PolyActiva is changing how we look at eye biotech

The company is developing new ocular technology with support from our Biomedical Translation Fund and Brandon Capital.

PolyActiva is an ophthalmology company pioneering polymer technology that delivers medicine directly to the eyes through ocular implants. Its lead product is in clinical trials in Australia and New Zealand and has the potential to treat conditions like glaucoma. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness, which affects 80 million people worldwide.

Patients who have diseases like glaucoma must use eye drops every day. But PolyActiva is creating small ocular implants that could replace drop therapy with a sustained drug flow to the eye.

Two of our programs helped PolyActiva create their polymer implants: the Biomedical Translation Fund (BTF) and tax concessions through Venture Capital Limited Partnerships (VCLP). The BTF is a venture capital program we deliver for the Department of Health and Aged Care. 

The BTF supported PolyActiva through Brandon Capital, a licensed private venture capital fund manager of the BTF. The BTF program invested $14.6 million in PolyActiva in 2018.

Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups that innovate play a crucial role in our economy. And great Australian health and medical research outcomes lead to better health and wellbeing for Australians. This funding helps stimulate innovation in biotech and develop local industry.

There aren’t many venture funds in Australian biotech that can take an Australian idea through to human testing. Getting an idea to market is a difficult but rewarding journey and the BTF and VCLP helped PolyActiva do just that.

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