Long‑lasting eye medicine to lower eye pressure for glaucoma
Official title: Late-stage Pre-clinical Development and GMP Production of a First-in-Class Extended Release IOP-lowering Formulation
Funded at Tavo Biotherapeutics, INC · NIH-11179337 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A long‑acting eye treatment is being made to lower eye pressure for adults with glaucoma who have trouble using daily eye drops.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tavo Biotherapeutics, INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,015,754 |
| NIH project number | 5R44EY036343-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11179337 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with glaucoma or high intraocular pressure who have difficulty with frequent topical eye-drop regimens would be the ideal future candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without glaucoma or those whose vision loss is already advanced and irreversible are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this development.
What this research studies
You would be hearing about a new medicine that uses a different drug target (related to 3‑isobutyl GABA) formulated to release over a long time so people need fewer doses. The team is working on lab and preclinical safety and effectiveness tests and making the drug under strict manufacturing rules (GMP) so it can be used in humans later. This project focuses on reducing pressure spikes and side effects that make people miss doses. If those steps go well, the medicine could move into clinical testing in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could mean fewer daily eye drops, steadier control of eye pressure, fewer side effects, and better protection against vision loss for people with glaucoma.
How similar studies have gone: Other sustained‑release eye delivery approaches have shown clinical promise, but this specific drug target and formulation are novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Tavo Biotherapeutics, INC
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson, Dianna Ammons — Tavo Biotherapeutics, INC
- Study coordinator: Johnson, Dianna Ammons
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.