2016 European Glaucoma Therapy Technology Innovation Award

2016 EuropeanGlaucoma Therapy

Technology Innovation Award

2016

BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH

© Frost & Sullivan 2016 2 “We Accelerate Growth”

Contents

Frost & Sullivan Background and Company Performance ................................................. 3

Industry Challenges .............................................................................................. 3

Technology Attributes and Future Business Value ..................................................... 4

Conclusion........................................................................................................... 6

Significance of Technology Innovation .......................................................................... 7

Understanding Technology Innovation .......................................................................... 7

Key Benchmarking Criteria .................................................................................... 8

Best Practice Award Analysis for Eye Tech Care SA ......................................................... 8

Decision Support Scorecard ................................................................................... 8

Technology Attributes ........................................................................................... 9

Future Business Value ........................................................................................... 9

Decision Support Matrix ...................................................................................... 10

The Intersection between 360-Degree Research and Best Practices Awards ..................... 10

Research Methodology ........................................................................................ 11

Best Practices Recognition: 10 Steps to Researching, Identifying, and Recognizing Best Practices ................................................................................................................. 12

About Frost & Sullivan .............................................................................................. 13



Frost & Sullivan Background and Company Performance Industry Challenges

Ocular hypertension refers to the condition of chronic elevated pressure in the eyes.

Higher-than-normal intraocular pressure (IOP) is a result of the accumulation of aqueous

humor in the anterior chamber of the eye. The buildup of aqueous humor itself is a result

of the trabecular meshwork not draining the fluid from the eye fast enough. Ocular

hypertension is strongly associated with glaucoma, a family of eye disorders characterized

by the degeneration of the optic nerve. Although ocular hypertension does not always lead

to glaucoma, people with high IOP are considered at risk for glaucoma.

Damage to the optic nerve results in some vision loss, and progressive visual impairment

can result in total vision loss. The International Glaucoma Association (IGA) estimates that

more than 50 to 80 million people are living with glaucoma, of which over 12 million are in

Europe. In China, India, and several other Asian countries, millions of people have been

diagnosed with glaucoma, and millions of others remain undiagnosed. The World Health

Organization (WHO) has listed glaucoma as a priority eye disease, given it is the second

leading cause of blindness worldwide.

The damage to the optic nerve is irreversible, which means glaucoma cannot be

completely cured. However, glaucomatous conditions can be controlled, managed, and

prevented, the key to which is controlling ocular hypertension. Medication in the form of

eye drops is a first-line treatment option and remains the gold standard of care for

glaucoma; however, this line of treatment is riddled with challenges such as the patient’s

noncompliance to medication. Numerous clinical studies have reported that between 20

and 30% of patients were either completely noncompliant or had poor compliance with

prescribed medication. The chief reasons for poor compliance include forgetfulness,

difficulty in self-administering medication, and not following up with the physician to

adjust the dosage as the treatment progresses.

When medication proves ineffective, laser surgery is an option, and if the disease has

progressed to an advanced stage, invasive surgery is the preferred treatment option.

Surgery presents several challenges, despite its high efficacy and having an established

track record of safety. Surgery is expensive, necessitates a week-long recovery period,

and requires the expertise of a skilled surgeon. Given the prevalence of glaucoma,

particularly in developing countries, these requirements may be serious challenges to

adoption.

The urgency of such an option goes beyond immediate market need. As an age-related

disorder, glaucoma is also intricately tied to the ageing population. Thus, glaucoma

therapy needs a noninvasive, patient friendly and effective treatment procedure.



Technology Attributes and Future Business Value

Industry Impact

Eye Tech Care (Lyon, France) has developed a noninvasive glaucoma therapy using

focused ultrasound technology. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an emerging

medical technology that uses focused ultrasound waves for therapeutic applications. HIFU

has found early adopters in areas such as lithotripsy, tissue ablation to treat prostate and

breast cancers, and the treatment of uterine fibroids. Eye Tech Care’s ultrasound ciliary

plasty (UCP) is currently the only HIFU-based medical procedure approved for the

treatment of glaucoma.

The impact of UCP on the glaucoma therapy industry cannot be missed. The UCP is an

outpatient procedure that is pain free, noninvasive, and nonrecurring, addressing

problems of patient discomfort and compliance simultaneously. By specifically targeting

the ciliary glands, UCP ensures the procedure’s accuracy and reproducibility.

