The US Food and Drug Administration approved Allergan’s bimatoprost implant (Durysta) in March 2020, with a cost of around $1000. The bimatoprost implant, holds drug in a solid polymer matrix, biodegrades over time and maintained IOP as consistently as timolol maleate eye drops administered regularly at for at least 6 months, delivered better results as medication was delivered close to its anatomic target.
Patients who has early dementia or one living alone, or has surface tolerability issues with topical drops or who is bothered by the appearance of the eye, someone not willing to put drops on daily basis, all can be considered for implant. Combined with iCare Home Tonometer, it can decrease the ophthalmologist visits.
Its cost remains the biggest hurdle, so we look forward to more such devices in future like Envisia travoprost implant, Glaukos’s idose- travoprost implant, PolyActiva- latanoprost implant which are already in pipeline.