Issuu

REALISING THE OPHTHALMIC OPPORTUNITY

VISION EYE INSTITUTE

2 | Asia Outlook issue 44

HEALTHCARE

STAYING 20/20 IN 2020 VEI is at the leading edge of ophthalmology, helping to maintain people’s eyesight with its team of expert clinicians, innovative technologies and sizeable footprint across the eastern seaboard of Australia Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Callam Waller

t’s hard to truly comprehend how sight is actually possible. Our eyes are woven from 107 million cells that are each sensitive to light; this intricate natural system of photoreceptors and electric impulses illuminates the incredible biosystem that allows us to see. For James Thiedeman, a curiosity of this complex structure was understandably too hard to ignore. “I was interested in the miracle of the human body from a very early age,” he explains. “I’ve always found the complexity and interdependence of the various anatomical and physiological features of the body to be amazing and perplexing.” Resultantly pursuing a career in the health sector, Thiedeman has spent the past 30 years in healthcare administration and management, now standing as the CEO and Managing Director of Vision Eye Institute (VEI). “I jumped at the chance to take the reins at VEI; I couldn’t turn this opportunity down,” he continues. “VEI was the world’s first publicly listed ophthalmic company and one of the earliest publicly listed group medical practices, so it has a very interesting history. When I joined, it

James Thiedeman, CEO and Managing Director of Vision Eye Institute, has enjoyed a career spanning more than three decades to date

had also recently been acquired by a large Beijing-based parent company – Jangho Group – and the chance to work with a highly motivated, entrepreneurial owner was the clincher for me.” Today, the enterprise is renowned as the largest holistic provider of ophthalmic care in Australia, partnering with leading clinicians across 27 sites in key locations across the country that allow it to be at the leading edge, offering the best range of evidence-based treatments to its patients. “What differentiates us? Our scale and strong innovation culture that attracts the highest calibre of ophthalmologists, optometrists, orthoptists, nurses and support staff, culminating in brilliant care for our patients,” says Thiedeman.

ENHANCING UNDERSTANDING Currently, the company’s employee base totals 500 with a further 100 or so doctors, this team of dedicated professionals delivering care to more than 100,000 patients every year. Catering to such a vast number of people is not viewed as a burden by the team, however. Rather, it is an activity that its people truly cherish as Asia Outlook issue 44 | 3

THE ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE OF CONTROL AND CLARITY

1-4

Expanding the Clareon® AutonoMe® family Introducing Clareon® AutonoMe® Toric

Clareon® Toric IOL with AutonoMe® is the first and only automated, disposable, preloaded delivery system. With its intuitive, ergonomic design, the AutonoMe® delivery system enables easy, single-handed control of IOL advancement and protects incisions as small as 2.2 mm.1,5-6 Preloaded with the Clareon® Toric IOL, the world’s most advanced optic§,delivering excellent clarity.§,1-4,7,8 Available in dioptre range +15.0D to +25.0D (1/2 Dioptre steps T2-T6).1

n® Toric IOL onoMe® Logo

PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY FONTS: BRAND: Open Sans Regular GENERIC / DESCRIPTOR: Open Sans Bold

References: 1. Clareon® AutonoMe® Toric Directions for Use. 2. TDOC-0053487. 3. TDOC-0053516. 4. TDOC-0053488. 5. TDOC-0053511. 6. UltraSert CAD_77122679_C nozzle. 7. TDOC-0053803. 8.TDOC-0053579. § Based on aggregate results from in vitro evaluations in February 2017 of haze, SSNGs and glistenings compared to TECNIS§§ ZCB00 (Johnson & Johnson), Vivinex§§ XY-1 (HOYA) and enVista§§ MX60 (B&L; Bausch & Lomb). §§Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. PTN14016LG 10/19 ©2020 Alcon Inc. Alcon Laboratories (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 88 000740830 Phone: 1800 224 153 Alcon Laboratories New Zealand Auckland, NZBN 9249030206663 Phone: 0800 101 106 ANZ-CLA-1900003 Date of preparation January 2020

G IN M CO

ON O S

Move Presbyopia Correction Forward

LEAVE HALOS & GLARE BEHIND

*1,2

With the visual disturbance profile of a monofocal IOL, the AcrySof® IQ Vivity® lens is the clear choice for delivering an extended range of vision with minimal halos and glare.*1,2 See the difference it can make for your patients.

