Bayer HealthCare (Bayer) and The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, US, have entered into a five-year collaboration agreement to develop new ophthalmic therapies targeting retinal diseases.

The partners will jointly work on the discovery and development of innovative drugs for the treatment of serious back-of-the-eye diseases that affect many people worldwide, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), geographic atrophy, Stargardt’s disease, and retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

“Bayer is strongly committed to further expanding its research efforts in the area of retinal diseases,” said professor Andreas Busch, head of global drug discovery and member of the executive committee of Bayer HealthCare. “The Wilmer Eye Institute’s deep understanding of eye disease biology and patient care and Bayer’s expertise in drug discovery and development in ophthalmology complement each other perfectly. We are pleased to partner with this renowned institute which is among the leading scientific and clinical institutions in ophthalmology worldwide.“

The goal of the strategic research alliance is to accelerate the translation of innovative approaches from the laboratory to the clinic, ultimately offering patients new treatment options for several retinal diseases.

“There is a critical need for new therapies that treat a variety of serious diseases of the eye,” said Peter J. McDonnell, director of the Wilmer Eye Institute and professor of ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Additional research will allow us the opportunity to make significant advances in this area.”

Under the agreement, Bayer and the Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins will jointly conduct research activities evaluating new targets and disease mechanisms, drug delivery technologies, and biomarkers for back-of-the-eye diseases with high unmet medical need. Both parties will contribute personnel and infrastructure to address important scientific questions. Bayer will have an option for the exclusive use of the collaboration results. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

As a leader in ophthalmology, Bayer is committed to delivering science for a better life by addressing unmet needs through scientific progress and innovation and facilitating medical education and knowledge sharing.

Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM), headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, is a $7 billion integrated global health enterprise and one of the leading academic health care systems in the United States.

Founded in 1925, the Wilmer Eye Institute was the nation's first university eye clinic to combine patient care, research and teaching under one roof.

Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures (JHTV) is The Johns Hopkins University’s intellectual property administration center, serving Johns Hopkins researchers and inventors as a licensing, patent and technology commercialization office and acting as an active liaison to parties interested in leveraging university research or materials for academic or corporate endeavours.