The donor bottleneck behind corneal blindness

Corneas are the clear, dome-shaped outer layer of the eye that focuses light and protects eyes against dirt and germs. Corneal disease, referring to various conditions that damage the cornea, is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Unlike many other causes of vision loss, the current standard of care for corneal disease requires availability of a matched, human donor cornea.

More than 11 million people globally are waiting for a donor cornea at any given time, and only 1 in 70 patients who need a cornea actually receive one. Donor tissue also requires cold-chain logistics, immunocompatibility matching, and a narrow transplant window, which concentrates access in regions with mature eye-banking infrastructure and leaves much of the rest of the world dependent on medical missions and long waiting lists.

Once and if a patient does receive a transplant, tissue rejection remains a possibility, and otherwise a patient must remain permanently on immunosuppressant medication, and there can also be other complications.

This is fundamentally a solution, supply, and access problem, not just a doctor availability problem. BioLattice’s engineered cornea that can be manufactured, stored, and shipped like any other medical device removes the donor constraint entirely.

“Access to restored vision should not depend on the availability of donor tissue. That's the problem we're working to solve with CorneaClear. This investment allows us to advance the engineering and preclinical work needed to move the technology closer to patients. We're grateful to have investors who recognize both the potential impact and the work required to bring a new medical device to market.” — Linda Alunkal, Co-Founder and CEO, BioLattice Ophthalmics

CorneaClear: Engineering a new approach to corneal replacement

CorneaClear is a synthetic polymer-based device designed to replace damaged corneal tissue and provide a transparent optical pathway. Rather than asking surgeons to learn a new procedure, BioLattice engineered the device to be sutured into place using the same technique already used for a standard donor corneal graft. Because it is manufactured rather than harvested, CorneaClear is shelf-stable and does not require the cold chain, donor matching, and narrow transplant window processes that the current standard of care otherwise requires. Furthermore, it is designed to eliminate the anti-rejection medications many corneal transplant recipients rely on long-term.

BioLattice has advanced the technology through multiple design iterations, extensive laboratory testing and preclinical animal studies. The company's current development efforts focus on strengthening the device's structural integrity, improving tissue integration and refining its surgical implantation process.

The Seed financing will support these engineering improvements, further preclinical validation and preparation for subsequent development and regulatory milestones.

The need for CorneaClear is large and well defined, with more than 11 million people on the cornea tissue waiting list and 2 million more new cases of corneal disease per year. The need for a shelf stable device is compounded by the fact that areas with limited cold supply chains such as North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East show 8 to 14 times higher rates of corneal disease than low-prevalence areas like Europe.

“BioLattice is on track for a medical breakthrough that can have hugely positive impacts on the lives of millions of people per year while reducing treatment costs. The current standard of care for cornea-related blindness, which affects more than 11 million people worldwide, is donor cornea transplant. Yet donor corneas are in in exceedingly short supply, require lifetime immunosuppressant use, and still carry tissue rejection risk. CorneaClear addresses all of these issues and more, at lower cost. CorneaClear is a bioengineering marvel with massive social impact; we're honored to be able to help support its continued development and then scaled adoption.” — George Perry, President and Founder, boisei labs

About boisei labs

boisei labs is a US-based, ‘tech for good’ venture studio and family office building and investing in solutions targeting systemic environmental and social challenges through market-driven economics.

About BioLattice Ophthalmics

BioLattice Ophthalmics is a Philadelphia-based medical device company engineering CorneaClear, a synthetic cornea designed to expand patient access to solutions that restore, repair, and rebuild damaged corneal tissue. Founded in 2017, BioLattice has been named Startup of the Year at BioLabs Philadelphia's Investor Day, won the Philadelphia regional Startup World Cup competition, and received a National Science Foundation SBIR Phase I award.

About the round

boisei is investing in BioLattice's Seed round as a participant in Nittany Angels, Penn State's official angel investment network. Nittany Angels joins Life Sciences Greenhouse Investments as the lead investor in the seed round, along with SOSV and Robin Hood Ventures. BioLattice anticipates an additional closing of the Seed financing to support the next phase of its development program.

For press inquiries, contact Jared Yarnall-Schane, Managing Partner, boisei labs/ family office: jaredyarnall (at) boisei (dot) com