New Non-Invasive Glaucoma Treatment Offered for First Time in U.S.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Glaucoma Center of San Francisco is excited to announce the first treatment of a patient in the U.S. with the non-invasive Eyetronic nerve stimulating therapy. Eyetronic therapy provides external neural stimulation to the optic nerve of patients suffering from glaucoma, a disease in which the optic nerve is permanently damaged resulting in vision loss. Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world, affecting over 4 million people in the U.S. and more than 80 million people worldwide.

The current standard of glaucoma treatment focuses on lowering pressure within the eye, called intraocular pressure or IOP. While treating elevated IOP is necessary, it is not always enough to prevent progressive loss of vision. Optic nerve stimulation with the Eyetronic device has been shown to halt vision loss and in some cases even reverse damage so that some vision is restored.

This new treatment is part of a clinical trial, led by Sunita Radhakrishnan, MD, the Principal Investigator of the study. "Electrical neurostimulation therapy for glaucoma is unique in its potential to stabilize and perhaps even improve visual function. Our trial is designed to evaluate whether Eyetronic therapy may be beneficial in patients with glaucoma progression despite seemingly adequate IOP control. We look forward to analyzing initial data sharing preliminary results in early 2026.," Dr. Radhakrishnan commented.

"Unlike currently FDA-approved glaucoma treatments that decrease intraocular pressure, electrical neurostimulation provides a novel non-invasive approach that may not only slow progressive vision loss but potentially reverse vision loss. If proven effective this could significantly improve glaucoma patients' quality of life," added Andrew Iwach, MD, Executive Director of the Glaucoma Center of San Francisco.

The Eyetronic therapy has been applied to more than 1,000 patients in Europe without a single serious adverse event reported. This therapy is applied on ten consecutive days in an outpatient clinic setting. The Glaucoma Center of San Francisco is one of the largest stand-alone glaucoma clinics on the West Coast and has been involved in an array of groundbreaking clinical trials for glaucoma diagnosis and management. This study was funded, in part, by Glaucoma Research Foundation, America's oldest and most experienced institution dedicated solely to its mission: to cure glaucoma and restore vision through innovative research.

SOURCE Glaucoma Research Foundation