Project Grant R43EY029909

This Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) provides $1,066,178 to Tavo Biotherapeutics, Inc. (operating as Oculo Therapy LLC) to support late-stage preclinical development and GMP production of a novel extended-release intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering formulation for the treatment of glaucoma. The funding will enable critical IND-enabling studies for this first-in-class drug candidate using the FDA-approved drug pregabalin as...

This Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI), under the federal Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), aims to develop a refillable micromachined lens capsule-based drug delivery device for extended intraocular delivery of biologics and immune-modulating peptides to treat non-infectious uveitis. The $257,785 award to The Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University) will support research to characterize and control the release of adalimumab and a novel...

This Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (CFDA 93.867 - Vision Research) provides funding to Human Cell Co, a for-profit biotechnology research company, to develop a combination therapy for glaucoma. The award, totaling $360,897, will support research to determine if topical application of a nerve growth factor (NGF) mutein (HC201) in combination with oral nicotinamide (NAM) supplementation can more effectively improve retinal ganglion cell function compared to either treatment...

This $332,179 Project Grant awarded by the National Eye Institute (CFDA 93.867 Vision Research) supports the development of nanobarrier contact lenses that can provide sustained delivery of the drug cysteamine to treat the ocular complications of cystinosis. The lenses are designed to replace the current 8-times daily eye drop regimen, improving patient compliance and reducing side effects from the preservatives and acidic pH in the eye drops. The project aims to demonstrate the lenses can...

The University of Missouri System received a Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867). The $412,811 award, effective September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2025, supports the development of a novel adjustable glaucoma drainage device (AGDD) to regulate intraocular pressure. The project aims to design and fabricate a magnetically-responsive shape memory polymer composite valve integrated into a conventional shunt tube. This AGDD would...

This Project Grant award, valued at $728,165 and provided by the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research federal grant program (CFDA 93.867), supports research into the role of orexins in regulating intraocular pressure (IOP) as it relates to glaucoma. The key objectives are to: Examine the role of the brainstem raphe pallidus region in mediating DMH/PEF-induced IOP elevations by measuring the impact of local orexin receptor antagonists. Assess the degree to which orexin...

This Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (CFDA 93.867 - Vision Research), provides $661,635 to The Research Foundation for the State University of New York (RFSUNY) to elucidate the molecular changes in the extracellular matrix of the outflow pathway that regulate intraocular pressure in steroid-induced ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma. The key objectives are to determine if the extracellular matrix...

This Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (CFDA 93.867 Vision Research) provides $356,485 to Stellular Bio, Inc. to scale up manufacturing and conduct Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) studies for their regenerative therapeutic candidate STLR-201 to treat Sjögren's syndrome-related dry eye disease. The key products and services to be delivered under this award include: Finalizing the STLR-201 drug substance processing strategy and scaling up production to enable GMP...

This Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (CFDA 93.867 - Vision Research) to Vanderbilt University Medical Center provides $481,250 in funding over a 2-year period starting June 1, 2025. The goal of the research is to investigate how mutations in the ADAMTS10 gene lead to reduced neuroprotective TGF-beta signaling, resulting in retinal ganglion cell death and optic nerve degeneration, which are hallmarks of glaucoma. Specifically, the research will: Define the mechanism by which...

This federal Project Grant award, totaling $496,633, was awarded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867). The grant supports a research project at Duke University to investigate the role of glypicans, specifically glypican-4 (GPC4), in trabecular meshwork function, intraocular pressure regulation, and the development of glaucoma. The project aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms by which augmented GPC4 expression and secretion may dysregulate Wnt...