Product Impact

Eye Tech Care has leveraged the HIFU technology in its flagship product, EyeOP1. With

this product, the company has successfully miniaturized the HIFU platform, making the

transducers the smallest and the most compact components used in the medical industry.

The architecture of the EyeOP1 device provides patients and physicians with several

benefits. The device consists of a central computer console that can control the dosage,

time, and other attributes related to the procedure. The ultrasound probe is designed in

the form of an eye piece (available in different sizes) to fit the target organ better. The

probe consists of 6 piezoelectric transducers, arranged in a circular array, that effectively

deliver the dosage to the ciliary gland in less than 3 minutes.

With its product’s elegant design, Eye Tech Care has created an intuitive and operator

friendly instrument. The product has 2 aspects that stand out, and the product’s impact on

glaucoma therapy cannot be overstated. First, the computer console and its central

operation make the EyeOP1 the only computer-assisted glaucoma therapy solution in the

market, minimizing the risk during the procedure. Second, the device makes the therapy

operator skill independent. Unlike surgery, a trained ophthalmologist is sufficient to carry

out the procedure, which will likely have a huge bearing on markets with limited experts in

glaucoma surgery.

Scalability

The UCP procedure leverages high frequency ultrasound to control the IOP, which is

fundamental to managing glaucoma. UCP functions by targeting the ciliary glands to

control the production of aqueous humor and is believed to open up additional drainage

pathways, both of which keep the IOP under control.



As mentioned earlier, HIFU is an emerging tool in the biomedical industry, particularly the

therapeutics space. Dietrich Wolf, the Chief Executive Officer of Eye Tech Care, believes

the company has only scratched the surface of the HIFU technology and the UCP

procedure. Eye Tech Care is currently working on several projects that use the HIFU

technology in ophthalmology. Gauging the early success of EyeOP1 in glaucoma therapy

and the wide Blue Ocean opportunity, the future lies in the scalability of the technology

platform.

Customer Acquisition

The EyeOP1 device received an initial CE marking in 2010, empowering it to be used on

patients with advanced glaucoma. Based on its successful clinical results and its

established track record of safety and clinical efficacy, EyeOP1 received a CE mark

extension in February 2015. EyeOP1 is now indicated to treat any glaucoma patient,

preferably with an IOP over 21 mmHg, the eligibility being, of course, in the hands of the

physician.

EyeOP1 is evolving from a specialized tool to treat refractory glaucoma (or glaucoma that

remains uncontrolled even after medication and surgery) to a more mainstream treatment

option. Undoubtedly, the numerous patient benefits that EyeOP1 has to offer, such as

noninvasive, pain free, and fast acting, will attract customers.

Financial Performance

Since its CE marking in 2010, EyeOP1 has been used to treat over 3,000 glaucoma

patients in Europe in various stages of progression. Eye Tech Care is focused on

expanding its footprint in Europe, while developing an active marketing plan to enter the

Asian market.

Eye Tech Care’s impressive clinical performance and its understanding of the urgent

market need in Asia have attracted funding from Everpine Capital Ltd, a China-based

investor. Everpine invested €25 million in Eye Tech Care and supports the company’s

international expansion, particularly into China. Eye Tech Care plans to acquire the

regulatory clearance from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) in 2017.

Everpine’s strategic investment will no doubt be a shot in the arm for Eye Tech Care as it

focuses its clinical research program and market entry in regions such as India and the

Middle East.

Visionary Innovation

By virtue of being the only company in the market to offer computer-assisted glaucoma

therapy, Eye Tech Care has already cemented its position as a technology leader. The

HIFU platform is marked by numerous innovative features, which extend into physician

and patient benefits.



However, Eye Tech Care’s visionary innovation extends beyond the technical. The

healthcare industry has been well known for its focus on the West. The CE mark is often

viewed as a back door entry into the United States, which has strict regulatory

requirements. However, Eye Tech Care’s decision to look to the East is as impressive as it

is unusual. The company has astutely gauged the market potential and the urgent need in

these countries, where because of low awareness and a lack of structured screening

policies, glaucoma remains undetected until it is in its advanced stages. In cases where

medication will most certainly be ineffective and surgery would be expensive, EyeOP1 may

well emerge as a first-line treatment option.

