More than meets the eye
Boehringer Ingelheim leads the industry as one of the top investors in research and development for therapies that improve and extend the lives of those in communities struggling with medical care. Boehringer employs its research directly into its diverse pipeline of eye health products including its four Phase 2 testing assets, and the commitment to preserving patient’s retinas. Boehringer believes that preserving the retina can protect a patient’s way of life and prevent vision loss.
Accompanying these beliefs and executions is Queen’s University Belfast spin-out Re-Vana, an ocular therapeutics and innovative ocular drug delivery company. Re-Vana’s ophthalmic disease treatment looks to change the way patients administer treatments by reducing the frequency of injections patients must make directly into their eyes. The drug delivery method is designed to slowly release treatments over the span of six to twelve months providing patients with the benefit of reduced injections.
Re-Vana believes that lowering the number of initial injections can drastically improve patient compliance and in turn reflect improvements in therapeutic results, with Nedim Pipic, global head of mental health, eye health, and emerging areas at Boehringer Ingelheim, saying, “We’re looking forward to team up with Re-Vana to push the boundaries of what’s possible in eye health. Together, we want to tackle the limits of today’s treatments aiming to help people keep their sight, with fewer injections. This partnership is a bold step forward in our mission to protect vision and ease the burden on patients.” 1
Glimpse into the future
Boehringer expects to combine Re-Vana’s drug delivery technology into its established eye-care pipeline, along with three additional projects per year across its therapeutic modalities. The collaboration will see a joint overview of Re-Vana’s productivity and development of the extended-release programs, with Boehringer assuming responsibilities for clinical developments, regulatory approval, and global commercialization.
Official terms of the collaboration agreement grant Boehringer target exclusivity, and expresses that Boehringer must provide upfront developmental, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments to Re-Vana for the targeted three projects annually. The deal has the potential to exceed $1 billion in value dependent on the annual project projections accompanied with any additional royalty payments on product net sales.
Sources
- Boehringer Ingelheim and Re-Vana Therapeutics Announce Strategic Collaboration to Develop Long-Acting Ophthalmic Therapies Boehringer Ingelheim July 28, 2025 https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/science-innovation/human-health-innovation/extended-release-eye-therapies-collaboration