*Based on AcrySof ® IQ Vivity ®’s monofocal visual disturbance profile. References: 1. AcrySof ® IQ Vivity ® Extended Vision IOL Directions For Use. 2. Alcon Data on File 2019: Optical Evaluations of Alcon AcrySof ® IQ Vivity ® vs. two diffractive IOLs.

VISION EYE INSTITUTE

INTRODUCING VEI Vision Eye Institute is the leading private provider of ophthalmology in Australia, with 17 eye clinics and 10 day surgeries across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. Its team of experienced doctors and clinical experts combined with a strong research programme enable it to deliver world class specialist eye care to patients. SPECIALITIES: laser eye surgery, retinal conditions, glaucoma, general ophthalmology, corneal conditions, corneal transplant, dry eye, cataract surgery, laser cataract surgery, lens surgery, oculoplastic, neuroophthalmological, oculoplastic, keratoconus, macular degeneration, pterygium, and diabetic eye disease.

is reflected in a recent culture survey. Thiedeman affirms: “The feedback from the VEI team on the satisfaction they gain from delivering life-changing services was particularly pronounced in this survey. “Our people set the tone and demeanour when it comes to interaction with our patients and their loved ones, so maintaining the right organisational culture is a fundamental dimension of our strategic planning. Our team are proud to be working for us, which ultimately leads to better care for our patients.” Indeed, this latter point is the primary motivation for VEI. The company is constantly striving to improve the patient journey, with a focus on meeting individualised needs and minimising friction points for patients and their carers. 6 | Asia Outlook issue 44

“I WAS INTERESTED IN THE MIRACLE OF THE HUMAN BODY FROM A VERY EARLY AGE. I’VE ALWAYS FOUND THE COMPLEXITY AND INTERDEPENDENCE OF THE VARIOUS ANATOMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGI CAL FEATURES OF THE BODY TO BE AMAZING AND PERPLEXING”

“We follow simple measures like having detailed information in plain English about common eye disorders and available treatments on our website, all the way through to giving select patients the option of booking appointments online and receiving video instructions in the post consultation and post-surgical care phases,” adds the CEO. “One’s eyesight is extremely precious and personal, and the impact of deterioration of visual acuity affects every patient differently. “For those living alone, a deterioration in eyesight can have profound implications on independence and can open up a range of mobility risks. Therefore, we need to be very aware of each person’s particular circumstances in the context of how their eyesight is deteriorating and how that

The Ultimate Experience of Control and Clarity

lcon ANZ has an exciting 2020 planned with two much anticipated launches for the IOL market.

AcrySof® Vivity®, IOL, is set to launch across ANZ in Quarter 3 2020. Out of the gates, Vivity® is showing promising early access results which will be revealed during the soon to be announced, Alcon hosted, launch events. Surgeons are hoping AcrySof® Vivity® will live up to the results presented at ESCRS in 2019, which suggest patients may benefit from an extended range of vision with AcrySof® Vivity® without introducing a side-effect profile associated with diffractive technologies. More exciting news to come on this soon! Additionally, ANZ is the first market globally to launch Clareon® Autonome® Toric, the world’s first and only fully automated injectable toric IOL, a much anticipated addition to the Clareon monofocal IOL. The launch of Clareon® Autonome® Toric will allow surgeons to give their patients access to Alcon’s latest hydrophobic acrylic biomaterial, with an advanced manufacturing process, even when patients have a need for astigmatic correction.

We offer the industry’s most complete line of ophthalmic surgical products, helping surgeons to achieve the best results for their patients. Our surgical portfolio includes technologies and devices for cataract, retinal, refractive surgery, as well as advanced technology intraocular lenses (ATIOLs) to treat cataracts and refractive errors, like presbyopia and astigmatism. We also provide advanced viscoelastics, surgical solutions, surgical packs, and other disposable products for cataract and vitreoretinal surgery. Alcon has a strong commitment to its partnership with eye care professionals and humanitarian organisations locally and internationally. We regularly embark on medical missions focused on correcting preventable blindness around the world. We also support local initiatives in Australia that assist rural and remote communities to achieve better eye health outcomes. For more information, head over to our website or explore our social media channels.

