LIQID Medical

Company overview

LIQID Medical is a Cape Town medical device company founded in 2017 by ophthalmologist Daemon McClunan. Its current development programme centers on QMAX, a permanently implanted micro-shunt designed to alter the pressure relationship between the inside of the eye and the fluid space around the optic nerve.

The company is developing QMAX with QSCOPE, a single-use endoscopic delivery system. Its approach aims to address the translaminar pressure gradient without creating a subconjunctival filtering bleb. These are intended design characteristics and clinical objectives of a product still under investigation.

QMAX remains in research and development and is not available for sale. LIQID’s roadmap includes feasibility work, a planned U.S. investigational programme and a targeted De Novo pathway. Those milestones are forward-looking and do not establish regulatory authorization.

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Products & regulatory status How does MedTechIndex get this information?

Summary

LIQID states that QMAX remains in research and development, has not been submitted to or cleared or approved by a regulatory authority, and is not available for sale. The company’s roadmap distinguishes its feasibility studies from later planned U.S. IDE and pivotal-trial milestones. ^[2][3]

The roadmap targets a De Novo decision in 2030, following planned pivotal trials in 2028–2030. That is a company development target, not an FDA decision. The proposed endoscopic workflow and pressure-equalization mechanism remain subject to clinical and regulatory evaluation. ^[3]

Regulatory snapshot How to read this snapshot

U.S. FDA

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510(k) clearances

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De Novo grants

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PMA approvals

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Recall events

Latest recorded source review: 2026-11-04.

Scope: selected product families.

Commercial portfolio snapshot

No commercially marketed product portfolio has been established in the reviewed material.

Commercial development

Glaucoma implant platform

QMAX implant and QSCOPE delivery system ↗

Investigational micro-shunt designed to connect ocular and peri-optic fluid spaces and reduce the pressure difference across the optic nerve head. QSCOPE is the associated single-use endoscopic insertion system. ^[3]

Investigational · Not available for sale