Conclusion With its EyeOP1, Eye Tech Care has developed a novel, intuitive, and patient friendly

device for the treatment of glaucoma.

Eye Tech Care has set itself apart from its competitors in the European glaucoma therapy

market with EyeOP1, the only computer-assisted glaucoma therapy system. EyeOP1 uses

HIFU to control the IOP, which has a high-risk association with glaucoma. The computer-

assistance feature adds to the safety, reliability, and reproducibility of the device, enabling

trained technicians and ophthalmologists to complete a quick, painless, and noninvasive

procedure.

With its strong overall performance, Eye Tech Care has earned Frost & Sullivan’s 2016

Technology Innovation Award.



Significance of Technology Innovation Ultimately, growth in any organization depends upon finding new ways to excite the

market, and upon maintaining a long-term commitment to innovation. At its core,

technology innovation or any other type of innovation can only be sustained with

leadership in three key areas: understanding demand, nurturing the brand, and

differentiating from the competition.

Understanding Technology Innovation

Technology innovation begins with a spark of creativity that is systematically pursued,

developed, and commercialized. That spark can result from a successful partnership, a

productive in-house innovation group, or the mind of a singular individual. Regardless of

the source, the success of any new technology is ultimately determined by its

innovativeness and its impact on the business as a whole.



Key Benchmarking Criteria

For the Technology Innovation Award, Frost & Sullivan analysts independently evaluated

two key factors—Technology Attributes and Future Business Value—according to the

criteria identified below.

Technology Attributes

Criterion 1: Industry Impact

Criterion 2: Product Impact

Criterion 3: Scalability

Criterion 4: Visionary Innovation

Criterion 5: Application Diversity

Future Business Value

Criterion 1: Financial Performance

Criterion 2: Customer Acquisition

Criterion 3: Technology Licensing

Criterion 4: Brand Loyalty

Criterion 5: Human Capital

Best Practice Award Analysis for Eye Tech Care SA

Decision Support Scorecard

To support its evaluation of best practices across multiple business performance

categories, Frost & Sullivan employs a customized Decision Support Scorecard. This tool

allows our research and consulting teams to objectively analyze performance, according to

the key benchmarking criteria listed in the previous section, and to assign ratings on that

basis. The tool follows a 10-point scale that allows for nuances in performance evaluation;

ratings guidelines are illustrated below.

RATINGS GUIDELINES

The Decision Support Scorecard is organized by Technology Attributes and Future

Business Value (i.e., the overarching categories for all 10 benchmarking criteria; the

definitions for each criteria are provided beneath the scorecard). The research team

confirms the veracity of this weighted scorecard through sensitivity analysis, which

confirms that small changes to the ratings for a specific criterion do not lead to a

significant change in the overall relative rankings of the companies.



The results of this analysis are shown below. To remain unbiased and to protect the

interests of all organizations reviewed, we have chosen to refer to the other key players

as Competitor 2 and Competitor 3.

DECISION SUPPORT SCORECARD FOR TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AWARD

Measurement of 1–10 (1 = poor; 10 = excellent)

Technology Innovation Technology

Attributes

Future

Business Value

Average Rating

Eye Tech Care 9.5 9 9.25

Competitor 2 7.5 8.5 8.00

Competitor 3 7 7 7.00


Criterion 1: Industry Impact

Requirement: Technology enables the pursuit of groundbreaking new ideas, contributing

to the betterment of the entire industry

Criterion 2: Product Impact

Requirement: Specific technology helps enhance features and functionality of the entire

product line for the company

Criterion 3: Scalability

Requirement: Technology is scalable, enabling new generations of products over time,

with increasing levels of quality and functionality

Criterion 4: Visionary Innovation

Requirement: Specific new technology represents true innovation based on a deep

understanding of future needs and applications

Criterion 5: Application Diversity

Requirement: New technology serves multiple products, multiple applications, and

multiple user environments

Future Business Value

Criterion 1: Financial Performance

Requirement: High potential for strong financial performance in terms of revenues,

operating margins and other relevant financial metrics

Criterion 2: Customer Acquisition

Requirement: Specific technology enables acquisition of new customers, even as it

enhances value to current customers

Criterion 3: Technology Licensing

Requirement: New technology displays great potential to be licensed across many sectors

and applications, thereby driving incremental revenue streams



Criterion 4: Brand Loyalty

Requirement: New technology enhances the company’s brand, creating and/or nurturing

brand loyalty

Criterion 5: Human Capital

Requirement: Customer impact is enhanced through the leverage of specific technology,

translating into positive impact on employee morale and retention

Decision Support Matrix

Once all companies have been evaluated according to the Decision Support Scorecard,

analysts can then position the candidates on the matrix shown below, enabling them to

visualize which companies are truly breakthrough and which ones are not yet operating at

best-in-class levels.

