The Food and Drug Administration said it has approved a medical device made by Laguna Hills-based startup Glaukos Inc.
Glaukos’ iStent is used in combination with cataract surgery in order to reduce pressure inside the eyes of adults who have mild or moderate open-angle glaucoma and a cataract. Glaucoma, which damages the optic nerve, is a major cause of blindness.
The iStent is Glaukos’ first device approved in the U.S; the device is already approved in Europe.
Glaukos has attracted some $126 million in venture capital funding since its establishment in 2001. The company boasts several veterans of other eye drug and device companies, including Irvine-based Allergan Inc. and Abbott Medical Optics, a Santa Ana unit of Chicago’s Abbott Laboratories.
