brands as VISX, Intralase, Whitestar and Tecnis, will retain its laser focus on patient and surgeon needs under its new corporate structure and leadership. “Nothing changes except AMO becomes twice as important to the new Abbott,†says new senior vice-president Murthy Simhambhatla PhD. On Jan 1, Abbott spun off its researchbased specialty biopharmaceuticals business into a separate, publicly-traded firm, AbbVie. This leaves Abbott as one of the world’s largest diversified health product companies, with market-leading offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals. Mr Simhambhatla succeeded James V Mazzo as AMO president the same day. Research-based pharmaceuticals and diversified medical products are very different businesses, with different product cycles and investment needs, Mr Simhambhatla adds. The split allows both companies to take better advantage of internal synergies, and clarifies their focus for investors. AMO retains its independent identity within Abbott for similar reasons, Mr Simhambhatla says. “AMO will continue to operate as a separate division so we can remain nimble and focused. We’ve always been very focused on surgeons, and that will not change.â€

International leadership experience

Mr Simhambhatla brings a wealth of international medical device development and marketing experience to AMO. Most recently he headed Abbott’s Ibis Biosciences business, which makes devices and assays for broad-based screening and identification of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa utilising a library of more than 750,000 entries. Before leading Ibis, he was general manager of Abbott’s vascular business in Australia and divisional vice-president and general manager of Abbott’s drug-eluting stent business. Prior to Abbott, he held several managerial positions at Guidant Corporation, which manufactured stents, pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and other cardiovascular products. In 2011, Abbott generated $4.7bn net income on revenues of $38.9bn. The new Abbott retains about half of those revenues..

Organic innovation

AMO was built in large part through acquisitions, assembling a comprehensive cataract, refractive and eye care product line by adding market-leading manufacturers in segments including diagnostics, lasers and accommodating lenses. “Jim Mazzo and his team have built a very strong foundation,†says Mr Simhambhatla, who now plans to leverage AMO’s deep technological and customer service expertise to advance its operations. “We’re investing more in the people and technology we have. We may supplement it with acquisitions, but we have a tremendous focus on organic innovation,†Mr Simhambhatla says. Products integrating new and existing technologies that span the cataract and refractive spectrum are hitting the market or in the works.

European focus for cataracts

For cataracts, Europe is a major focus. “We can get technologies to market sooner in Europe,†Mr Simhambhatla notes. Preloaded Tecnis 1-Piece IOL inserters were launched in September 2012 with a full commercial roll out scheduled for first-half of 2013; Tecnis multifocal toric also launched in September at ESCRS; and there are plans to launch a low-add Tecnis Multifocal IOL in the second half of 2013. A new generation Synchrony accommodating IOL is under development. AMO continues to develop micro-incision cataract surgery devices, enhance its Whitestar phacoemulsification system, and add to its Healon viscoelastic line. Further down the road is femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery. AMO’s iFS Advanced Femtosecond Laser was approved last year for creating arcuate incisions during cataract surgery. Capsulorhexis and nuclearfractis capabilities are coming, but Mr Simhambhatla won’t say when. “It is too early to give guidance on dates, but we will as we get closer to commercialisation. At this point, we are very focused on ensuring we have the right platform that delivers a high level of product performance. That is key to us.†Mr Simhambhatla sees the cataract market growing dramatically worldwide. AMO is very focused on further penetrating developing markets in India and China, while offering top-performing products in Europe and the US. Meeting the global need for spectacle independence with lenticular products such as Synchrony and advanced corneal procedures is another major growth opportunity that the firm pursues.

Diagnostic advances for refractive surgery

For refractive surgery, diagnostics will play a central role, Mr Simhambhatla says. The iDesign Advanced Wavescan Studio, which received the CE mark last autumn and launches in Europe this spring, will make possible custom corneal laser corrections that may reduce higher order aberrations. iDesign provides five functions: aberrometry, autorefraction, corneal topography, pupillometry, and keratometry. It incorporates a high definition Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor and a non-Placido full-gradient topographer that operate simultaneously on a common fixation and measurement axis. It provides five times the resolution and dynamic range of the previous Wavescan aberrometer as well as better resolution topography over a wider zone than Placido disc devices. This provides sufficient resolution to model small but significant topographic flaws and wavefront aberrations, such as those from radial keratotomy scars, and sufficient range to detect large aberrations. The simultaneous co-axial readings also increase accuracy by ensuring that topographic and wavefront readings are perfectly registered and taken over the same pupil zone. This enables much greater precision in separating corneal aberrations from lens aberrations.

Custom corneal ablation profiles

Precise iDesign data makes possible customised corneal ablation profiles that may reduce total higher order aberrations by accounting for internal aberrations that offset corneal aberrations. The device is integrated with the iFS flap cutter and the Star S4 IR excimer laser, which provide the surgical precision required to translate the individualised surgical plan into excellent patient vision.“We are quite excited with what iDesign can do,†Mr Simhambhatla says. Mr Simhambhatla expects great things at AMO. “We have a broad product portfolio, and in every category we have industryleading products in terms of performance,†he notes. “Our legacy at AMO is innovation and putting the surgeon and patient first, and we will continue to do that.â€