Ciliatech, a medtech company specialized in ophthalmology, is developing a new class of implant to address the increasing need to treat glaucoma durably and with very minimal adverse effects.
Ciliatech are proud to present our Senior Leadership Team bringing together a wealth of individual experience.
Ciliatech are delighted to confirm the official appointment of a number of Globally recognized Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeons to our scientific advisory panel.
Ciliatech provides ‘Concierge Access’ to certified Intercil® ‘Senior Surgical Trainers’ who will guide surgeons through the below resources in order to help them to comprehensively learn the Intercil® surgical implantation technique1.
Digital learning platform which utilises a unique 3D digital environment to immerse surgeons deep into the anatomy of the eye, to help understand where and how Intercil® alters the physiology in glaucoma.
Full didactic instructional course outlining the step-by-step surgical implantation technique for Intercil®.
‘Drylab’ surgical simulation training utilising actual surgical instruments and the highest quality bespoke synthetic eyes sourced from the USA – designed and engineered specifically for Ciliatech.
1:1 support in the operating room during first live-patient implantations. This continues
until full proficiency and surgeon satisfaction is reached
Please note that Ciliatech products are not currently available for sale pending regulatory approvals
Copyright © 2024 Cilliatech SAS. Registered office address: 178 Route de Cran Gevrier PAE Altaïs, C/O PEPINIERE GALILEO 74650 Chavanod – France
Olivier Benoit, CEO of Ciliatech, has 25 years’ of experience in medtech, spanning managerial roles in manufacturing, operations, technical development, sales and marketing, QA and regulatory affairs, and product and business development.
After holding R&D and manufacturing responsibilities at an intraocular lens manufacturer, in 2003 Olivier founded his first company, in Geneva, dedicated to Hyaluronic Acid transformation and active in aesthetic medicine, osteoarthritis and surgical ophthalmology including glaucoma.
In 2013, as CEO, he developed another medtech company, a role he held until 2016. In 2017, Olivier joined co-founder Philippe Sourdille to create Ciliatech, focusing on the development of medical devices for surgical ophthalmology and glaucoma surgery.
Olivier earned a degree in industrial engineering from INSA, Lyon, France, in 1997.
Dr. Philippe Sourdille has dedicated his entire 50+ year career to ophthalmology. First, leading studies in trabeculotomy in congenital glaucoma and pioneering intraocular lens implants in Europe, he then went on to conduct outstanding research on preventing PCO (Posterior Capsule Opacification) and post-surgical inflammation. Over the course of his career, he has accumulated vast experience in various glaucoma surgical approaches, including trabeculectomy, ab interno excimer lasers, visco-canalostomy and deep sclerectomy.
Among his achievements, Philippe invented, patented and developed, in collaboration with Cornéal (France), a crosslinked hyaluronic acid for deep sclerectomy; this has been used worldwide and has 27 references in Medline. Philippe has held pivotal roles within the clinical field.
These include serving as chairman of the ‘Clinique Sourdille’ for 20+ years and as president of the Implant Society for five years. In addition, Philippe was one of founders of ESCRS (the European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons), where he was a board member, and president between 1993-1995.
He was also a founder of the clinical research symposia. During this period, and until 2005, he became an editorial board member of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, a preeminent peer-reviewed monthly ophthalmology journal that publishes high-quality articles on all aspects of anterior segment surgery. Since 1980, Philippe has engaged in collaborations in France with Moria, Cornéal and Cristalens; as well as Croma-Pharma in Austria and Medicontur in Hungary.
He received the “Grand Medal of Merit” from the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS) Ridley Medal Committee, and he is an “Honoured Guest” of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS).
Philippe holds 14 patents in ophthalmology. He is a contributor to Ocular Surgery News, Ophthalmology News, EuroTimes, The Ophthalmologist and CRS Today and continues to be a key figure at international conferences and symposiums.
Sahil joined the Ciliatech senior leadership team in January 2024 as Global Vice President, Glaucoma Sales & Marketing.
Sahil brings with him over 25 years of award-winning industry experience in Ophthalmology and specifically in the glaucoma field having worked for some of the largest companies in the industry including Novartis, Allergan (AbbVie) and previously Alcon where he held the position of Commercial Head of Europe for their Surgical Glaucoma division. In this role Sahil was instrumental in leading the integration of Ivantis Inc’s European operations into Alcon following their $475m acquisition of Ivantis in January 2022. This involved coordinating the integration of all European functional operations, and included building-out a full European sales and surgical training team.
