NuVision Biotherapies, a UK spin-out whose products speed up healing of eye conditions, has raised £4.8 million in a funding round led by the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II through its appointed fund manager Mercia Ventures, and including the University of Nottingham and Pioneer Group. Its products harness amniotic membrane to support wound healing after surgery and manage eye conditions.
The biotech uses amniotic membrane, the tissue that surrounds babies in the womb, to support wound healing after surgery and to manage conditions including ulcers, burns, glaucoma and infections. Its first product, Omnigen, was designed for use in operating theatres, while OmniLenz, a specialised contact lens, allows the use of amniotic membrane without the need for surgery and extends treatment into opticians’ practices and outpatient clinics.
It currently supplies over 160 NHS centres and private clinics in the UK, including Moorfields Eye Hospital, and clinics in 12 countries across Europe, Scandinavia and the Middle East. Following a successful clinical trial, a combination of Omnigen and OmniLenz is now being used to treat dry eye disease. The funding will help the Nottingham-based business to meet growing demand by scaling up and entering more international markets.
NuVision Biotherapies was founded in 2015 by Andy Hopkinson based on research at the University of Nottingham. It sources amniotic tissue donated by women having elective Caesarean procedures and manufactures at its plant in Nottingham, using a process that preserves the tissue’s healing properties while enabling room-temperature storage.
