SpyGlass Pharma Acquires IOL Manufacturer for Scalable Production

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 01, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- SpyGlass Pharma, a late-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming the treatment paradigm for patients living with chronic eye conditions through long-acting, sustained drug delivery of approved medicines, has announced the acquisition of all the outstanding shares of Advanced Vision Science, Inc. (AVS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Santen). The acquisition secures a scalable commercial intraocular lens (IOL) manufacturing capacity for SpyGlass Pharma, which is currently used in its Phase 3 lead product candidate, the BIM-IOL System.

The BIM-IOL System, comprising novel, proprietary non-bioerodible drug pads attached to its intraocular lens, was designed to be implanted during routine cataract surgery to reduce elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients who have either open-angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT). The BIM-IOL System is designed to consistently deliver three years of bimatoprost, a prostaglandin analog approved for topical use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2001, for the reduction of elevated IOP in patients with OAG or OHT.

Under the agreement, AVS will be the exclusive manufacturer and supplier of several types of IOLs to Santen for commercialization in Japan. Additionally, AVS will continue to license its glistening-free hydrophobic acrylic lens material to Bausch + Lomb for use in the enVista® IOL line, and manufacture products for other global IOL companies. The acquisition of AVS for SpyGlass Pharma is strategically important as it secures their long-term supply of world-class IOLs. Not only are they owning significant manufacturing capability of approved IOL material, trusted and widely adopted by surgeons worldwide, but they are also positioning themselves to accelerate production of a portfolio of lenses that they believe can fit their drug delivery pads.

The acquisition is expected to have a significant impact on SpyGlass Pharma's future. The Company's lead product candidate, the BIM-IOL System, is designed to address the needs of patients with chronic eye conditions by providing a durable drug delivery solution that can empower patients and surgeons with confidence in long-term disease control and vision preservation. The acquisition of AVS will allow SpyGlass Pharma to continue supporting AVS customers and licensees, including Santen, Bausch + Lomb, and other global IOL companies, while also positioning the company to accelerate the production of a portfolio of lenses that could fit into their drug delivery pads.

The acquisition of AVS for SpyGlass Pharma is a significant step forward in the company's mission to significantly improve the lives of patients with chronic eye conditions by developing durable drug delivery solutions that can empower patients and surgeons with confidence in long-term disease control and vision preservation. The acquisition of AVS will allow SpyGlass Pharma to continue supporting AVS customers and licensees, including Santen, Bausch + Lomb, and other global IOL companies, while also positioning the company to accelerate the production of a portfolio of lenses that could fit into their drug delivery pads.