Prior to this role Sahil was General Manager in the UK & Ireland for Ivantis Inc where he designed and executed the full pre-launch and launch plans for the Hydrus Microstent (MIGS stent). Through executing this plan, Sahil achieved the most successful International Launch of any non-US country in the world and subsequently received the ‘General Manager of the Year 2021’ award from Ivantis which inducted him into Ivantis’s prestigious ‘King’s Court’ Award group.
Prior to these roles and further highlighting Sahil’s experience in Glaucoma, he was Commercial Head of UK & Ireland Sales & Marketing for the launch of the CyPass Microstent (MIGS stent) with Alcon in 2017. Here he was again formally recognised as having planned and executed the most successful CyPass Microstent launch of any country in Europe, Middle East and Africa resulting in him receiving the individual 2017 ‘Alcon President’s Club’ Sales Manager’s award for EMEA.
Sahil’s initial experience in ophthalmology was gained through 6 years spent at Allergan where he worked across Glaucoma, Dry eye and Retina. In these roles Sahil achieved back-to-back ‘President’s Club’ sales awards in 2008 and 2009 having achieved the top 2% performance across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). He later went on to spend 3 years at a French startup in Ophthalmology – Nicox where he was awarded ‘Regional Sales Manager of the Year’ in 2014 having hired and clinically trained a full team of Key Account Managers.
Sahil’s initial 8 years in industry were spent at Novartis where he won three ‘Victory Trip’ Awards as a top performing associate in a variety of customer facing roles of increasing responsibility. Sahil’s time at Novartis culminated in him winning the CEO’s personal ‘Larger Than Life’ Award in 2002.
Sahil holds an Honors Degree in Business and Marketing from London, UK earned in 1998
Stephanie C. Jones joined Ciliatech on 2nd September 2024 as Global Vice President, Clinical and Medical Affairs.
Stephanie joined Ciliatech from Ora Inc (Andover, Massachusetts) most recently holding the position of Manager, Clinical Operations and Project Management in R&D, medical affairs and strategic development, where Stephanie oversaw a portfolio of projects developing new technologies and clinical trial endpoints, and supporting investment partnership asset growth and clinical development.
Spanning 17 years in a career completely dedicated to Ophthalmology, Stephanie’s early career started at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, one of the largest teaching hospitals in the UK, researching aqueous humour dynamics. Alongside academia, Stephanie developed the KCL Frost Research Unit to become a premier UK site for international industry collaborations, bringing in significant six-figure funding and participation in almost all global landmark glaucoma clinical trials of emerging drugs devices of the last two decades. Stephanie worked on over fifty ophthalmology trials over her ten years at St Thomas’ Hospital and managed a team of greater than thirty clinical staff. Stephanie also did freelance work in cataract audit, medical writing, medico-legal and clinical trial consulting during her time in the public sector.
Stephanie moved from the provider side into industry starting her career with Glaukos Corporation (Aliso Viejo, California) as CRA where first hand she was instrumental in broadening OUS clinical activity, performing site selection, contracting, quality & regulatory and budget planning across EMEA, USA and APAC including clinical project management. Following this role Stephanie was promoted to Global Medical Marketing Specialist where she was involved in statistical analyses, manuscript writing, abstract development and post-market approval studies. Stephanie then took up the position of Head of Eye Science for Rayner Intraocular Lenses Ltd (Worthing, UK) where she managed a global team covering clinical & medical affairs and education, with extensive additional consultation involvement to R&D and regulatory teams advising on EU-MDR transition requirements. Stephanie was responsible for clinical strategy and launch activity for an innovative first-in-class class IOL, and IDE submissions.
Stephanie has an equally impressive academic background – first gaining her undergraduate degree from UCL in London in 2007, and later gaining a Master of Science Degree in Clinical Trials from the highly prestigious London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Stephanie continues her academic development currently studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Law, Ethics and Intellectual Property of Medicine. Stephanie is committed to consistently publishing throughout her navigations between the industry and academic worlds, with contributions and authorship to numerous scientific journals and book chapters for dry eye, allergy and glaucoma.
