GKOS Stock: Insider Activity, Filings & Research
Glaukos Corporation (GKOS) — Drillr’s hub for GKOS insider activity, SEC filings, earnings signals and AI research. Over the trailing 3 months, GKOS insiders filed 0 open-market buys and 15 sales (SEC Form 4).
GKOS insider trading activity (SEC Form 4)
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2026 | WEISNER AIMEE Sdirector | Grant | 1,878 | — |
| Jun 1, 2026 | WEISNER AIMEE Sdirector | Grant | 2,987 | $53.57 |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Stapley Marcdirector | Grant | 1,878 | — |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Torres Denicedirector | Grant | 2,987 | $53.57 |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Hoffmeister David Fdirector | Grant | 1,878 | — |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Torres Denicedirector | Grant | 1,878 | — |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Foley Mark Jdirector | Grant | 2,987 | $53.57 |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Hoffmeister David Fdirector | Grant | 2,987 | $53.57 |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Kliman Gilbert Hdirector | Grant | 1,878 | — |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Stapley Marcdirector | Grant | 2,987 | $53.57 |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Foley Mark Jdirector | Grant | 1,878 | — |
| Jun 1, 2026 | WEN LEANAdirector | Grant | 2,987 | $53.57 |
| Jun 1, 2026 | WEN LEANAdirector | Grant | 1,878 | — |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Kliman Gilbert Hdirector | Grant | 2,987 | $53.57 |
| May 28, 2026 | Hoffmeister David Fdirector | Option | 15,000 | $24.69 |
Source: GKOS SEC Form 4 filings, latest Jun 1, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
Glaukos Corporation company profile
Overview
Glaukos Corporation (NASDAQ:GKOS) is a specialized ophthalmic medical technology and pharmaceutical company founded in 1998 and headquartered in San Clemente, California. The company went public in June 2015 and has established itself as a pioneer in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) and innovative ocular therapeutics. Glaukos focuses on developing and commercializing novel therapies for treating glaucoma, corneal disorders, and retinal diseases, with a particular emphasis on what it calls "interventional glaucoma" - a proactive approach to treating eye pressure and preventing vision loss before significant damage occurs.
Business
Glaukos operates in the ophthalmic medical device and pharmaceutical industry, developing treatments for serious eye conditions that can lead to blindness if left untreated. The company's business is organized around three main franchises: **U.S. Glaucoma Franchise** (approximately 55% of revenue): This segment focuses on treating glaucoma, a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve and can cause irreversible vision loss. Glaucoma typically occurs when fluid pressure inside the eye becomes too high, damaging the optic nerve over time. The company's flagship products are the iStent family of micro-bypass stents - tiny titanium devices that are inserted during cataract surgery to create new drainage pathways for eye fluid (aqueous humor), thereby reducing intraocular pressure. The iStent, iStent inject, and newer iStent infinite are designed to enhance the eye's natural drainage system. The company's revolutionary iDose TR represents a paradigm shift - it's an injectable implant that delivers glaucoma medication directly inside the eye for extended periods, eliminating the need for daily eye drops that many patients struggle to use consistently. **International Glaucoma Franchise** (approximately 25% of revenue): This segment markets the same MIGS technologies globally through direct sales and distributors, focusing on changing the standard of care in international markets where traditional glaucoma surgery has been more prevalent. **Corneal Health Franchise** (approximately 20% of revenue): This division addresses corneal disorders, particularly corneal ectasia conditions like keratoconus where the cornea becomes thin and cone-shaped, causing vision distortion. The primary product is Photrexa, a riboflavin ophthalmic solution used in corneal collagen cross-linking procedures to strengthen and stabilize weakened corneas. The company is also developing Epioxa, a non-invasive corneal cross-linking therapy that doesn't require epithelial removal, potentially making the procedure more comfortable for patients.
Revenue model
Glaukos generates revenue primarily through product sales of its medical devices and pharmaceutical products to healthcare providers. The company sells its iStent devices and corneal health products directly to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and ophthalmologists, who then use these products in patient procedures. For iDose TR, the company receives payment when the drug-device combination is administered to patients. The business model faces several key margin influencers. **Positive factors** include the company's premium pricing for innovative technologies, the recurring nature of glaucoma treatment creating repeat customers, and the potential for expanded market penetration as interventional glaucoma gains acceptance. The shift toward earlier intervention in glaucoma treatment could significantly expand the addressable market from current surgical candidates to the broader population of glaucoma patients. **Negative factors** include reimbursement challenges, particularly with Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) and Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) that can restrict combination procedures, competitive pressure from larger medical device companies, and the high costs associated with clinical trials and regulatory approvals for new products. The company's margins are also sensitive to manufacturing scale, R&D investment levels, and the success rate of its clinical pipeline, as failed programs represent sunk costs while successful launches can drive significant margin expansion.
