Healome Therapeutics has raised £2 million in seed funding to accelerate development of its eye-drop platform designed to improve drug delivery for ocular surface diseases.

The oversubscribed investment round was led by Empirical Ventures, with participation from DEBRA Research, Cure EB, Oshen Bio and existing investor SFC Capital. The funding will support pre-clinical development, manufacturing scale-up, regulatory engagement with the MHRA and FDA, and preparations for first-in-human studies planned for 2027.

Healome’s technology aims to overcome one of the biggest challenges associated with conventional eye drops—their limited time on the eye’s surface. Standard eye drops are typically cleared within minutes, often requiring frequent dosing, particularly for patients with chronic eye conditions.

The company’s proprietary matrix technology behaves as a liquid during administration before restructuring on the eye to form a transparent lubricating layer. According to Healome, this increases the time medicines remain on the ocular surface, potentially improving drug absorption while reducing dosing frequency.

The platform has been designed to deliver a range of therapeutics, including small molecules and biologics. Pre-clinical studies have also shown the technology delivering an anti-scarring biologic in a model of severe corneal injury and infection, resulting in rapid corneal healing with minimal side effects.

Healome is developing the platform for multiple ophthalmic indications, including dry eye disease, ocular surface inflammation, corneal injury, chronic drug delivery and rare diseases affecting the eye.

One of its priority programmes focuses on ocular complications associated with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare inherited disorder that can cause chronic corneal damage, pain and vision impairment. Investment from DEBRA Research and Cure EB will support development in this indication.

The technology originated at the University of Birmingham’s Healthcare Technologies Institute and is based on pharmaceutical- and food-grade polymers arranged into proprietary structures designed to avoid complex chemical modifications during manufacturing.

Healome said it holds five patent families covering the platform, with patents granted in Japan and South Korea and applications pending in other major markets.

Richard Williams, chief executive officer of Healome Therapeutics, said: “Using our matrix to extend residence time of novel and existing therapeutics opens the door to reduced dosing, better adherence and ultimately improved outcomes across a range of indications. This financing lets us drive the platform toward the clinic.”

The company was founded in 2021 by Liam Grover, Tony Metcalfe, Richard Moakes and Williams, bringing together expertise in biomaterials, regenerative medicine and drug development.

The funding comes as developers continue to explore new approaches to improving ocular drug delivery, an area that has traditionally been limited by poor retention of medicines on the surface of the eye. By extending residence time without requiring complex formulation chemistry, Healome hopes its platform can improve treatment outcomes across a range of common and rare eye diseases.