Stephanie resides in New York City and started her position with Ciliatech on Monday 2nd September 2024.
Lauranne has over a decade of experience in the field of implantable medical devices, with a strong focus on quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and research and development. She has developed extensive expertise in evaluating the performance and safety of innovative medical solutions.
A graduate of Polytech Lyon, Lauranne earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Biomaterials Science in 2012. She began her career in research and development at a French SME specializing in implantable textiles before expanding her expertise as a project manager and consultant for various companies in the medical device sector.
Her work is dedicated to ensuring the development of medical device in compliance with regulatory and quality requirements, supporting their alignment with the MDR framework.
I was appointed as consultant ophthalmologist with special interest in glaucoma and neuro- ophthalmology at Münster University Eye Hospital in November 2013 after successfully completing six years of ophthalmology specialist training in Germany. In September 2014 I was appointed as consultant ophthalmologist with special interest in glaucoma in Mainz, providing the largest glaucoma unit in Germany. My current post enables me to provide high quality glaucoma conservative and surgical glaucoma care within one of the leading German ophthalmic institutions and tertiary referral glaucoma services.
I have been highly active in ophthalmology research as evidenced by over 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals. I have received several prizes and grants for these efforts as listed below. I have also been significantly involved in a variety of glaucoma research projects including clinical trials on diagnostics and treatment of glaucoma as well as experimental glaucoma research looking into biomarkers for glaucoma and new treatment options to stop neurodegeneration and enhance regeneration.
In April 2015 I received besides other grants a 258.000 Euro grant of the German Research trust (DFG) and formed my own research group in Mainz, which is since then running successfully with the staff having received several prices. The group works on regeneration and degeneration in glaucoma.
In November 2013 I have been appointed an Associate Professor at the University Hospital in Münster and in June 2017 in Mainz. Since then I have been a senior lecturer and the representative and responsible main lecturer of the faculty. I received the Professorship in Mainz in Mai 2020 got a call to the University of Cologne for a Professorship this year in October, where I am based now. I have been the Professor for more than 25 PhD and MD students at the Faculty and given numerous courses for students.
My research interests are clinical glaucoma,iclucing basic research, biomarkers in glaucoma, degeneration and regeneration.
Mr Leon Au is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon specialising in glaucoma and cornea. He graduated from the University of Nottingham in 1998 with an ophthalmology prize of the year. He completed 8 years of general ophthalmology training in Nottingham and Manchester before undertaking separate subspecialty training fellowships in cornea, glaucoma and refractive surgery. He has been a dual-specialty consultant in the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital since February 2009. He is an international leader in the field of innovative glaucoma surgeries and is involved in many of the clinical trials.
Ike K. Ahmed is a fellowship-trained glaucoma, cataract, and anterior segment surgeon with a research and practice focus on the management of glaucoma, complex cataract and intraocular lens complications. He practices and is board certified in ophthalmology in Canada and the USA and is an active member of numerous national and international societies.
Dr. Ahmed is recognised as being one of the most experienced complex eye surgeons in the world and has become renowned for his skills and groundbreaking work in the surgical treatment of highly complex eye diseases including glaucoma and surgical complications. He is known to be a disruptive thinker and values the power of the human spirit, passion, collaboration, and energy to challenge the status quo. He has done pioneering work in innovative glaucoma therapeutics, developing and coining the term “Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)” as a new genre of surgical approaches and devices. Dr. Ahmed has become one of the most recognised eye surgeons in the world and was recently recognised as the “number 1 most influential ophthalmologist” in the world by the news magazine The Ophthalmologist.
Patients are referred to him locally, nationally, and from around the world. He has been invited to perform surgery in 4 continents across the globe. Dr. Ahmed was selected as one of Canada’s “Top 40 Under 40” – a prestigious national award recognising significant achievements at a young age and he was selected to receive the prestigious Binkhorst medal at ASCRS, which has been awarded to the world’s most prominent ophthalmologists whose careers have made significant contributions to the science and practice of ophthalmology. The American Glaucoma Society honoured him with the AGS Surgery Day Lecture, and the UKISCRS bestowed him with the Pearce Medal Lecture in 2015. In 2017 he awarded the “Innovator of the Year” by the Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
In 2021, Dr. Ahmed took on a new initiative as Director of the new Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation at the John A. Moran Eye Center and became a tenured Professor at the University of Utah, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Embedded within the incredible resources, clinicians, and scientists at the Moran, the center is poised to tackle the global burden of eye disease by developing better diagnostic tools, designing safer and more effective treatments, and teaching and training.