Alcon is a global leader in eye care, dedicated to helping people see brilliantly. Alcon offers the widest spectrum of eye care products in surgical, pharmaceutical and vision care. We operate in more than 75 countries, serve 180 markets and employ over 25,000 people from all walks of life.

www.facebook.com/AlconEyeCare | www.instagram.com/alconlife | www.alcon.com

ABOUT US

Founded in 1998, Glaukos Corporation is an ophthalmic medical technology and pharmaceutical company focused on novel therapies for the treatment of glaucoma, corneal disorders, and retinal diseases. Our company was the first company to bring to market Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS), the micro-invasive procedure which revolutionised the treatment and management of glaucoma. In 2012, we launched our first MIGS device—the iStent®—in the United States, followed by our nextgeneration iStent inject® device in in September 2018. In November 2019, Glaukos acquired Avedro, maker of the first and only FDA-approved cross-linking technology for progressive keratoconus. We continue to seek to leverage our platform technologies to build a comprehensive and proprietary portfolio of micro-scale surgical and pharmaceutical therapies for glaucoma, corneal health, and retinal diseases. Our company completed an initial public offering in June of 2015, and our shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “GKOS”. Our global headquarters is located in the United States in San Clemente, California, with additional locations in Waltham and Burlington, Massachusetts

EMPOWERING OPHTHALMIC GROWTH WORLDWIDE

With direct sales operations in 17 countries, we employ more than 200 commercial sales personnel worldwide. Worldwide we serve additional international markets through relationships with valued distributors. In all, our technologies are currently approved for use in more than 30 countries, and we continue to pursue regulatory approvals in more regions.

ADVANCING THE INDUSTRY’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE OPHTHALMIC SURGICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL PIPELINE

At Glaukos, we are dedicated to addressing the greatest unmet needs of the global ophthalmic market, for physicians and for patients. That’s why we’ve spent more than a decade re-investing in R&D and clinical trial programs to develop and advance a deep pipeline of novel therapies currently being evaluated in FDA clinical trials, while leading the industry in clinical support and patient education resources. It’s also why we’re seeking to leverage our platform technologies to build an unrivaled portfolio of nextgeneration surgical and pharmaceutical therapies in glaucoma, corneal health, and retinal disease. We’ve achieved many firsts in clinical studies,and continue to reinvest 26% of net sales* exclusively on research and development efforts – all to relentlessly advance our goal of creating and delivering transformative therapies for patients struggling with eye diseases and the skilled surgeons dedicated to their healing.

glaukos.com

VISION EYE INSTITUTE deterioration will impede their daily lives.” Technology is one such tool that has become critical in enhancing this understanding. Owing to ongoing advances in clinical technologies, VEI is now able to capture and analyse diagnostic data in new ways, helping to inform different options when it comes to treatment delivery. As a result, ophthalmic care has been transformed in the past decade, and VEI is primed to take advantage of such new developments moving forward. “We are beginning to use the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence to assist us with diagnostics

GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND Beyond the meaningful services it provides, Vision Eye Institute also delivers benefit through a number of meaningful corporate social responsibility initiatives. James Thiedeman: “Many of our doctors and staff regularly travel to countries in Southeast Asia where access to ophthalmic services is more challenging for the local populations. They donate their time to offer diagnosis and treatment to those who are less fortunate than we are in Australia. I commend our team for such altruism. “We also participate in a range of giving programmes where we donate replacement ophthalmic equipment and second-hand spectacles to less fortunate communities both in Australia and overseas. This is possible as many of our patients no longer require their glasses after receiving treatment with us!”

10 | Asia Outlook issue 44

and are building on the vast realms of clinical data to complement the brilliant skills of our ophthalmologists and clinical support staff,” Thiedeman comments.

