Allergan plc acquires ForSight VISION5 and with it a peri-ocular ring designed for extended drug delivery and reducing elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma patients.

Allergan plc and ForSight VISION5, a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on eye care, announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Allergan will acquire ForSight VISION5. Under the terms of the agreement, Allergan will acquire ForSight VISION5 for a $95 million upfront payment and a launch milestone payment related to ForSight's lead development program, a peri-ocular ring designed for extended drug delivery and reducing elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma patients. Today, the most common treatment to lower elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in open-angle glaucoma is eye drop therapies. Nearly half of patients who are prescribed eye drops to manage their glaucoma may stop refilling their prescriptions after six months, often because of difficulty in using drops. The ring is a preservative-free, non-invasive peri-ocular product that rests on the surface of the eye (under the eyelids). It is inserted by an Ophthalmologist or Optometrist, and releases medication (bimatoprost) over multiple months to lower elevated IOP in glaucoma and ocular hypertensive patients. In 2015, ForSight announced results of its first randomized, controlled Phase 2 study comparing the investigational ring to twice-daily timolol eye drops. Data demonstrated that a single administration of the ring provided sustained reduction in IOP for six months with a reduction of 4-6 mmHg at the study's primary endpoint of 12 weeks. Approximately 90 percent of subjects retained inserts in both eyes for 6 months without clinician assistance.