Sparking an insight on eyesight

By Jan Jarvis

Bill Burns

A decade ago, a Fort Worth startup began developing an eye drop that may literally change the way 100 million Americans who suffer from the blurry near vision of presbyopia see the world.

The huge insight on eyesight that Encore Vision President and CEO Bill Burns had 10 years ago is moving closer to becoming a reality with the recent announcement that Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis is acquiring the startup for an undisclosed amount.

Burns, whose company was helped by the TECH Fort Worth-UNT Health Science Center Acceleration Lab, said the Novartis acquisition “represents an important step in continuing the development of EV06 Ophthalmic Solution, a first-in-class treatment for the millions with quality-of-life limiting presbyopia.”

The drops are expected to provide relief from presbyopia, a common condition that typically occurs in middle to old age.

“There are no approved medical treatments for presbyopia,” Burns said. “There hasn’t been a great advancement since Ben Franklin invented bifocals. So it’s time.”

The drops work by reducing stiffness in the eye lens that occurs with aging. By restoring flexibility, the drops allow the lens to thicken in the center, making it easier to focus on nearby objects. Those who use the drops daily should be able to eliminate or reduce their use of glasses.
Virtually everyone over 45 experiences the condition, which makes it difficult to focus on objects, read and see small print. Until now the only treatment for the condition has been glasses and sometimes surgery.

Burns said the assistance he received from the TECH Fort Worth-UNTHSC Acceleration Lab in the early stages of development was a major asset.

“UNT Health Science Center played an instrumental role in Encore Vision research and development activities over the years,” Burns said. “Through the relationship between TECH Fort Worth and UNTHSC, Encore Vision was given access to laboratory space, faculty, the health science library and the opportunity to interact with experienced industry executives through the Executives in Residence program.”

Novartis said in a statement that the acquisition will add a first-in-class disease modifying topical treatment for presbyopia to its ophthalmology pipeline. Terms were not disclosed.
Encore Vision, which has been a UNTHSC Acceleration Lab client company for many years, is another success story for UNTHSC and its partnership with TECH Fort Worth, said Lawrence E. (Joe) Allred, PhD, Associate Vice President for Research & Innovation

Last year ZS Pharma was purchased by AstraZeneca for $2.7 million. ZS Pharma received help through the Accelerator Lab in the development of a deadly blood condition known as hyperkalemia.

Recent News

Abe Clark
  • Research
|Mar 28, 2024

Dr. Abe Clark honored with international research award

Abbot “Abe” Clark, PhD, FARVO, FAAO, regents professor of pharmacology and neuroscience in the School of Biomedical Sciences at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, has received the International Society for Eye Research 2024 Ernst H. Bárány Prize.   The awar...
Processed With Lensa With Pt12 Filter
  • Research
|Mar 28, 2024

Dr. Steven Romero receives American Physiological Society award for excellence in research

Dr. Steven Romero, associate professor of Physiology and Anatomy at the School of Biomedical Sciences at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, was named the 2024 Henry Pickering Bowditch Award Lecturer by the American Physiological Society. The lectureship is awarded to ...
Screenshot 2024 03 28 At 8.50.12 am
  • Our People
|Mar 28, 2024

Physical therapy student lands prestigious role in national organization

When Jonathan Hansen was an undergraduate intern at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, he encountered a man who had just suffered a stroke. The patient’s right side was completely paralyzed. Hansen, now a first-year student in The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Wort...
Jackie In Dc
  • Our People
|Mar 27, 2024

Personalized Health and Well-Being student repays generosity through advocacy

In 2019, The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth student Jacqueline Green said she felt hopeless. She became pregnant while experiencing hard financial times, and she didn’t have insurance. Compounding her stress was terrible grief. Her mother-in-law suddenly passed away,...