DECISION SUPPORT MATRIX FOR TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AWARD

High

Low

Low High

Fu

ture B

usin

ess V

alu

e


Eye Tech Care SA

Competitor 2

Competitor 3



The Intersection between 360-Degree Research and Best

Practices Awards

Research Methodology

Frost & Sullivan’s 360-degree research

methodology represents the analytical

rigor of our research process. It offers a

360-degree-view of industry challenges,

trends, and issues by integrating all 7 of

Frost & Sullivan's research methodologies.

Too often, companies make important

growth decisions based on a narrow

understanding of their environment,

leading to errors of both omission and

commission. Successful growth strategies

are founded on a thorough understanding

of market, technical, economic, financial,

customer, best practices, and demographic

analyses. The integration of these research

disciplines into the 360-degree research

methodology provides an evaluation

platform for benchmarking industry

players and for identifying those performing at best-in-class levels.

360-DEGREE RESEARCH: SEEING ORDER IN

THE CHAOS



Best Practices Recognition: 10 Steps to Researching,

Identifying, and Recognizing Best Practices

Frost & Sullivan Awards follow a 10-step process to evaluate award candidates and assess

their fit with select best practice criteria. The reputation and integrity of the Awards are

based on close adherence to this process.

STEP OBJECTIVE KEY ACTIVITIES OUTPUT

1 Monitor, target, and screen

Identify award recipient candidates from around the globe

Conduct in-depth industry research

Identify emerging sectors Scan multiple geographies

Pipeline of candidates who potentially meet all best-practice criteria

2 Perform 360-degree research

Perform comprehensive, 360-degree research on all candidates in the pipeline

Interview thought leaders and industry practitioners

Assess candidates’ fit with best-practice criteria

Rank all candidates

Matrix positioning all candidates’ performance relative to one another

3

Invite thought leadership in best practices

Perform in-depth examination of all candidates

Confirm best-practice criteria Examine eligibility of all

candidates Identify any information gaps

Detailed profiles of all ranked candidates

4

Initiate research director review

Conduct an unbiased evaluation of all candidate profiles

Brainstorm ranking options Invite multiple perspectives

on candidates’ performance Update candidate profiles

Final prioritization of all eligible candidates and companion best-practice positioning paper

5

Assemble panel of industry experts

Present findings to an expert panel of industry thought leaders

Share findings Strengthen cases for

candidate eligibility Prioritize candidates

Refined list of prioritized award candidates

6

Conduct global industry review

Build consensus on award candidates’ eligibility

Hold global team meeting to review all candidates

Pressure-test fit with criteria Confirm inclusion of all

eligible candidates

Final list of eligible award candidates, representing success stories worldwide

7 Perform quality check

Develop official award consideration materials

Perform final performance benchmarking activities

Write nominations Perform quality review

High-quality, accurate, and creative presentation of nominees’ successes

8

Reconnect with panel of industry experts

Finalize the selection of the best-practice award recipient

Review analysis with panel Build consensus Select winner

Decision on which company performs best against all best-practice criteria

9 Communicate recognition

Inform award recipient of award recognition

Present award to the CEO Inspire the organization for

continued success Celebrate the recipient’s

performance

Announcement of award and plan for how recipient can use the award to enhance the brand

10 Take strategic action

Upon licensing, company may share award news with stakeholders and customers

Coordinate media outreach Design a marketing plan Assess award’s role in future

strategic planning

Widespread awareness of recipient’s award status among investors, media personnel, and employees



About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth

and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's

Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined

research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation and implementation

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http://www.frost.com.

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Date post:	20-Jan-2017
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2016 European Glaucoma Therapy Technology Innovation Award

Healthcare