POWERED BY PARTNERS VEI is also bolstering its overall offering in other ways. The company has begun to branch into other specialties and niches aside from ophthalmology, having opened a new hospital in Adelaide, South Australia last year to provide gastroenterology, dermatology, plastics and a number of other surgical services. Further, the organisation also runs a sister network of eye clinics and hospitals in China – operating under the Zeming brand – some of which have the scale to accommodate up to 100 patients in overnight beds. Critical to the success of both VEI’s innovation and strides in the way of ophthalmology are its partners and suppliers.

PSC Insurance Brokers PSC Insurance Brokers is a national insurance brokerage providing cost-effective insurance advice and solutions to small-to-medium businesses across Australia. We are dedicated to helping you protect your operations and assets through considered advice and the ability to leverage our scale with leading insurers and underwriting agencies. We focus on our customers above all else. We take a personal approach to each client: to evaluate all aspects of their business, their risks and their situation. Our attention to every detail about your business means we provide the right advice to suit your unique situation.

www.pscinsurance.com.au

HEALTHCARE

PSC Insurance is built on a foundation of empowering our talented insurance professionals and partners to provide the best insurance advice and solutions. We make it personal. We provide insurance broking services to thousands of businesses, associations and individuals across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. Our personal approach means we focus on our clientsâ€™ needs above all else. We work closely with our clients to assess their individual risks and provide the best value insurance program that gives them the cover they need when things go wrong.

www.pscinsurance.com.au PSC Insurance Brokers (Melbourne) ABN 30 129 444 828 | AFS License No 342 385 Please refer to our Financial Services Guide on our website for information on our products and services and how we are remunerated.

wellmark.com.au

WANT A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR YOUR BUSINESS? If you have a healthcare business, you should talk to us. As a creative agency that specialises in healthcare, weâ€™ll give you an unfair advantage. Call us on 03 8373 2777.

Asia Outlook issue 44 | 11

VISION EYE INSTITUTE The company has carefully cultivated an ecosystem of mutual dependence over many years, these supporting organisations assisting it in all aspects from ensuring its intra-ocular lenses are delivered on time and to the correct clinical specification through to being confident that its operating theatres have been cleaned and decontaminated to the highest standard. “We are highly reliant on our relationships with third party partners,” Thiedeman affirms.

A VISIONARY OUTLOOK Without doubt, the assistance that these organisations offer in helping VEI to grow the scale and scope of its services moving forward will be critical. Successfully established in Eastern Australia, the company is now looking to garner presence in Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory as part of an ongoing expansion strategy. And it is also exploring other complementary surgical specialities to expand its hospital portfolio.

“We like the demand drivers in a number of the Southeast Asian countries and are currently looking at opportunities in the region,” Thiedeman comments. The impact of expanding such services could be hugely significant. Citing statistics from the World Health Organization’s World Report on Vision, the CEO is able to reveal that 2.2 billion people suffer from vision impairment or blindness, and one billion of these cases could have been prevented or are yet to be addressed.

HEALTHCARE

Such statistics considered, the services VEI provides are undeniably important to the lives of those that it does cater to, Thiedeman iterating this in a measured conclusion. “The impact of losing one’s sight is enormous,” he begins. “Even in developed countries, people are leaving treatment far too late into the advancement of their eye disease. “With improvements in early detection through more advanced diagnostics, I am hopeful we as a sector can

become more successful at educating the community to have their eyes checked more regularly. The mantra holds as true in ophthalmology as it does in every other speciality – prevention is far better than any cure. “While artificial lens technologies, stents to manage glaucoma and increasingly efficacious pharmacological agents to stem the advancement of retinal disease are all examples of truly transformational steps, we also have to actually get patients to the

clinic to give them access to these treatment technologies. “This is the status quo that we will be looking to change in the future.”

VISION EYE INSTITUTE Tel: +61 (0)3 8844 4000 www.visioneyeinstitute.com.au

Asia Outlook issue 44 | 13

VISION EYE INSTITUTE Corporate Head Office Level 5, 390 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004 Tel: 03 8844 4000 headoffice.admin@visioneyeinstitute.com.au visioneyeinstitute.com.au PRODUCED BY ASIA OUTLOOK MAGAZINE