Dr. Ahmed has a keen interest in the development of advanced microsurgical devices and techniques in glaucoma and complicated cataract extraction and is actively involved in research and medical education at a national and international level. He has received research grants to study glaucoma diagnostics and therapies, anterior segment and retinal/optic nerve imaging, cataract surgical techniques and devices, and intraocular lens designs. Dr. Ahmed has designed innovative diamond scalpels for surgery, microsurgical instrumentation, and devices, implants, and techniques for the management of the dislocated cataract, iris reconstruction, and glaucoma implant devices. He also performed the first laser cataract surgery in Canada.
As a result of his innovative expertise, Dr. Ahmed has been asked to consult for many companies and manufacturers, especially pertaining to the development of new devices and technologies. He sits on numerous scientific advisory boards and is a consultant to over 50 medical companies.
He founded and directs The Toronto Cataract Course and the COS Surgical Teaching Series, as well as a number of AAO and ASCRS Courses. He sits on the editorial boards of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology-Glaucoma, Journal of Glaucoma, Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology, EyeNet, Ocular Surgery News, Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today, and is a reviewer for numerous journals. In 2018 he was appointed as the Chief Medical Editor of Glaucoma Today.
Dr. Ahmed has been Principal Investigator for numerous research studies and has served as medical monitor for many pivotal clinical trials. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and has published books on Glaucoma Surgery, Intraocular Lens Surgery, and Advanced Anterior Segment Surgery. He has won five film festival awards, ten best papers of session, and a poster award at ASCRS, as well as an ESCRS first place video award and AAO “Best of Show” award. He has given over 1000 scientific presentations thus far in his career, including 60 visiting professor’s lectures around the world.
He is the Director of the Glaucoma and Advanced Anterior Segment Surgery (GAASS) fellowship at the University of Toronto, and Director of Research at the Kensington Eye Institute, University of Toronto. He has trained glaucoma specialists and cataract/anterior segment surgeons who are now practicing around the world. Dr. Ahmed has a large tertiary glaucoma/cataract practice at Prism Eye Institute (www.prismeyeinstitute.com) in the Greater Toronto Area, and primarily performs surgery at Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, the Kensington Eye Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, and TLC Oakville. He also sees patients and operates at the John A. Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
After obtaining an Exhibition (scholarship) to Winchester College aged 13 and studying medicine at Corpus Christ College Cambridge, Prof Gazzard’s interest in glaucoma research led him to a clinical trials research fellowship in Singapore running Prof Peng Khaw’s Singapore-5FU surgical trial, for which he was awarded his research degree for a thesis on imaging, angle anatomy and visual field loss in angle-closure glaucoma. After completing his training at St Thomas’ hospital London he joined Moorfields Eye Hospital for a surgical fellowship in 2005, taking up a consultant ophthalmic surgeon position in 2009.
Increasing research interests as Chief Investigator of the £2m LiGHT trial of Primary SLT, co-investigator on the ‘COAST’, ‘NAMING’, GRIP and ‘GLAUrious’ studies of glaucoma therapies, has produced over 150 scientific papers and book chapters. He has published widely on surgical trials including contributions to the Lancet & Cochrane Library, with recent awards at American Glaucoma Society and American Academy of Ophthalmology meetings for ongoing research.
Prof Gazzard is the recipient of the prestigious British Royal College of Ophthalmologists Nettleship Prize and a National Silver Merit Award, President of the UK Glaucoma Society, an active committee member of the European Glaucoma Society, past Director of Moorfields Glaucoma Service and current Director of Surgery at Moorfields. He was recently elected to the 100 member international ‘Glaucoma Research Society’ and voted by peers 3rd in the global ‘Power-List’ of the most influential ophthalmologists worldwide, 2023.
