Drug releasing eye lens sees medtech firm receive £225k grant

A medtech company developing a biodegradable intraocular lens that can release drugs directly into the eye has been awarded just over £225,000 by Innovate UK.

VisusNano was awarded the funding for its drug-eluting MEDILens product, which is being developed to release anti-inflammatory drugs directly into the patients’ eye following cataract surgery.

Cataracts are the most common cause of blindness worldwide and can only be cured by surgery. More so, post-surgery inflammation can cause pain and loss of vision if left untreated. Currently, this is prevented through the administration of eye drops, three-to-four times a day for a month.

Since MEDILens can release anti-inflammatory drugs directly into the eye, this removes the need for eye drops. VisusNano will now use the Innovate UK funding to test the safety and efficacy of MEDILens in animal models. Following this, the company aims to develop a commercial veterinary product and a prototype for humans within the next 18 months. 

VisusNano CEO, Dr Joanna Gould, said: “We are thrilled to receive this funding from Innovate UK to develop our technology further, possibly changing the lives of thousands of cataract patients.

"The potential of MEDILens is substantial; not only is the intraocular lens market growing because of the ageing population, but our product can be easily modified to incorporate other drugs to treat different diseases. We are delighted to be fast-tracking our veterinary cataract product and prototype for humans in the next 18 months.”