ReVana Therapeutics
The Challenge
Vision Loss Doesn’t Just Take Sight. It Takes Connection.
For millions of people living with retinal disease, each eye injection is a difficult reminder of what’s at stake: the ability to read, drive, work and recognize the faces of loved ones. Patients with conditions like wet age-related macular degeneration often endure frequent injections — sometimes monthly — to maintain their sight. This intense treatment schedule can be physically and emotionally draining, leading many to skip doses, even when the cost is their vision.
Re-Vana Therapeutics developed a novel sustained-release ocular drug delivery platform aimed at reducing treatment frequency to as few as one or two injections per year.
However, to transform this innovation into widely available therapies, Re-Vana needed a strategic partner with the expertise and global reach to navigate clinical development, regulatory approval and commercialization.
The Solution
A Deal Designed to Drive Innovation and Improve Outcomes
Barnes & Thornburg advised Re-Vana on the intellectual property and licensing structure of its collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim. The collaboration combines Boehringer’s ophthalmic development capabilities with Re-Vana’s sustained-release drug delivery technology.
Led by partners Allen Baum and Aisha Hasan in the firm’s Raleigh office, the team worked to define ownership, exclusivity and licensing terms that support Re-Vana’s long-term platform value while enabling strategic co-development.
The structure allows the companies to pursue new therapies that integrate long-acting delivery with Boehringer’s pipeline assets — advancing treatments that may reduce the frequency of injections and improve patient adherence in chronic eye diseases.
The Result
A Transformational Collaboration with Billion-Dollar Potential
Barnes & Thornburg worked closely with Re-Vana’s executive team to align the legal and commercial structure of the cross-border collaboration with the company’s scientific goals and long-term platform strategy.
As part of the agreement, Boehringer and Re-Vana will jointly manage early-stage development, with Boehringer leading clinical trials and commercialization on a global scale.
The transaction includes upfront payments, development and commercial milestones and royalties, with the total deal value exceeding $1 billion for the first three targets alone. Boehringer may pursue up to three new programs per year, each grounded in Re-Vana’s extended-release platform.
“The strategic collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim marks a transformational moment for Re Vana,” said Michael O’Rourke, Chief Executive Officer. “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.”