Andrew is a consultant glaucoma surgeon at Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion Edinburgh, Honorary Reader at University of Edinburgh and Visiting Professor at University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
He is president elect of the UK and Eire Glaucoma Society (UKEGS) and the NHS Research Scotland National Lead for Ophthalmology. He co-chairs the European Glaucoma Society (EGS) scientific committee.
He completed glaucoma fellowship training at Moorfields Eye Hospital and Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego and is a past recipient of the ARVO Innovative Research Award, Pfizer Ophthalmic Fellowship, Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ Fauld’s Trophy and Tenovus Scotland Lady Illingworth Award.
He holds a master’s degree in medical statistics and in his spare time is a qualified classifier for the British Paralympic Association.
Dr. Karsten Klabe, Head Surgeon and Senior consultant Ophthalmologist at MVZ Breyer, Kaymak, Klabe Oberkassel GbR in Düsseldorf, Germany. Heis expert in the minimally-invasive surgical treatment of glaucoma. He is among the first in his region and country to use micro-implants and is using a new laser therapy in addition to surgical treatments.
In corneal transplantation, he is using the particularly gentle DMEK technique in which only individual corneal layers are transplanted. Until the end of 2014, Dr. Klabe was the chief physician of the ophthalmologic clinic at the Marien Hospital Düsseldorf for ten years. Since 2015,
Some of Dr. Klabe’s specialties include; Laser therapy using selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) with and without microimplants, Glaucoma surgery, e.g. 360 degree canaloplasty, Corneal transplantation using the DMEK technique (selective transplantation of the Descemet membrane), Minimally invasive vitreous and retinal surgery, Laser cataract surgery.
Hi professional experience includes CV and lecturing activities, Medical and scientific experience, Education and graduation and International lecturing. For many years, Dr. Klabe has been giving lectures at the following congresses and professional associations:
DOC: Deutsche Ophthalmochirurgen (German ophthalmological surgeons)
DOG: Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft (German ophthalmologic society)
ESCRS: European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
SOE: European Society of Ophthalmology
EURETINA
ICGS: International Congress of Glaucoma Surgery
RG: Retinologische Gesellschaft
AAO: American Academy of Ophthalmology
ASCRS: American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
WOC: World Ophthalmology Congress
Lectures Publications
Karl Mercieca is an Associate Professor, Senior Consultant Ophthalmologist and the Glaucoma Clinical Lead at the University Hospital Eye Clinic in Bonn, Germany.
Dr Mercieca has over 90 peer-reviewed publications to date and his research interests include ocular drug delivery devices, less-invasive glaucoma surgery and complex surgical glaucoma.
Dr Mercieca has also been the Primary Investigator for several large multi-centre trials on novel glaucoma surgery devices and drug delivery systems. He has also received many academic prizes throughout his career, including the Peter Watson Medal for highest score in the FEBOS-GL glaucoma sub-speciality exam and best poster presentation by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Dr Mercieca is passionate about post-graduate medical education and improving ophthalmology and glaucoma teaching across Europe with particular interests in novel ways of learning such as serious games and interactive visual learning.
Dr. Khoueir completed his residency at the Saint-Joseph University in Beirut. He then pursued his glaucoma training by obtaining postdoctoral fellowships from the Glaucoma Institute in Paris (UPMC Sorbonne University, Paris, France) and subsequently from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Hospital in Boston (Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA).
Dr. Khoueir received the young ophthalmologist scholarship award during the 8th International Congress on Glaucoma Surgery in 2016.
Dr. Khoueir currently holds the position of associate director of the Glaucoma division at the Beirut Eye and ENT Specialist Hospital. He is also a visiting Consultant ophthalmologist specialising in adult glaucoma and cataract surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City.
He’s a research collaborator at the Mayo Clinic Ophthalmology department. He’s a clinical instructor and lecturer at the Saint-Joseph University medical school in Beirut. He is the co- chair of the associate advisory board of the World Glaucoma Association and a member of the associate advisory board of the International Society of Glaucoma Surgery.
Dr Khoueir chairs the Glaucoma Committee of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. His research focuses on innovative techniques in managing and diagnosing glaucoma, such as minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), glaucoma lasers and the use of Optical Coherence Tomography imaging in glaucoma. He has published more than 35 research papers and chapters on those topics in leading ophthalmology journals. He has been invited to lecture and present his work in regional and international meetings in more than 20 countries over the last
few years.
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