BALTIMORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–KeraLink International (KLI) today announced $2.5 million in seed funding in Pantheon Vision (PV) to launch the development of a novel advancement to help eradicate corneal blindness in both developed and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

“Working with generous donors and impact investors, we will fuse the power of market-based solutions with compassionate philanthropy to ensure corneal health in low- and middle-income countries.” 

— David Green, KeraLink International President and CEO

Pantheon Vision, an early-stage ophthalmic medical device company KLI established, will use the funding to develop bioengineered corneal implants to reduce reliance on donated corneal tissue – often unavailable in LMICs. By funding PV, KLI is engaged in a venture philanthropy strategy as part of its PEN approach to eradicating corneal blindness: Prevention of corneal blindness, Early detection and treatment of corneal conditions, and Novel therapies that are effective and affordable for broad use in underserved and under-resourced LMICs.

“Development of novel therapeutic solutions is costly but critical to fulfilling our mission of eradicating corneal blindness,” said Douglas J. Furlong, KLI Board Chairman. “We are proud to support Pantheon Vision’s promising work and anticipate a return on this investment that will allow us to fund additional innovative products, technologies, and services.”

“Working with generous donors and impact investors, we will fuse the power of market-based solutions with compassionate philanthropy to ensure corneal health in LMICs,” added KLI President and CEO David Green.

Ophthalmic industry veteran John Sheets, Ph.D, leads Pantheon Vision. Dr. Sheets has led companies including Hoya and Elisar, and R&D organizations at Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, and Johnson & Johnson. He also served the Food and Drug Administration heading its Office of Device Evaluation.

More than 12.7 million children and adults are blind because of corneal injuries or infections, and millions more are blind in one eye or live with seriously impaired vision. KLI is rewriting the narrative of corneal health by advancing ground-breaking products, technologies, and services to eradicate corneal blindness with specific emphasis on low- and middle-income countries.