Cooperative Agreement U01FD005180

The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded a $412,285 Project Grant under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to validate an advanced transepithelial corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) technology. The goal is to develop a more effective CXL procedure that can strengthen the cornea without requiring removal of the surface epithelium, which often leads to complications. The key products and services to be delivered include: Constructing an...

Summary Washington State University has received a $482,067 Project Grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research federal grant program (CFDA 93.867), effective August 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030. The grant supports the development of nanotherapies for targeted treatment of corneal neovascularization (CONV), a sight-threatening condition characterized by abnormal blood vessel growth into the cornea that disrupts normal corneal anatomy and causes opacity. Current...

Federal Grant Award Summary Neovascularx, Inc. received a $305,321 Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) on September 30, 2025, with a completion date of September 29, 2026. The award supports the clinical development and commercialization of topical ophthalmic products to treat neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NAMD), the leading cause of vision loss among elderly populations in the United States. The company is...

Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary The Ohio State University received a $9.078 million Cooperative Agreement from the National Eye Institute (CFDA 93.867 – Vision Research) awarded September 15, 2025, with completion targeted for July 31, 2030. This award funds the Data Coordinating Center for the Delaying the Onset of Nearsightedness (DONUT) Study, a multicenter randomized clinical trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of 0.05% atropine versus placebo in delaying myopia onset in...

This federal Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI), under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), provides funding of $294,662 to Proteris Biotech, Inc. to support research on using the protein Clusterin (CLU) to treat ocular surface disease and dry eye. The project aims to determine whether CLU can protect the ocular surface epithelia from damage and also have an anti-inflammatory effect in dry eye disease. Recombinant human CLU will be tested for efficacy in a mouse...

The National Eye Institute (NEI) has awarded a $356,485 Project Grant to Stellular Bio, Inc. under the NEI's Vision Research federal grant program (CFDA 93.867) to support the scale-up and manufacturing of STLR-201, an off-the-shelf regenerative therapeutic for Sjögren's syndrome-related dry eye disease (SSDE). STLR-201 is a platelet and stem cell-based product that promotes corneal epithelial cell proliferation and improves corneal barrier integrity, addressing the critical unmet need for a...

The National Eye Institute (NEI), through its Vision Research federal grant program (CFDA 93.867), awarded a $661,635 project grant to The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York, doing business as SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, to conduct research on elucidating the molecular changes in the extracellular matrix of the outflow pathway that regulate outflow facility in steroid-induced ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma. This 4-year project aims to determine...

Federal Grant Award Summary ESK Therapeutics, Inc. received a $330,169 Project Grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), with performance commencing September 1, 2025 and concluding August 31, 2026. The award supports the preclinical development and commercialization of CornéaClear, a first-in-class biologic eyedrop therapeutic formulation designed to accelerate corneal wound healing and reduce scarring risk in patients with persistent corneal...

Federal Grant Award Summary Proteris Biotech, Inc. received a $321,904 Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) effective August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026. The award funds Phase I development of Clusterin (CLU), a novel therapeutic targeting epitheliopathy in dry eye disease. The company will conduct early-stage development activities at its Boston incubator facility, including non-Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) stability...

This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program, CFDA 47.084, provides $100,000 to develop a novel antioxidant ocular therapeutic. The University of Iowa will research and test a water-based formulation of complexed ubiquinol that can penetrate the cornea to treat oxidative stress in the eye. Oxidative stress from sources like UV exposure and contact lens wear can cause redness, irritation, inflammation and potentially lead to dry eye...