Glaucoma Research Foundation Launches Treatment Accelerator With $5 Million Gift

Glaucoma Research Foundation announced it received a $5 million gift from the John and Daria Barry Foundation, the largest single donation in the organization’s history.

The foundation stated that the landmark contribution will launch its Treatment Accelerator Initiative. The initiative intends to rapidly transform scientific breakthroughs into therapies for people with glaucoma—accelerating the development of new treatments that preserve and restore sight for millions affected by glaucoma worldwide.

The $5 million contribution will be disbursed over 5 years, providing a pool of financial resources that Glaucoma Research Foundation can distribute to move key laboratory breakthroughs from bench to bedside.

The Treatment Accelerator allows the Glaucoma Research Foundation to do the following:

• Focus on advancing the field of neuroprotection
• Provide funding and infrastructure that accelerates science discoveries into preclinical and first-in-human studies to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of new treatments
• Foster collaboration among leading scientists, clinicians, and biotech innovators
• Support additional early-stage research projects that traditional funders may overlook but have a high potential for impact
• Revolutionize the traditional path from bench to bedside to fundamentally change the treatment of glaucoma

Glaucoma Research Foundation noted that the John and Daria Barry Foundation invests in medical research that is meaningful to the Barry family. Daria Becker Barry was diagnosed with glaucoma in 2012. After losing peripheral vision to the disease, she was drawn to the opportunity to improve the lives of others who also struggle with this sight-stealing condition.

“We want to put glaucoma on the map as a serious, neurodegenerative illness and speed up the search for new treatments and cures. Through this initiative, we hope to trigger progress that not only preserves sight but ultimately restores it for the millions affected by this devastating disease," said Daria Becker Barry, Head of Administration and Managing Director at Prospect Capital Management.