Boehringer Strikes Up Deal with Re-Vana to Deliver Ophthalmic Pipeline
The strategic collaboration and license agreement is potentially worth more than USD 1 billion and offer patients less burdensome treatment regimens through sustained ocular delivery of therapies.
German biopharma company, Boehringer Ingelheim, and ocular therapeutics and drug delivery company, Re-Vana Therapeutics, have entered into a strategic collaboration and license agreement, for the development of long-acting ophthalmic therapies. The collaboration, which was announced in a July 28, 2025 press release, will see the companies combine Boehringer’s eye health pipeline with Re-Vana’s sustained release ocular drug delivery technology and will cover up to three development programs per year (1).
Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will work together to oversee the feasibility and development activities for Re-Vana’s extended-release programs; however, Boehringer will be solely responsible for the clinical development, regulatory approval, and global commercialization of any resultant products. Additionally, Boehringer will gain the rights to target exclusivity through the agreement and will provide upfront, development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments to Re-Vana to a potential total deal value of more than USD 1 billion.
“We’re looking forward to team up with Re-Vana to push the boundaries of what’s possible in eye health,” said Nedim Pipic, Global Head of Mental Health, Eye Health and Emerging Areas at Boehringer Ingelheim, in the company press release (1). “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.”
“The strategic collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim marks a transformational moment for Re-Vana,” added Michael O’Rourke, Re-Vana Chief Executive Officer, in the press release (1). “By combining our extended-release platform with Boehringer Ingelheim’s world-class research and development capabilities and eye health pipeline, we strive to bring forward a new generation of long-acting treatments for eye diseases that offer clinical and quality-of-life benefits for patients.”
Re-Vana, a spin-out from Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has developed implant technologies that allow for sustained release of drug products in the eye — an area that can be burdensome with injections sometimes needed every four to six weeks. EyeLief/EyeLief-SD are patented photo-crosslinked, prefabricated implants that offer a release profile of 3–12 months (2). OcuLief is also a patented system and is particularly suitable for drug products that need higher release rates of ≥2 µg/day for a period of 3–12 months (3).
Furthermore, the deal provides a boost for Northern Ireland’s medical innovation reputation on a global scale. “This landmark deal worth around USD 1 billion is fantastic news for Belfast firm Re-Vana and their international partner Boehringer Ingelheim,” stressed Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in a company press release (4). “This deal represents a huge vote of confidence in Northern Ireland’s innovation and skills, and is good news for the health sector as well as demonstrating the keen interest there is in investing in Northern Ireland’s economy.”
References
Boehringer Ingelheim. Boehringer Ingelheim and Re-Vana Therapeutics Announce Strategic Collaboration to Develop Long-Acting Ophthalmic Therapies. Press Release, July 28, 2025.
Re-Vana Therapeutics. EyeLief–EyeLief-SD. ReVanaTx.com/eyelief, accessed July 29, 2025.
Re-Vana Therapeutics. OcuLief. ReVanaTx.com/oculief, accessed July 29, 2025.
Re-Vana Therapeutics. Queen’s Spin-Out Secures Landmark $1bn Pharma Deal Placing Northern Ireland on Global Stage. Press Release, July 28, 2025.