Australian ophthalmologist Dr Nathan Kerr has spearheaded the development of a global data registry to collect prospective, multicentre, longitudinal data for canaloplasty in glaucoma treatment.
Nova Eye Medical announced it has established the iTrack Global Data Registry in collaboration within the International Glaucoma Surgery Registry (IGSR). The registry will be jointly led by Dr Nathan Kerr, from Eye Surgery Associates in Melbourne, with world-renowned surgeons Dr Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed and Dr David Lubeck, and the support of an educational grant from Nova Eye Medical.
The medical technology company said the iTrack Global Data Registry will capture real-world clinical evidence for canaloplasty across Europe, the Asia Pacific and North America.
The company’s portfolio of proprietary canaloplasty devices – the iTrack and iTrack Advance – will feature in the registry.
Nova Eye Medical said Kerr is one of the founders of the IGSR and has spearheaded the development of the iTrack Global Data Registry. He presented an interim data analysis for the registry during the Asia Pacific Glaucoma Congress, which took place in Malaysia from 4-7 August 2022.
“The iTrack Global Data Registry is providing high-quality, real-world evidence of the effectiveness and safety of canaloplasty to treat glaucoma and ocular hypertension,” Kerr said.
“Importantly, it provides a robust means by which to collect uniform data to evaluate specified outcomes across the spectrum of glaucoma. It will make a major contribution to our understanding of the clinical effectiveness of canaloplasty and will enable evidence-based decision making,” he said.
According to Lubeck, the registry will ensure the fullest utilisation of canaloplasty in daily clinical practice.
“Despite 14 years and tens of thousands of procedures performed globally there is still much to be learned about the nuances and versatility of the canaloplasty procedure,” Lubeck said.
“The registry will address key treatment parameters such as patient specific needs, preferences, type of glaucoma, disease stage and tolerance to prior treatment. The data collected will help guide surgeon decision-making when planning surgery for their glaucoma patients.”
Dr Ahmed said the registry will help surgeons determine when, and how, to use canaloplasty in clinical practice.
“The emergence of new treatment options for glaucoma, including MIGS, and the possibility to intervene earlier in the treatment paradigm is a huge win for both patients and surgeons,” he said.
“With the increased array of available treatment options, however, there is a need to better understand when and how these treatments should be utilised. With the data to be generated by the registry my hope is that we can build an algorithm to inform on the utilisation of canaloplasty.”
Mr Tom Spurling, managing director of Nova Eye Medical, explained why it was important for the registry to be a surgeon-led initiative.
“We have provided support for the IGSR to accommodate the necessary canaloplasty data but will not be involved in the management of the registry data,” he said.
“The registry provides surgeons with a platform through which they can independently document their canaloplasty outcomes. Right from the outset, it was very important that the registry be surgeon driven. We are grateful for the active commitment, self-direction, and follow-through of all participating surgeons, especially doctors Lubeck, Ahmed and Kerr.”
Spurling continued: “We are encouraged by the growing interest in canaloplasty and recognise that more and more surgeons are turning to real-world data to inform their decision-making.”
He said the registry will generate highly coveted real-world data on the effectiveness, biomechanics, and safety of canaloplasty.
“Not only do we expect this data to improve surgical outcomes with canaloplasty, but by equipping surgeons with a better understanding of when and how to utilise canaloplasty in their glaucoma surgical toolkit we anticipate that it will drive increased utilisation of canaloplasty,” Spurling said.
The iTrack Global Data Registry will follow canaloplasty outcomes for a minimum of 24 months and will enrol more than 300 patients.
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