Competitive moat
Glaukos possesses a moderate but potentially strengthening competitive moat built on several key factors. The company's **first-mover advantage** in MIGS technology has established it as the market leader, with the iStent being the first FDA-approved MIGS device. This has created strong relationships with key opinion leaders and established clinical evidence supporting the technology. The company's **intellectual property portfolio** provides some protection, though patents in medical devices can be circumvented through design innovations. The **regulatory barriers** in ophthalmology create a significant moat, as competitors must conduct lengthy and expensive clinical trials to gain FDA approval. Glaukos' experience navigating these regulatory pathways and its established clinical data provide advantages. The company's **specialized sales force** and training programs create switching costs for surgeons who invest time learning the procedures. However, the moat faces meaningful challenges. **Large medical device companies** like Johnson & Johnson, Alcon, and Abbott have entered or are entering the MIGS space with significant resources and established relationships with eye care providers. The **reimbursement environment** remains challenging, and competitors may develop alternative approaches that achieve better coverage. The company's dependence on a relatively small number of key products makes it vulnerable to competitive displacement. While iDose TR represents a potentially transformative innovation that could strengthen the moat through its unique drug-device combination approach, the company must execute successfully on commercialization and reimbursement to realize this potential.
Risks & safety
Glaukos presents a mixed margin of safety profile with both strengths and concerns: **Overall Assessment**: Moderate margin of safety supported by strong balance sheet but challenged by ongoing losses and cash burn. • **Cash and Liquidity**: Strong position with $114 million in cash and short-term investments as of Q1 2025, down from $170 million in Q4 2024, providing approximately 1-2 years of runway at current burn rates • **Debt Level**: Low debt burden with debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, indicating minimal solvency risk from leverage • **Cash Flow**: Negative operating cash flow of -$18.5 million in Q1 2025 and negative free cash flow of -$20.5 million, though this represents improvement from historical levels • **Profitability**: Company remains unprofitable with net loss of $18.1 million in Q1 2025, though losses have narrowed from previous periods **Valuation Metrics**: • **Price-to-Book**: 7.3x, indicating premium valuation relative to book value • **Current Ratio**: Strong at 6.5x, indicating excellent short-term liquidity • **Quick Ratio**: 5.6x, confirming strong liquidity position **Other Considerations**: Revenue growth trajectory remains positive at 25% year-over-year, and the company's pipeline of innovative products provides potential upside, though execution risk remains significant.
Recent development
Over the past few years, Glaukos has undergone a significant strategic transformation centered around its **"interventional glaucoma"** philosophy - treating glaucoma proactively rather than waiting for disease progression. The most significant development has been the **launch of iDose TR**, the company's first intracameral sustained-release drug delivery system that received FDA approval and began commercial launch in 2023. This product represents a paradigm shift from traditional daily eye drops to a single injection that can provide therapeutic levels of medication for extended periods. The company has systematically expanded its **training and market access programs** for iDose TR, growing from a controlled launch to broader commercial availability. Key milestones include securing a permanent J-code (J7355) for billing, methodically working with Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to establish reimbursement coverage, and training hundreds of surgeons on the injection technique. The company has also been building clinical evidence with nine peer-reviewed publications supporting the technology. In the **pipeline development** area, Glaukos has advanced several key programs. The company submitted an NDA for **Epioxa**, a non-invasive corneal cross-linking therapy that could expand treatment options for corneal disorders. The **iDose TREX program** has progressed to Phase 2b/3 clinical trials, representing a potential next-generation sustained-release platform. The company has also commenced pivotal studies for the **PRESERFLO MicroShunt** and continued development of **iStent infinite** for standalone glaucoma procedures. Strategically, the company has been **investing in infrastructure and capabilities**, including plans for a new R&D and manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama. The focus has shifted toward achieving **cash flow breakeven** while maintaining investment in the clinical pipeline, reflecting a more disciplined approach to capital allocation as the company matures.
GKOS company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
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