XEN® 63 Gel Implant available now for patients with primary open angle glaucoma where previous medical treatments have failed

• The XEN 63 Gel Implant is intended to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with primary open angle glaucoma¹
• XEN 63 is a minimally invasive, micro-incisional glaucoma surgery designed to lower IOP²
• XEN 63 Gel Implant provides innovative treatment option for Canadians impacted by glaucoma 

MONTREAL, Sept. 27, 2022 /CNW/ - AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) announced today the availability of the XEN^® 63 Gel Implant, a surgical implant designed to lower high eye pressure in open angle glaucoma sufferers, where previous medical treatment options have failed.¹ The XEN 63 Gel Implant is an additional option for surgeons, clinically proven to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with primary open angle glaucoma.³

"I see the impact of glaucoma on patients' quality of life every day in my practice. Glaucoma typically damages the peripheral vision first, so it often goes unnoticed by patients as the disease worsens. That's why glaucoma is known as the silent thief of sight," said Dr. David Yan, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto and Glaucoma Service Director, Kensington Eye Institute. "XEN 63 Gel Implant offers patients a new surgical option to reduce intraocular pressure when medical therapy cannot adequately control the disease and renewed hope to prevent optic nerve damage."

XEN 63 is a gel implant consisting of a small 6mm long tube, delivered via a micro-incisional glaucoma surgery.^1,2 It creates a new fluid outflow channel using a similar principle to conventional trabeculectomy, but allows fluid to bypass the impaired trabecular meshwork, the drainage system that becomes impaired in glaucoma.^2,4

"Glaucoma affects more than 728,000 Canadians. It is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness. Anyone can develop glaucoma but there are several different factors that can increase your risk of developing the disease," said Doug Earle, President and CEO of Fighting Blindness Canada. "It's both exciting and important to see new, innovative treatment options being approved that could have a positive impact on Canadians living with primary open angle glaucoma."

"As a leader in Eye Care in Canada, we are committed to help preserve and protect people's vision through innovating and addressing the greatest unmet needs in glaucoma," says Tracey Ramsay, Vice President and General Manager, AbbVie Canada. "Today, we're pleased to launch the XEN 63 Gel Implant and offer a minimally invasive solution for uncontrolled primary open angle glaucoma."

The glaucoma treatment spectrum extends from pharmacotherapy involving topical medications (eye drops) as the first-line therapy to traditional, invasive filtration surgeries, such as trabeculectomy and aqueous shunt implantation.^5,6,7 Common challenges associated with pharmacotherapy include ineffective use (e.g., incorrect dose timing or administration),^8,9 local or systemic side effects (e.g., irritation) or toxicity,^10,11 and considerable lifetime costs.¹² Filtration surgical options are typically used in advanced glaucoma cases or when targeting a very low intraocular pressure as a treatment outcome.¹³ These invasive surgeries may be considered for medically refractory cases, or when there are such issues as intolerable side effects or from ineffective use of medications.¹⁴

Glaucoma affects more than 728,000 Canadians and takes the form of several related disease types, the most common being open angle glaucoma.¹⁵ Glaucoma is characterized by a build-up of aqueous humour fluid and increased intraocular pressure (IOP) that damages the optic nerve.¹⁵ There is no cure for glaucoma, but early detection and treatment can help prevent damage to the optic nerve, and as a result, save vision.¹⁵ 

XEN is a gel implant consisting of a small 6mm long tube, delivered via a micro-incisional glaucoma surgery, which is intended to reduce intraocular pressure in patients with primary open angle glaucoma where previous medical treatments have failed.¹ The XEN filtration procedure creates a new fluid outflow channel using a similar principle to trabeculectomy, but allows fluid to bypass the impaired trabecular meshwork.^2,3 XEN is inserted via an ab-interno approach¹ (from within the anterior chamber) and allows aqueous humor to flow out from the anterior chamber into the subconjunctival space, minimizing tissue disruption seen with trabeculectomy or traditional glaucoma drainage implants.^{1,3, 16} XEN 63 consists of a small tube that is 6mm long.¹ The inner diameter of XEN63 is 63µm and the external diameter is 170µm.¹ XEN63 has an outflow resistance of 2-3mmHg.⁶ XEN63 was developed to increase the aqueous humor flow rate with the intention of potentially providing lower IOPs. 

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.ca. Follow @abbviecanada on Twitter and Instagram, or find us on LinkedIn.

SOURCE AbbVie Canada

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